The Wichita daily eagle., 1897-12-19
STANDS UP FOR JOHN
GENERAL BAILEY TALKS ABOUT
TIE CHINESE.

General Bailey, Better Known n Tan Kee,
Gives Some Interesting Facts About
John namau-He Is the Curator ss
the American Archaeological aud As
iatic society-Two Dresses He Has Are
Valued at $4,000. Which Were Pre-
seused to Him by the Empress-A Fan
Made of Mother of Pearl Worth SO, 500
General G. W. Bailey. better known 10
the world as '@Tan-Kee,'' is in the city,
and will deliver his famous and instruct
i've lecture here early in January. the
general is the curator of the American
Archaeological and Asiat;c society with
headquarters for the present in Wichita.
He vii leave Wednesday for Garden
City. where ne will lecture. He was seen
yesterday and he gave out some very
interesting facts about the very much
abused Chinee. ''Ton-Kee' says that if
the American people understood the Chi
nese question more thoroughly there
would be no Geary law or the statute
books and that they would be held in
altogether a different light from what
now pervades the minds of the Ameri-
cans. General Bailey has spent most OF
his life in the Chinese empire and has
received signal honors from the emperor.
He left China just after the late war,
in which the Japs came off victorious.
This was the first time since 1876 that
the general had visited America. He
has only very recently come from the
south where he had been prior to the
yellow fever scourge. He predicted an
epidemic, and was severely criticized
by the southern papers for doing so, but
his predictions were unfortunately YER
ified. He said yesterday that next year
will see the forst epidemic of yellow
fever in the south since 1873.
The general exhibited to the gaze OF
an Eagle reporter yesterday some won
derful dresses, idols, coins and bric-a-
brac which he uses to illustrate his lee
ture. The dresses are marvellous and
would throw any woman in ecstacies.
Two of these Chinese dresses have every
color of the rainbow worked in the finest
kind OF needle work. The two al the
government value are worth $1,000, and
took four years TO complete tnem- Cen
eral Bailey says nothing OF the kind
can be duplicated outside OF China. The
principal colors are blue and old gold,
with dragons worked thereon which is
the emblem of royalty. No one in China
is allowed, under penalty of death, to
wear the dragons on their cloths unless
presented by the emperor or empress.
The only difference between the gar
mants in 'Tan-Kee's' possession and
those worn by the royal household is
that they wear yellow. The buttons are
Of solid gold and in keeping with the
rich ard heavy silk. He also has a ian
which is a dream OF loveliness ana
skilled workmanship. He purchased 1t
for 81, 900 and had 1t on exhibition in the
Metropolitan Museum OF Art in New
York City, where Mrs Vanderbilt saw
it. She offered $500 for the fan, in
tending To give it to her daughter, MISS
Consuelo, to carry at her marriage
wher she wed the Duke OF Marlborough.
The fan is of geometrical eXactitude, or
the purest mother-of-pearl inlaid with
gold. The colors which irradiate from 1t
are exquisite.
He has several idols which are thous-
ands of years old. They are like most
idols. hideous little images. One coin
in his possession was made 2o56 B. c.
His collection is very fine and took years
TO get it together.
IT would be a crime for anyone who
has an opportunity TO see his posses
sions rot to tke advantage OF it.
China needs" said the general,
American machinery, American work
men. in fact American brains in every
department. of inductry. The Chinese
have a regard for the Americans and
treat them with courtesy and friendli-
ness"
ontinuing, he said that the River OF
Golden Sands, known in Chinese as
Yang -tse-Kiang, was richer in gold
thar was the Klondike, only the Chi
nese did not know how 10 mine ii. All
they endeavor TO get is the loose gold
which they wash out Of the sand in
crude pan.
The general is enthusiastic over the
Chinese, speaks the language fuently
and has information enough 20 enter
tain any one for two hours in a most
profitable manner.
Professor T. C. Conkl!n OF Mulvane Is
here attending to business.