The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-08-27
GREAT TREE, oREaTER FAKE
Solving the Mystery of the Tree of rhibsr >
Wonderful Leaves.

solving the Mystery of the Tree of Thibsts
Wonderfol Leavsa
The fegend-smashing of the present
day seems 10 go hand In hand with the
| record breaking. Few people have
heard of the marvellous tree of Thibet,
but, nevertheless, for . long time it
has enjoyed q great reputation in the
east 1t is a sacred tree, and not long
the English and French papers OF the
fabulous prices which were paid for o
few of its leaves.
In his Souvenirs de Voyage an
Thibet." Pcrc Hue speaks Of this won
derful tree IL is TALLY of liter
ery and artistic turn of mind, and has
the strange habit Of producing images
and hieroglyphIcs upon its leaves.
Sometimes religious figures take
the places OF the letters. Pcro Hue
called the mysterious thing the
tree Of one thousand images" These
images are found on the leaves. on the
stems, and on the trunk. Near the
temple Of Buddha, in the village Of
Liousar, Thibet. this great tree has
stood for years, the plague and the
puzzle of all tho botanists who have
never received the gift of faith
In 1891 Mr.. William Rockh;ll. on
trip from China, started out TO see this
famous tree. lie wen: To Lionsar, u
village of about eight hundred inhsb-
itsnts and possessing an immense
lamanerie. II shelters about three
thousand lamas, or Buddhist priests
These priests have several temples. in
the largest Of which. upon tho throne
of three meters, Is the statue of Bud
dha, which is said 20 be OF solid pure
gold At precisely ten meters from
this temple the famous trce fourishes
But Rockhill came away from there
1ust as ignorant as he had arrived Il
was In February and the tree had DC
leaves Hard luck for Rockhiil!- "rll
FRY il again" said he; and he after
ward asserted. wherever he went. that
the tree Of one thousand images was
reality-and there was some truth Ia
what he said.
But at last Monsignore Biet. Of the
foreign mission, and apostolic vicar OF
Thibet, has Just handed over The ley
OF the mystery. The fake was ex-
planned 20 him by a lama. who. while
on a pilgrimage. became sies. and. on
being cured by the bishop. abjured h.s
faith and became Catholic The ssor,
Is souewha. amusing. To raise ths
wind in the grand lamanerie OF Lou
sar IL f. necessary 20 have recourse te
expedientA Every wonderfs! tA!Hs
pays even Ia Thibet
A great antiquity was given 20 sha
tree-and. indeed, 10 was claimed that
81 had existed from time lmnsmors@L
But, after al, tie trick was simple
enough. like every other trick when ~
l. found ou. In the spring and IN The
summer. on DARK nights, . lama. With
his pockets fall Of bznd sssnps. ssa
endowed with acrosatic powers tAs,
would po, all oar sho-msn in 'es
shade. climbs ali throssa the tree ssc
s.arnps the leaves With az 1o-.s %
holy images ADD characters. ;ns ssoss
numerous being the following form
ula: ON name yAeoze ON lory ts
Bsddaa Iu ths lO.Es Thss - slSo
stamped upon the bark. All he leaves
and portions cf to- bard are sod v
visitor
u Tia .zy The Is-ss 90 = sosrisA
ia, rzssf neSS I; migat not oe safe ssr
. fellow - xav oy<u.y tA2: ;as, ga.
the way s; sas toEs. IN tee ssighbcr-
hoop 81 Lso-sxr-sna thls s~Yv~s 20
how ho1 usessl :: Il for oss % know
.as. whea aad zhsrs % Keep IA asa.A
shuI Ths characters are changed sre-
G ossaisy. 80 ths, the leaves os i-ss DO
rot loD< one ~ Ike tae 1<2res os ss<a
Per. H.e has -one Iszves. ard =, h..
toe p-iae. Q: oslssa~ soz ercxz esk~r
taey sss AL cisersas Zee
sa,arzlls;s ass1 ao; bother ,kess ssssz.
. b.ou: fading or tEs precise family a
ihls tree u Is vel kao~n rCw. saa
;ts EA-ss "a Fsxe--S. T. szn.
TIE Cssrcs os Jeszs cssrsss o. fas-
.e--Ia-y s=.=.x. Aoxs &c. claims So