davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-06-07


rate candidate for a hospital already.
He is up to his neck in debt. Sc, if you
can put up with job lot of diseased
humanity for few years, he'll go un-
der the sod and you'll be Countess of
Darlington forever after. Ishould think
you would jump at it, sneered Uncle
Josiah. ''These lawyer chaps were con-
siderate enough to send their cable ad
dress. Shall run out and simply fire a
Terms accepted at them, Florence
Mrs. Rodney made a weak, hopeless
movement of despair. It would be a
hard fight for her all alone and her
brother SO rudely against her.
"Uncle," said Miss Rodney calmly,
but with hot, angry patch of color in
her healthy cheek and glitter in her
eye, "there's no need of your being any
more disagreeable than necessary. l
admit the prospect of escaping from
my life here and escaping from you
makes this atrocious proposition have a
force that nothing else could lend it.
The Earl of Darlington can't be much
more of trial than you.' she added
hotly
"That's the sensible way to look at
it, my DEAR returned Uncle Josiah,
with brisk and unruff1ed cheerfulness
''But Matilda didn't know you we'll
Matilda was business woman at least
It was so like her to leave her money
to Darlington and at the same time
rope in you as beneficiary, thus SEEM
ing to have regard for her own fam
lily. l don't know why she should have
cared about that" he went on, disre.
garding apparently Miss Rodney beau.
tifully undisguised look of disgust
''She never minded us while she was
alive. But people funk so when they
are going to die" he observed philo
sophically. However, as I was observ
ing, Matilda foolishly thought that you
were a degenerated niece and might
balk at the prospect of marrying bag
of disease and thousands of pounds OF
debt. So che ties up your mothers and
your sisters good fortune with your
consent. Marry this titled blackguard>
and your mother and sister will be in
dependent and comfortable for life
They won't have to live with him, You
know. So there is no reason why they
shouldn't be happy"
Josiah" cried Mrs. Rodney. ''this
is brutal. I cannot endure it. If you
continue like that. shall have to leave
the ROOM"
'There's no reason why you should
not, my DEAR" he replied cheerfully.
"You can cry and plead with Florence
later on
''Don't be silly, mamma, said Miss
Rodney prosaically. "Uncle Josiah il
putting it as badly as he can, but ever
he cannot do more than justice to this
vile, miserable scheme of my aunt.
am thankful to you for letting mamma
see the thing just as it is, - she said te
her uncle :.... ...-.
"Oh. don't mention it, said the old
cynic. 1T is pleasure to help you on,
in this trying moment. I can see yor
with the coronet Of countess stuck or
top Of your head. They wear coronets
don't they3 s. =. =, -. X.
"But you will note our dear NATL
da's forethought, he went on. ~ an
almost proud Of her. You might kicl
over all this debt and disease So sh'
brides you with your mothers and sis
ter's happiness. Why she should hav'
The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1900-06-07
II aDtll climb that Matterhor.a II It kills
me-

~ aDtll climb that Matterhor,a # 1t kills
nle''
per until he drew up this proposition
in writing, and it was duly witnessed.
Miss Rodney took it with a proud air
of triumph.
II don't know what can have in
duced you to make such heavenly
Offer" she said, except that you are
so sure can never do it. But will,
Uncle Josiah Gardner, and thank you
for doing it, no matter what your OBJ
ject was If I do succeed and get this
money from you, Ireally believe I shall
love you'll"
"Well, don't begin any sooner than
necessary, said her caustic relative.
II shouldn't know what to do with
kissing, dear uncle'ing kind Of
niece. ~
CHAPTER II.
AHE ASCENT OF THE ROCKY AUToCRAT OF
1901 THE ALPS
Miss Florence Rodney, having made
lp her mind as strongly asshe could
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07
MEN WHO HAVE HELPED TO cIv1I1zE CHINA.

ice, Joined the Chinese customs service
as deputy commissioner in 1859 and was
appointed in 1863 inspector general of
customs, which post he had held ever
since. 1t was by the treaty of 1855 that
the customs system was adopted which
now prevails in all the ports of China
and over which he had supervision, con-
trolling a small army of officials con-
sisting of some 900 foreigners and 5000
or 1000 natives.
Sir Robert was conspicuous illustra-
ton of the fact that probity and integ-
rity are sometimes held in esteem even
by the Chinese government, and his
case proves that such qualities can be
and are appreciated by such officials as
are not directly benefited by the uniyer-
sal squeeze" which it has always been
the custom OF the mandarins to effect
for their own enrichment. He had been
the means of saving many millions to
the government, and consequently his
home and headquarters In Picking were
paIatial, with retinues of servants and
suboficials to do his bidding and all
the outward luxury of a native prince.
Notwithstanding the immense riches
which he must have accumulated, he at
last accounts was working with as
great devotion as he had ever shown.
close friend of his is the American
missionary, Rev. DR.. w. A.P. Martin,
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

opium-they were absolutely right: but
as to the imposition of tribute upon the
merchants and the arrogant assump-
ton that all foreigners trading in China
were inferior beings, subject to their
caprices, they were wrong.
But whatever the cause the opium
war was begun after preliminary
diplomatic struggle in which the ad-
vantage rested with the Chinese. Can
ton was bombarded, junks We're sunk
and seized, and for years the Chinese
We're subjected to process of subjuga-
ton which astonished as well as an
gered them. They had not felt before
the might of a great power, as their
battles had been fought with primitive
peoples inefficientlyI armed, and to be
brought to their knees in this sum-
mary fashion was something new in
their experience. Having found that a
temporizing policy would not succeed
with the Chinese, the British prosecut-
ed the war vigorously. They captured
Canton, Ningpo and Shanghai and at
the last named place took 1854 cannon
many of them new and with inscrip-
tions in Chinese reading, Tanner and
subduer of the barbarians." A treaty
of peace was forced in 1912, but was ig-
nored by the Chinese, SO that desultory
warfare went on for many years. Canton
being bombarded again and the Taku
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

cy. In revenge for the indignities put
upon their countrymen the allied force
burned the summer palace of the en-
peror and exacted PREPARATION in the
shape of large indemnity.
1t was during the second lombard
ment of the Taku forts, in June, 1859,
that the United States commodore, Tat
nal, performed his heroic feat of tow
ing the English boats under fire out of
range of the Chinese guns with the ex-
PLANTATION that blood is thicker than
water" an act which greatly incensed
the Chinese. The force that marched
upon Picking was only 10000 strong,
but, though it encountered great oppo-
sition from the Chinese, succeeded in
accomplishing what Admiral Seymour
and Captain McCalla SO signally failed
to do this year in a similar attempt to
reach the capital of China. They show
ed the Chinese that their walled capital
city was not inaccessible, and they
taught them to respect their treaty OBJ
legations, for the treaty of 1858 was
finally ratified the same month at Tien-
tsin and the government brought to
terms.
Meanwhile. during this international
squabble, the country was rent with
internecine wars. The empire had been
structurally weakened by the war with
England, and native fanatic had
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

almost to pieces by the concenterea
fire of several of the enemy's, he came
out of the fight a physical wreck, and
for months was in hospital before re-
turning to this country, where at last
he died from their effects, having vir-
tually given his life for the cause to
which he had devoted his best years.
These are some of those who have been
of greatest benefit to China; but that
they are not all is shown by the pres
ence of Germans, Russians and some
English, who have given her soldiery in
struction in military tactics, the result
of which has been noted in the deter
mined resistance to the allies and the
accurate gun fire the Chinese have dis
played of late.
No Americans have been accused of
aiding the common enemy in this man
ner; neither have they manifested a
disposition to pounce upon China in de-
fiance of the treaty rights which were
mutually secured by Ward and Bur-
lingame. If, underlying all this niser-
able. business, with it's mutual suspi-
cions and recriminations, there seems
to be belief on the part of all con-
cerned that the United States will do
what is fair. it is owing to the fact that
as a nation we have ever kept faith
with China in the past.
WILLIAM ]. RUDOLPH.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07
s,nERIaN EXILE ABOLISHED.

The world is about to see the last OF
the horrors of Siberian exile. This sys-
TEN has been one of the worst institu-
tions in the administration of Russian
affairs Half of the unfortunates who
have been it's victims never went
through any form of trial. A large
proportion of these We're hurried
across the frontier to be buried alive In
the wilds of Siberia. to suffer the knout
and other barbarities imposed by the
merciless penal governors, without
knowing what offenses they We're sup
posed to have committed. Suspicion OF
plotting against the state was a sufti-
Gent cause for deportation.
Siberia became a penal colony in the
middle of the seventeenth century. I'm.
der Nicholas nearly $4,000 Poles We're
transported there. During the nine
teenth century it is estimated that
nearly, if not quite. 100000 men, women
and children We're sent into Siberian ex-
lie, for Russian despotism was no re-
specter of person, sex. condition or age.
Apart from the natural disposition of
the present ruler of Russia to inaugu-
rate reforms in his dominions and amel-
iorate the condition of his subjects.
other agencies have been at work and
forced the present action of the czar
and imperial council.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

provision IOT the
security of the state Jewels and, above
all, to guard the Kohinoor. At the next
meeting of the board then ruling the
Punjab the great diamond was formally
committed to the personal care of John
Lawrence.
The head of that astute and energetic
civilian was just then full of matters
much more important to him than jew
elry. He was trying to get order out OF
the chaos into which the native admins
tration had plunged things. He was
working go minutes to the hour" at the
coinage question, at the revenues, at
the disbanding and enrolling of troops,
pacfying native dignitaries, Furnishing
traitors, mapping out boundaries. His
sturdy Scotch-Irish nature dashed at
his work with vigor almost superhu-
man. Crown jewels? OF course, they
must be sent to England in safe GUS
tody. Kohinoor? All, yes; to be given
to the queen! And he thrust the little
wooden box into his waistcoat pocket.
There were a hundred other things to
be settled at that board meeting, and
by the time the work was got through
John Lawrence had forgotten all about
the Kohinoor. He changed his clothes
for dinner, flung the waistcoat aside
and thought no more of the matter.
| Some six weeks afterward Lord DALI
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

Mantchoos invaded the country and
sent them after the rest.
The Mantchoos took possession of Pc
king and proclaimed as emperor Shun-
shi, the youthful son of their own king,
who was educated by German Jesuit,
Adam Schall. This man was another
foreigner who had a benefcent influ-
ence over the Chinese, for he was pres
ident Of the mathematical board, and
became, in fact, prime minister. Thirty
years later, in 1917, some Jesuit astron-
omers came out as missionaries from
France, and Louis XIV sent with them
as gift to the Emperor Kanghsi a
large bronze azimuth and celestial
globe. Under the directions of the chief
astronomer, Father Verbeist, the Chi
nese exercised their well known powers
of imitation SO successfully that they
produced that bae"tif''' group of astro-
nomical instruments, With their dragon
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

seized the opportunity to start the Tai
ping rebellion, which eventually swept
the land with fire and sword. 1t con-
tinued for years, and it seemed as
though the government was on the eve
of disintegration, when it's savior ap-
peared i'll the person of Massachu-
sets Yankee-Frederick Townsend
Ward. Finding himself stranded in a
Chinese port, he made compact with a
provincial governor to lead force
against the rebels, his reward being a
certain sum of money and the loot of
the towns. Whatever his motive, he
was the first foreigner who showed the
Chinese their capabilities--in fact, who
taught them how to fight. He soon be-
came all but invincible, carried fort
after fort and captured towns and cit
les, breaking the back of the great re-
bellion SO effectually that those who
came after him were enabled to sup
press it and save the empire.
Ward was rewarded by being made a
mandarin, and might have held office
for years, but, though he was thought
by the Chinese to possess a charmed ex-
istence. he was finally killed by silver
bullet, and his lever victorious army
passed to the command of General
Charles Gordon, who had been engaged
in the English expedition to Picking
Taking the splendid material ready at
hand which had been licked into shape
by Ward, Burgevine and Forester, all
Americans. Chinese" Gordon began
that career of conquest and glory which
made his name famous ever after and
brought him rich rewards. In conjunc-
ton with the great viceroy, Ii Hung
Chang. who now in his old age is agar
called prominently before the world il
connection with the latest Chinese out
break Gordon succeeded in extinguish.
ing the Taiping rebellion within two
years.
! The foreigner who had served the
Chinese government longest and mos
| faithfully, passing more than 40 years
of his life in that service. was Sill
Robert Hart, who was among those be
leaguered in Picking at the height Of
the Boxer rebellion. He went to China
when he was 10 years old as student in.
terpreter in the British consular sery'
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

who had been in China SO years and
was interpreter for Minister Reed in the
treaty negotiations of 1858. Aside from
his work as missionary DR.. Martin
has been invaluable to China in his ca
pacity as an educator, having been pro-
fessor of international law in the Tong
Weng college, and when the Imperial
university at Picking was established he
became its president. 1t might seem in
vidious to mention one only of the
missionaries who have given their lives
to China, but space will not allow any
depression in this direction.
In scanning the names of those Amer
leans who have been prominent in re-
cent Chinese history one appears of
worldwide fame. He was Arson Bur-
lingame, who was appointed by Presi-
dent Lincoln minister to China and
who, in 1867, became special envoy from
that nation to all the great powers for the
purpose of framing treaties of amity.
AS an American minister had been the
first in this century to reach Picking
and conclude a treaty with China with
out force, as an American soldier had
first taught the Chinese how to fight
SO it was reserved for an American
diplomatist to be the first to introduce
China to the great powers of the world
IAN honor never before conferred
upon foreigner
That wonderful diplomatic tour
around the world, when for the first
time China was placed in official com
munication with the United States,
England, France, Sweden, Holland,
Denmark, Prussia and Russia, was un-
happily brought to a termination by
the death of Mr.. Burlingame at st. Pc
tersburg; but the moral effect of that
mission of peace will never be lost.
The last American to be named is
that hero of the naval battle of the
Yalu, Captain Philo N. McGiffin, who
commanded the Chinese warship Chen
Yuen. He was given a position of
great trust and creditably performed it;
but his sailors, engineers and gunners
shirked their duties, and he could not
cope with the better trained and dis
ciplined men of the Japanese fleet. Cow
cred with wounds received in that ter
rible battle, when his ship was battered
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

Is r. = q d =
TT is generally admitted, even by the
Chinese themselves, that the one
= department of the Chinese govern
nent that is altogether above reproach
IS that of the imperial customs. presid-
I'd over by a foreigner, Sir Robert Hart
He was held in such high regard that, it
IS said, he was the only foreigner with
in the walls of Picking at the time it
was closed to outsiders who was given
nm opportunity TO escape; and it was
consistent with his whole life for him
to refuse the proffered chance unless it
was shared by his friends and fellow
countrymen. The regard which those
in supreme power manifested for him
and the wide latitude they allowed him
in all his vast operations show that even
the rulers of China can appreciate quail
tiles which are lacking in themselves.
and the story of his career is only an
other illustration of how deeply indebt-
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

and was soon to make them sensible Of
the error of their ways. The first arti-
Gle in the Mantchoo Chinese creed was
that their ruler and emperor, the SOL
itary man and son of heaven" was far
superior to any other sovereign that
ever sat on throne. Now the English
had an idea that their beloved queen
was an improvement on this son of
heaven" and they determined to make
the Celestials acknowledge at least her
equality, if nothing more.
This was at the beginning of the IA
nous opium war;" which. though it
was caused primarily by the endeavors
of the British to foist the opium of
their Indian empire upon China and
had it's origin in that indefensible
scheme, ultimately resulted in the
opening of China to the world. AS to
the direct cause of the war-the resist
ance of the Chinese to the importing of
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

supports. now IN the observatory.
These are said to be among the world S
finest objects in bronze.
This seems to have been about the
limit of their labors, for the coming Of
the Mantchoos did not bring with it any
attachments in science or general
knowledge. During the second century
of their reign, however, China became
territorially the greatest country on the
globe by extending it's power over the
larger portion of central Asia. This
success of the Mantchoos against other
barbarous people of their kind made
them insufferably arrogant and gave
them the impression, which they have
held up to now, that if they chose they
could become world conquerors and
that all other nations We're vastly in
ferior to them in attachments OF every
sort.
This idea was so firmly fixed in their
Mongol-Tartar brains that it has never
been eradicated, though within the past
60 years or SO it has suffered several
shocks. The shock of the century was
administered to them in the first war
with England, which began 60 years
ago. The Chinese were willing other
nations should come to trade with
them, but only under the most OPP
pressive restrictions, which finally be-
came unbearable. They had built CEN
turtles before the great Chinese wall,
which shut them in OH the north; the
Grand canal, which was completed 600
years ago, answered all the purposes Of
their internal commerce in connection
with their river system, and they were
perfectly content to dwell within and
trade with themselves.
But Great Britain had a rod in pickle
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07


He felt, as he afterward said, as though
the sun had gone black. But he had
immense self command. ION. yes, OF
course; / had forgotten about it, was
all he said, and the business of the
board went on.
1t was very wretched man that Slip
ped away to his private room awhile
after and sent for his old bearer. Have
you got small box that was in my
waistcoat pocket some time ago.? he
demanded. Yes, sahib," the man said
simply. Truly. I found it, and put it
,, in one Of the sahib's boxes" Bring IT
here" ordered the master as firmly as
his voice would allow. Upon this the
old native brought a battered tin uni
form case, denied and lockless. This
he opened, and, after little rummag-
ling, produced the veritable little wood
en- box. open it" said john Lawrence.
| and see what is inside A little bun
die of silken rags apparently. Fold
after fold was unrolled. There Is
nothing here sahib.' said the old man;
| nothing but bit of glass;"
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07

forts stormed by the allied English and
French forces so late as 1857.
The French and English were con-
tending for equality of representation
with the imperial government and a di-
rect approach to the throne, for their
only intercourse with it had hitherto
been through the provincial governors.
In the early summer of 1858 the treaties
of Tien-tsin were signed-on June IA
between China and Russia; 18th be-
tween China and the United States;
18th with Great Britain, and 9th with
France.
The United States had previously ne
gotiated treaty with China July 8,
1874. through it's representative, Caleb
Gushing, but had joined with the other
powers in their insistence that foreign
ministers should henceforth reside at
Picking. This was conceded, but
when. in 1859, they undertook to
proceed to the capital all sorts of i'm
pediments were placed in their way.
The American minister. did succeed in
getting to Picking, but had to make the
journey in the rude carts of the coun-
try, without springs and when he ar
rived there was refused an opportunity
to present his credentials unless he
would perform the humiliating "ko-
tow" which consisted in knocking his
forehead on the floor before the en-
peror. This. of course, he refused to
do, and retreated to the coast
In the attempt to reopen negotiations
rs members of the British party were
taken by Chinese general and sub
jected to such fortunes that 10 of them
died of their injuries. One of the sur
vivors was the late Lord Loeb, who
died a few weeks ago In reprisal 70,
| this infraction of the treaty the allied
French and English forces marched
upon Peking in the autumn of 1860, aft.
er taking the Taku forts in the rear
| and halted beneath the walls of the
capital while the Chinese sued for mer.
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07
cHAuNcEY pnPEw,s 1ATEsT.

One of the latest after dinner stories
that Chauncey M. Depew tells is aimed
at himself ambassador Choate was
dining a few weeks ago with an Eng
lish lord who was asking questions
about America. Finally he said, Who
is this man Depew?" ooh" replied Mr.,
Choate, she is prominent politician
over there" "Ah, see,' was the reply.
But what is his rank-his stations"
THE Grand Central station" was Mr..
Choate's prompt reply. II see" said
the lord; zone Of your great middle
class,
Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-07
ADVENTURES OF THE
KOHINOOR DIAMOND.

The eventful history of the famous
Kohinoor diamond has often. been told
and as often half forgotten. One
has. vague memories Of Indian
chiefs, of the Great Mogul, of Turks
and Sikhs and acknowledgements
which get clearer about the days
of Runjeet Singh and the Mahara-
jah Dhuleep. who was deposed from
his tottering throne in the Punjab 80
years ago. But one little incident in