The Kootenai herald. [volume] (Kootenai, Idaho) 1891-1904, 1897-10-09

pupil made. When the prince became
king in 1868 he continued his studies
and nursed his ambitions. and when,
In 1873, he became absolute in power
he began to turn into realities the dreams
of his boyhood and his youth. He sur
rounded himself with a number of Eu-
ropeans and Americans and with their
aid and advice recognized the army
and the navy and established a modern
police system in Bangkok. He has by
his precept and example encouraged
his people in the practice of temper
ance, truthfulness, industry and hui
manity.
This real reformer is little man, just
40 years old, and as full of restless en-
ergy as his liquid, black eyes are full
of gentleness. Without his official
crown, which he seldom cares to use,
he measures ) feet 4 inches in height.
His color is that indescribable color of
the Orient that is called orange for
want of a beeter descriptive word. He
has large harem, but only one wife.
The succession of primogeniture was
There is but one woman in the king
dom that can be called 'her majesty"
The eldest son of this woman shall be
crown prince, according to Chulalong-
korn's decree. His present queen Is his
second wife, and the present crown
prince is the eldest son of the present
queen.
Chulalongkorn assembled the throne In
1873, but not until about ten years later,
at the death of the regent during the
king minority, did he have an altogeth-
er free hand in government. He has adj
vanced agriculture, increased the ex-
ports from his country, granted char
tiers to companies that have laid steam
and electric railways, built a State rail
road, cut canals, improved the roads in
all parts of his domain, and caused JUS
tice to be impartially and speedily ad-
ministered.
The favorite palace of the king stands
on an island in the river Menam. He
has several other palaces, all of great
magnificence, but the greatest of all is
the royal palace in Bangkok, the capt.
tai. Part of the court yard of the tenn
pie within the grounds of this palace is
shown in accompanying picture. On
the left are seen, in perspective, three
gateways opening into the space occu-
pied by the principal building, in which
is enshrined the so-called Emerald
Buddha of Siam. At each of the gate
ways stand two gigantic figures of the
mythical demons known to the Siamese
under the name of "Yuck," and CORE
spending pretty closely to the djinn or
genii of the arabian Nights" A few
small statues Of gray marble, carved
by Siamese artists in imitation of Euro
pean sculpture, stand near, forming in
congruous features in an otherwise
typically Oriental scene. Behind, and
to the right, is seen the prachadee.
huge cOnical mass OF brick and NOR
tar, covered with glass tiles gilded on
the inner surface, and so maintaining
their brilliancy with no other aid than
an occasional washing. This great pal
ace at Bangkok, or rather group of
structures, is one of the sights of the
East. The buildings were put in hand
early in this century, and although one
Siamese sovereign after another added
to them. it was reserved for the pres
ent king to complete them.
Siam occupies territory about the
size of Germany. That its area has not
been cut down to half that size is no
fault of the sly statesmen of France
and England, who have been grabbing
the kings land on either side under the
pretense of protecting" him. These
two States were about to absorb all of
Siam except a small parcel OF land not
much more than enough for a royal
garden when Chulalongkorn showed
them that he could be diplomat as
well as patriot. He played" one pow
er against the other and thus stopped
further encroachments. There is now
no longer any danger that the land
grabbers will hurt him. In the navy of
twenty-five powerful ships he has ere
ated and in his reorganlzed army he has
furnished himself with a protection
that needs no increase from without.