The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-03-17

that 1t costs the Government about $75, 900
year apiece for them. These highest
princes are the brothers or sons of the
Emperor. Next to them are his
Malesty's cousins, who get about forty
five thousand dollars a year. and the
other relatives get less, until the lowest of
the imperial nobility are paid about 81
month and ratlons. In addition to these
there are dukes, counts, barons and mar
quises, which ranks are conferred by the
Emperor, and not a few of which are sold
The Manchus or Tartars have a nobility,
and the different ranks are conferred upon
the Chinese, as well as the Tartars. The
Empress must be pure Tartar and all the
ladies of the imperial harem are of Man
chu blood. 1t is not necessary that they
be of royal blood, and pretty Tartar girl,
even though her father be plowman, has
a chance of getting into the palace. The
mother of the Emperor Hen Fung was
tiful, and one day the Prime Minister saw
her and took her into the palace. She was
taken mp by the Emperor and made his ia
vorite concubine, and in due time became
mother of the succeeding Emperor.
Some of the members of the Emperor's
family are very poor. was told of num-
Der of princes who live in Peking and who
are chemically hard up. L heard of others
who delight in going about through the
city in disguise, and who do all sorts of
curious things. The Emperor's father is
now dead. He was great noble and when
he was alive he was man of considerable
influence. The Empress dowager has more
power than any other person in the coun-
try. She educated the Emperor and she
winds him about her finger. He has not
yet been able to cut loose from her apron
strings and she governs him also through
his wives. She picked out the women who
compose his imperial harem, and she has
the whole court under her long-nailed
thumb. She is strong friend of Iii Hung
Chang, and it is through her influence
that Lii is sent to Japan. She also governs
the eunuchs of the palace. of whom there
are supposed to be 5000, and she is, in fact,
the power behind the throne of the Chinese
Government.
Every one has heard of the Chinese but
tons and how they indicate rank. A great
many people, however, have no idea what
the official button is. All Cinnamon have
buttons about as big as a hickory nut on
the tops of their skull caps, and in the case
OF the common people these buttons are
made out of blue or red silk thread, and
when man goes into mourning they are
white silk. The average common cap is of
the finest black satin. and it surprised me
to find that the shapes of these caps change
from year to year, and that last years
block is not the proper shape for this year.
The Chinese are as particular about the
cut of their clothes as we are. They have
their favorite fashionable colors, and there
are just as many dudes and handles in
Peking and Canton as there are in New
York and Washington. The official but
ton is about three times as large as the
ordinary silk button. 1t is about as big as
the largest buckeye and its color and ma
terlal indicate the rank of the Wearer. 1t
stands straight up on the crown of the cap
and 1t sometimes fastens on the peacock
feather. The highest button is of dark red
coral. Members OF the second class of
nobility wear a coral ball of light red. The
third class have button of light blue and
the fourth of dark blue. A noble or official
of the fifth class wears ball of crystal
and a mandarin of the sixth class has
little round ball made of mother-of-pearl
on the top of his cap. Below these come
the mandarins of the seventh and eighth
classes who wear big marbles of gold and
members of the ninth class who have their
hats decorated with silver balls.
These official caps or hats fit close to the
head and have brims which are turned UP
all around and extend as high up as the
top of the cap. The caps are Of black
beaver and they are usually covered with a
red silk tassel, which begins at the bottom
and runs out to the edges of the top. The
laws provide as to the kind of hat an off,
cial must wear, and his dress is regulated
by the statutes. The sleeves of all officials
must be very long and come down over the
hands, and whenever the mobiles and OFF,
Gals call on the Emperor they must not
have their sleeves rolled up. The idea is
that no man can fight well with his arms
when he is compelled to come in upon his