The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-07-01

In front or me marched the Iing-Cm or
our legation. who was also gorgeously
dressed and he on horseback cleared the
streets for us. 1t is about four miles from
my hotel 10 the palace. ana the route lies
through the busiest part Of this one OF
the busiest cities Of China. Leaving the
hotel we went past mountains OF
merchandise stored in bags and
lying on wharves along the Pei
Ho and cut our way through the
narrow streets of Tien-Tsin We grazed
chairs with mandarins, who with their ret
inues and bands pompously pushed their
way along. We stepped over ragged beg
gars lying on the streets clad only in coffee
sacking and exposing their self-made
wounds TO our disguised eyes. We passed
hundreds. L might say thousands, Of Chi
nese stores and work shops Of all descrip-
tons and going through wall after wall and
gaze after gate. crossing great bridges
which closed TO let US 90 over them. until
at last we came 10 a big one-story building.
the front gate Of the wall which surrounds
the hundred odd houses which make the
residence Of Earl Ii. These houses are of
one story and they are built about courts.
The first court is guarded by soldiers and by
two green wooden lions with hideous faces
and beyond this there are great doors on
which are painted the Chinese gods Of war
Before these my chair was set down and
the Ting Chi went in to announce my
coming. My Chinese card. a strip OF red
paper six inches long and three wide bear
ing the Chinese characters 'Kow Ping
Teh' Carpenter and meaning / was told
by the man who wrote the card for me.
energetic, bright. brilliant" was carried
into the yamen and a moment later an OIL
cial motioned me to enter
IN THE RECEPTION ROOM.
1 was first led into two reception rooms
and given seat I'm the more honored one
Of the two, the place reserved for Chinese
mandarins of high rank. Ii was rather
ragged for palace and for the ruler OF
such a vast people. It was. l Judge. thirty
feet square and twelve feet from floor 20
ceiling Around the wall ran a divan three
feet wide and so high that when / sat
upon it my toes just touched the floor
This divan was covered with the cheapest
of red cotton cushions, each of which was
about an inch in thickness and about three
feet square. Above these against the wall
there was a strip Of japanese red and blue
Powered goods, perhaps a yard wide, and
from the ledge Of the divan hung down a
Turkey red cotton curtain a foot and a
and the paper on the walls cost. venture.
cents roll. The whole outfit Of the re-
ception room could be knocked up In Amer
lea for SO, and there was nothing osten-
tatious about it. The callers however.
made UP in the gorgeousness OF their COS
tunes for the lack Of splendor in their sur
roundings. There were mandarins In furs
which must have cost hundreds OF taeis.
There were officials in the finest, Of silks,
wearing the cOstliest of Jewels. and a mo-
ment after / arrived a servant brought in
two cups Of tea of a variety too precious
to be exported TO the United States. This
tea was placed upon a little table which
rested upon the divan, and il had not had
chance to cool before the Secretary OF
the Navy entered. He was clad In dark
silks lined with the finest of fur. such as
our bellies use for the lining of their Oh zra
cloaks, and he had on his head cap with
a button Of rank. He chatted with me as
we slipped our tea, making a loud noise
with our mouths in doing so, according 10
Chinese etiquette. and the conversation
ranged from politics TO photography, the
Naval Secretary being much interested in
stereopdcons, and wanted 10 know the
best American makes.
After time the word came that the
Viceroy was ready to receive us We rose
and walked out behind gorgeous but
sombre official, who held my red card high
up in the air before him and strutted like
a drum major. We passed through hall
after hall, going by lackeys who saluted
us like so many automatons as we went by.
We walked through long corridors running
around open courts, and at last came into
large parlor furnished in half Chinese
Ct TIara
csc screen by a table, stood a tall old man.
to whom the Secretary of the Navy bowed
low as he introduced me. it was Ii Hung
Chang, the great Vicsroy OF China His
personality impressed me even more forci-
bly, to-day than when / met him in that
same room five years ago. He is now sey-
enty-four years of age. but he stands firm
ly, and his long gown, which reaches to
his feet, makes him look like a giant He
is, in fact, six feet two inches in his stock
ings, and the thick soes OF his Chinese
| shoes add another inch TO his stature. lie
has slight stoop. His shoulders are broad
and in his prime he must have possessed
| great muscular power He is by no means
an old-loOking man to-day. There are few
wrinkles i'm his cream-colored face. and
| his struggling beard is black. mixed with
| silver His eyes are black. bright and pierre
| ing. and the eyelids are OF the pronounced
almond shape. He has high cheek bones
| and a full forehead His cheeks are rosy,
| partially due 10 his health and partly TO
| the application of electricity. which they
receive daily 10 cure him Of facial paraly-
/ sis, from which he for long time suffered.
| His back queue is mixed with gray. and
his head. when L met him to-day. IVES
| crowned with a black satin Chinese cap.
| in the front OF which glittered a solitaire
! diamond as big the end OF your thumb.
| TALKING WITH THE GREAT MAN.
Ii Hung Chang has a slender but power
full hand. His fingers are long and thin,
| and on one Of them 1 noted magnificent
ring of diamonds and opals. His costume
was. in fact. a gorgeous and costly one.
| His gown was Of the finest yellow satin,
/ and his coat, which covered his body 10
his thighs. was Of rich seal brown velvet.
/ fastened with buttons of gold. His trOus-
ers were also OF wadGed satin and they
were tied with satin strings about his
ankles above his black satin boots. The
stories 1 had heard OF his kicking his off,
| GERS made me regard these with interest.
1 had no fear that ne would try them on
me. but 1 noted their white soles were two
| inches thick and that they might easily
break leg if vigorously applied.
| Ii Hung Chang received me with a stately