Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-09-03
QUEER HABITS OF THE FAMOUS
CHINAMAN ABOUT TO VISIT US.
HE NEVER EATS IN PUBLIC
But in Private He Gorges on Cucum-
bers, Jam, Beans, Pigeons, Chickens,
Pork, Honey, Vinegar, Mushrooms
and Onions-A Quick Run Through
the United States.


nary and plenipotentiary," as his card
reads, with his coffin, his six cooks, his
son and daughter-in-law, his secre-
taries and other followers to the num-
Der of forty n all, is due to walk down
the gang plank of the steamship St
Louis and land here Friday next, Aug.
20. The st. Louis sailed from South
ampton at noon Saturday, Aug %,
with Ii on board, and Captain Randle
had orders to push the big liner as she
never pushed before to show the great
1 Chnaman what fine ships American
workmanship can produce. The st.
Louis clipped something off the record
on her last voyage here, and if The
weather is favorable it can be depended
upon that the record will be lowered
again on this trip.
Ii will only stop two days in New
York, as political exigencies at home
demand a speedy return to China.
I Sunday next he will take a morning
train to Philadelphia where, among
other things, he will visit the Cramp
ship yards. That same afternoon he
! will journey to Washington, where he
] hopes to remain a week among the am
bassadors and ministers of the foreign
countries. He also hopes to have a
/ lengthy chat with President Cleveland
and if possible do something to remove
the ban from Chinese immigration.
I From Washington he will journey Gi-
rect to Vancouver b. c., and embark
there for China.
1t would please him greatly if he
could stop off. at Chicago and san
Francisco and inspect those cities, par
tiCularly the Chinese quarter in the
latter place, but his limited time will
not allow of it. He will look over NeN
York's Chinatown, and the $4,000 Mon
golians in and around the metropolis
will do their best to make him feel at
home. For the past two weeks fire
works and lanterns by the carloads
have been arriving in Pell and Mott
streets, and that section will be illu
minated as it has never been lighted
before, and the sizzle and boom of fire
works will make the rest of the town
think that fourth of July has come
again.
1t is needless to say that Lii Hung
Chang is one of the most notable men
of the age. Pretty nearly every one in
this country knows it by this time. 1t
Is not so generally known that he is
considered to be the richest man in The
world, having an estimated fortune Ct
$500, 100000 Moreover, he has been
! Inc
to attend the coronation of the ear at
Moscow An example of the way he
spends his colossal income was given at
! the Berlin exhibition. When looking
over the jewelry exhibit he saw some
diamonds and pearls which he thought
would please his daughter-in-law, the
wife of his son, Viscount Ii. He told
the manager through an interpro er
! that he would buy them. This manager
/ was a stolid German otherwise lie
might have tainted The cost of the
! gems amounted to $3.50 600, and while
i 1t did not phase LII it worried his chief
i secretary, who whispered to the great
Chinaman that there was not that
much money at immediate command.
! Iii ordered him to see that the bill was
paid at once, and this was evidently
done, as his daughter-in-law had the
/ gems when the party reached London
/ week later.
Lis coffin is bound to be a subject of
I interest when ii reaches here He al
ways takes it with him wherever he
goes as he expects to die at any time,
and wants to be laid away in orthodox
| Chinese style when the time comes.
He had his coffin sent to London during
the coronation festivities at Moscow,
rs he feared its presence might mar
the general JOY of the car. Ii Hung
Chang has had this coffin for more than
thirty years and every once in while
it is necessary to repair some of the
trimmings, as ii is highly ornamented
affair 1t weighs 500 pounds, and Il
separate state room was engaged for it
on the steamer St Louis. Its original
cost was $50 900, and to maintain ii for
so long time has cost 100000 more.
The cost of carrying 1t around the
world on this trip is close to 81 600, 1t
Is made OF mahogany and the wood
was cut from a single tree trunk, The
bottom is curved and rests on supports
NJ either end. Its exterior is veneered
with highly decorated carved wood. 1t
is eieht feet nine inches long, three
feet wide and three feet deep. There
are no hinges TO the lid. for ut the
burial the lid will be fastened at each
end with many bands of silk cord,
There are sixteen big handles. eight on
each side. Two long poles of mahog
any so along with it 50 that at the
burial thirty-two men can lift II up and
carry il 10 the cemetery
\ canopy Of embroidered silk sur
mounts IT, but 1t is doubtful If this will
be lief; ON when ii is placed in the
grave The interior is Of metal Gov
cred With beautifully decorated silk
In its travels the coffin is filled with a
number Of fine uniforms. any one Of
which will be worn ny III when the