Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-02-04
MONARCH OF EARTH AND AIR.
KING THEEBAw OF BURMAH
ENJOYS HIMsELF.
Ruled by Wife Who Brooks no
Rivalry Passionately Fond OF
Gin, and a Victim OF Excess
ses of Many Kinds.


Fan Mall BUDGET.
The King Is still drinking" No one
thing has ever been said oftcner Of any
one monarch han that was said of the
pa orious Thecbaw, King of the Burmus,
Sazoran Of Manda.ay, King of the Ris-
ing sun, Lord Of the White Elephant,
the Golden Umbrella, the Lord of Earth
aud Air II one 1.-THE OF what has been.
during the last twenty years. written
about King rheebaw is true II frac-
ton Of what they now say Of him in
Burmah Is true. why, then a worse mon
arch never sat in absolute power upon a
bUrhSria throne.
1t is strange fact that the Burmese
the. pioasantcst, most o1sy-goug of all
u.ions- were ruled for centuries by a
crue., Rood-thirsiy dynasty. The pred
cccss1r 10 Iheebaw, King Mpngduu,
seems 10 have been rather gifted, but
he was shifty aud trcachcrous King
Ihccbaw- unless Christian literature has
wrouged him as II never yet wrougcd
hcnlhcn prince had every bad quality.
and not one rcdecming one. His orgies,
MS dnlauchcs, the stories OF his post
urc girls" are rmcqualled in the chroni-
rles of continent Of which many lurid
things have been written,
THE FAVORITB Wll'ES WAY.
Things were certainly fast and furl-
Gus while Thcebaw ruled Muudalay
But l doubt If King Thcebaw ever did
rule az Manda,ay. Queen Soo-pyahlat
was tho yeritable potentate. She ruled
rheebaw. lie had an abundance OF
wives, hut when he showed any spe-
cial favor TO any wlfo other than 500
pyahlat She promptly had the other wife
trnmplel TO death by the royal elephants.
or kiGcl in some other equally pleasant
way, Then she would. most probably
take King. Theebaw in their state barge
for q little postnuptial lune de miel.
Ihechaw seems never for an instant to
have resented, disputed or resisted 500
pyuhlats supremacy. IL was Queen 500
pyahlat that hated the British with an
intensity, beside which ordinary Asiatic
hatred was nothing. II was Queen 500
pyahiat who forced Thccbuw TO hold out
against the English forces long after re-
sistance was worse than vain On Jan
uny l. 1886. King Thcehnw was finally
and absolutely overthrow, But before
that date he had caused England much
anxiety, aud his patient subjects much
misery
How often have the eyes of al Eng
land been turned toward that wonderful
palace at Mandalay! Aud almost inva-
riably The wires dashed. to the nation this
message, "rhe king Is still drinking"
Yes, the king was stir drinking. Be
fore his gin-hlmed eyes swayed the 1.-THE
forms Of the hower-decked posture
girls; and the palace yard ran blood
The blood Of many victims, Wonderful
Burmese carving Elimmrrel and cltterel
on the palace walls; and the hiE gems
rose and fell on the bad queens breast
A VICTIM OF WOMEN AND GRoG.
10 me there Is something very pathetic
about the story OF King Theebaw He
was born to ii great opportunity. lie be-
came the ruler Of a most charming people,
the absolute MASTER Of as Interesting and
as beautiful country and As productive
as any on the globe Aud his manhood
went down beneath bad woman's
jcwclled foot. be sold his hngshp Tor
"a hogshead Of rrog, and whenever his
u1me was spoken, men eaid with disgust,
tine king Is sill drinking
When Thcebaw uscrnded the throne
In ISIS an eminent Eneiishman wrs.e
Of him:-'lIe Is little ever 20, He Is a
tell well built, persoaahle Young man.
ie IS very fair In complexion, has a
god forehead, clear, steady eyes aud q
hrm hut pleasing mouth. lis chin d
tull and somewhat sensual booking. Inn
withal he b manly, fraad faced Young
Fellow. and Is said TO have gained sell.
passr~inn aud left the early neryou,
aNtwardpess Of his new position with
rroet ppiiiiyn
an, what different appearance ht
n1 e'afai when he was drthehrt.t h
lesU! In exit short fs.ar- ~ had com