The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-20


have saying that any dog can hare
white rssth. bat & q oniy those who are
ret enough 10 anorc the h%tei I'll, WHO
ca. have a<a rtftal black eaes. Net oEliy
the queen but also al tbs ladies 0. he
ha-eEn chew vtEt-e9 g large store right
Tear the palace. which furnishes the
ladies' much Of their anerv. their sweet
meats ard tfelr articles o. toilet Among
other things which ara sod are betel spit
soons. These are little caps about the size
Of shaving m9g. Ever one CT the kings
wives has ore or two and each lady keeps
one always by her side, lifting II 70 her
lbs froEa time 70 time and squirting cat
into IT. her surplus saliva Everr lady Of
the 1are-n has also her hetel 5ox. This IL
for the materials % chewing. Some Of the
boxes are u silver. and these Of the king
and queen are set with Jewels During my
szas IN the kings store I asked some CUES
tons as 70 TIE fashions affected by the
queen and tss other ladies OF the hs-e,1-
l was told that the favorfte costume Of the
kings wives IL the sG-ons or vais-eloth,
falling 10 the knees. and a jacket % silk
i saw mary OF The Jackets in fhsr store.
They were loosely made. ard we're decor
ared with ribbons and Swiss embroidery.
The man told me that most OF the women
preferred 20 90 baretoosed. and that most
OF them wore anklets of gold. The king
Keeps between 10 and So ladies' In Ess
hsr8rn- They are selected from the best
families Of the country. and I was tod
that the mobiles OF the court were anxious
20 have their daughters taken up b. the
kfHg. as through them they were able 20
secure fat Jobs and Official favor. The
rules governing the kings household es-
adjustment are very rigid. No woman
can 30 outside OF the palace without his
permission, and her days Of royal favor
are usually short. After the age OF g. IL
woman has not had children. she becomes
one OF the waiting maids Of the younger
wives. new girls being brought in every
year. TIE last king had an even larger
harem His wives came from China and
india. as well as Siam. and he was anx-
iouE. IL fs said. 70 add some weli-br En-
xiish girls to hts gallery Of beauties.
Modern Progress In STAN.
With SO many wives. you would think
the sing would be able 10 do little outside
his own family. He docs a great deal He
has a cabinet OF twelve members and
many subordinate officials. although he
settles the most important matters him
SELF Not dollar can go out OF his treas
ury without his signature. While I was
In bangkok young American. who had
been teaching the kings children. wanted
his salary. The treasury officials k-ew il
was due. bus IL could not be paid until his
majesty came back from his trip into the
interior ChuIaIongkorn is the most pro-
gressive monarch Siam has ever had He
has taken up with foreign ways and has
TO certain extent modernized Siam The
country is member OF the International
Postal Union. saw the postmen deliver
Ing Letters. and was able TO register mail
which sent 70 America. There is TOW an
elctrac railroad in Bangkok. and within
the past few years several steam railroads
have been constructed. A number Of new
roads have been surveyed and there is re
being built from Bangkok TO korat about
l6e miles into the interior. Connection will
eventually be made with Burmah, and at
no distant date We shall be able to travel
throughout Farther India by rail At
present large part OF the interior trans
portation has TO be done upon elephants.
the only beasts which are able TO make
their way through the thick Jungle The
King speaks English fiuentiy and reads IL
with ease II is not etiquette. however.
for him 10 use anything else than his own
language during his audiences. and for
this reason he will have an interpreter
during his travels in this country.
The Land of the White Elephant.
The elephant Is the royal beast Of Siam.
You see elephant pictures on all the flags.
The Old coins had an elephant printed on
them, and the white elephant, in fact
forms what you would call the coat-of-
arms OF the king. The Siamese are Butd-
hists. They believe IN the TRANSPORTATION
OF souls. They think that the souls OF
their heroes or greatest men go into ele-
plants. and OF the very greatest into the
white elephants II was for this reason
that white elephants were worshiped in
times past. Today the king keeps a num-
Der of white elephants In his palace sta
bies. | asked TO be shown these beasts
during my visit 10 the palace. ! expected
to find the animals decorated with gold
and purple and fastened with golden
chains. | was shown something far differ
ent. The stables were dirty wooden sheds.
and the elephants were tied with rough
ropes 10 wooden posts The keepers in
charge of them were dirty and there was
no sign OF royalty about them. The eie-
plants themselves looked freckled They
were not pure white by any means. and [
have since learned that the white elephant
Ia a diseased elephant. His Wilderness is
more like that OF leprosy than nature and
ne Is the highest beast OF the elephant
Kind.
where the King wor>hip-.
spent some time IN the wonderful
Buddhist temples OF Bangkok There
was one right next 10 the palace OF the
king In which bis ma iesty daily worships
during his stay in his capital. This tenn
pie has a spirs hundreds of feet high made
of coll after coil Of masonry plated with
gold. There is. WAS told, more than
500 oal worth Of gold upon il. II has doors
OF ebony iniaid with mother-of-pearl and
II is lighted with candies Of all sizes, soma
as big around As yoqr finger. Others Of the
size ~ your waist These candles are in
candisstlcks plated with gold. They viii
burn for weeks. and their pickering flames
ire supposed 10 dispose Of a multitude Of
sins. In this temple there is one room the
floor % which is covered with carpet Of
woven silver wire. It's chief idol is the
famed emerald god.
This god is about foot high. Il Is ma Ia