Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-06-20
ALL ABOUT THE KING OF SIAM, WHO
Is OMING TO SEE Us.
EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THIS FALL
HOW HIS MAJESTY LOOKS AND ACTS
AND TALKS.
His Vast Possessions and His EnOr-
Cons Income-A Visit to His Pal
ace-GOssip About the Har-
EN- and Its
of Inmates.

Washington, June 19.-His majesty, King
Chu~lalOngkorn, is now in Europe, and Is
expected to cross the Atlantic in his royal
yacht to make 4 visit to the United States.
Chulalongkorn IS the king Of SIAM. lie
IS the richest ruler of the world. with per-
haps the exception Of the car ana ne
has more power over his subjects than
any monarch outside Of the petty tyrahts
Of savage Africa. I heard much about
him during my stay in Siam a few years
ago. His majesty was away from his cap
ital at the time Of my visit. He had gone
up the river Menam in one OF ms royal
houseboats with about thirty of his wives,
and was not expected back for weeks l
met. however. the men closest TO him. l
a letters from our cabinet ministers az
Washington TO the leading Siamese ON
Gals. and was given an inside view OF
matters connected with his majesty and
his government.
Gossip About the King.
His majesty is called Chulalongkorn for
short. Hi real title is Prabat Somdet Pra
Pramend Malta Chulalongkorn Kate KlOw
Chow-yu-Hua. He Is the ninth chiId OF
Maha Mongkut, who was the last klng.
Maha Mongkut had ~eighty-four children,
and of these ChulalOngkorn was chosen 10
be placed upon the Siamese throne. lie
has thirty-four half brothers and forty
half sisters so well hat he has married
her. and she is now the queen. The king Is
81 AEGIk Qlu. L - abOAA - ~ II ~,
high. has a plump, olive-brown face, beau
tiful eyes of a liquid black, a broad, hlgh,
rather fun forehead, and snort straignt
black hair. His nose Is short and half nat,
his lips are rather thick, and his upper lip
IS decorated with a silky black mustache.
He dresses in clothes which might pass
well for those of a bicycler. In the place Of
pantaloons he wears a wide strip OF black
silk. or surOng, which Siamese gentlemen
wrap around their waists and pull between
their legs, so that 1t forms a pair Of loose
knee breeches. He wears long silk stock
ings and low shoes, while the upper part
of his body is clad in a military coat his
majesty sometimes wears a helmet. AT
other times he sports a derby hat, ana II
IS only upOn state occasions at his nome
that he puts on one of his enormous
crowns. He has several such crowns in his
palace. These crowns are pyramids OF
Jewels set in gold, rising in circular tiers,
and ending in a long point, like that of a
pencil, IS or 20 inches above the head OF the
He Has Money to Burn.
The king is practically the owner of Siam.
He has one Of the richest countries of Asia.
II Is bigger than Germany and richer than
will produce more valuable rice Its mighty
forests are full of teak wood. and its mines
contain gold, silver and precious stones.
The king has hundreds of elephants, some
OF which are worth $1,000 apiece, and his in
come is said to amount to more than $lO,-
OOO.OOc a year. | was told at Bangkok that
he rad between S9O.OOO.O0 and $40, OOO. 600
stored UP for a rainy day, and that he
could increase his. revenues at will. 1t is
INE XIX " liz III 4 " AANN AAAN A1aNN u "
be. He taxes what he pleases and whom
he pleaSCs. He gets his money from all
sorts OF sources, from eamDilns 70 IhInInS,
and the taxes upon some classes OF pe9ple
are so heavy that Slamese men have often
10 sell their wives and children as DEBT
slaves to enable them to foot the bills. |
saw men in chains working on the road
under the shadow of the palace wall, and l
was told that the kings laws were such
that ali of his subjects have to work a part
of each year. without paw, for him. He
has. you know. about l0.GO.OO OF people IN
- ne--I., I'll. lFnrfg nNu rE nhCnlrfa
BY a word he can deprive a man OF his
prcperty. throw him into chains or put him
No o Tomen a Veil and he has the right to
take into his harem any maiden that at
tracts his fancy.
A Visit TO the Palace.
The king has acres of palaces. In the
center OF the big city of Bangkok there is
n littIe CITY surrounded by a big wall which
contains the quarters of his majesty and
those Of his servants and his harem. The
latter Is shown to no man. hut l was able
TO 20 through some Of the finest buildings
of the palace proper. Passing the soldiers
at the gate / walked for perhaps a quarter
OF q mile by one building after another
until | came to an immense structure
which in the distance looked like marble.
As drew closer ! saw that the marble
was stucco and that the building was
made of brick or stone covered with plas-
ter. 1t was, however, very imposing:
n T roSe to the height of three tall stories
before the high ridged roof began. II had
many steeples and towers, and the wide
staiTways which led to the front door were
guarded by immense elephants of some
metal plated with gold. Passing by these
golden elephants. l went up the steps and
entered the kings council chamber He
has there n throne which looks for all the
world like a bed, and upon 1t l was told
that his majesty, as a rule, sat with his
legs crossed like a Turk while he received
his cabinet ministers and discussed mat
tiers relating to his kingdom. I learned
that the chief work of the palace was done
of NIGHT under the rnWS Of the electric
light. and tina the king and the cabinet
ministers did a large part of sleeping in
the daytime. On the opposite side of the
hall I saw another large room.
This was the kings reception room for
foreigners. It Is gorReously furnished and
contains rare vases from Dresden, beautl-
full carvings from Japan and China and
some wonderful gold work from the jew
elers Of Siam. There were elephants tusks,
beautifully polished, standing here and
there in the corners. and oil paintings