The evening times., 1900-07-09

NEW YORK, July 9.-Kuan Fey, a scho,-
arly Chinese merchant. and one of the
most prominent members Of his race in
this city, yesterday told the history of the
romantic rise of the Empress Dowager
from the lot of a slave girl and CT her first
meeting with Ii Hung Chang while he was
poor sailor lad on river boat and she
was on her way in bondage TO the Imperial
City in which she rose to supreme power
The resident manager Of Yu LuEg & Co.
a large importing firm, Kuan Foy, in his
native land of mystery and millions. was
military official So far as may BE- in his
own words his story of the Empress and
the statesman is here repeated:
''Tuen the Dowager Empress CT China.
was once a slave. Her story is strange.
and one of the most remarkable features Of
it is that Ii Hung Chang China's greatest
man, was at the same time a rough, ig-
norant sailor lad caring a living on one Of
the boats Of the Hun-Ho, and that to the
slave girl fell the chance Of rewarding him
for a very brave deed. Strange. indeed.
that these two met by chance while both
were in obscurity should rise to play two
such different and important parts in what
promises 20 be the last scene OF the drama
OF the Chinese Empire. or at least Of the
Manchurian dynasty. The events OF the
past year point with certain finger to the
end.
'Tuen, being girl child OF a Manchurian
lows grade official. suffered the coutumeIv
of Chinese females However. her feet
were not bound, and TO this fact. a seem
lnSly minor circumstance the .s-eat
things IN Chinese history for the last nIty
years are due. II her feet had been bound
she would never have risen from slavery
TO the rule Of the empire
A reOelion in her fathers Yamen dis
trict rendered her family destitute. and
though but eleven years OF age she peti-
toned her father TO sell her as a slave so
that her brother might be educated and
her mother fed. Her father consented and
sold her 10 the then Viceroy OF his dis
trict. and little Tuen passed away from
her family, never to know them again Tn
tll years later her agents sought out her
brother and she took him TO live inside
the Imperial City. though sho could NOT
take him within the Purple Forbidden
CITY He was made a Manchurian prince
and received great estates
Soon after she was taken into the Vice
roy household she heard her master men
tion an elaborate tunic he had seen at
its elaborate embroidery, and twelve
mccths later her child's hands han finished
che which was a duplicate by description.
The Viceroy Nas astonished and asked her
to name any wish she had and it should
be granted.
She hesitated. and then. kneeIing at
his feet, begged 20 be taught 10 read. He
told her that it was impossible for a girl
TO learn 10 read She said il was not her
fault that she had been born a girl. and
that the gods had been cruel 10 her The
Niceroy was 50 impressed with her re-
qdest. however, that he sent for masters
TO begin instruclng her. and 10 his as
tonishment thsy found she already knew
much and was well along. self taught She
mastered Manehu. Aongol. and Chinese.
and there are some who say that in the
last ten years she has added English Sc
cretly.
The Vieeroy was very proud of his c,ev-
er little slave and as she was developing
into comeiy damseI he sent her as . COM
plimentary gif5 TO the Emperor She be-
came the favorite slave OF the father OF the
present Emperor. and when his mother. the
imperial cOEsort. died she became the En-
press. and saw TO his bringing up. and vas
Regent OF the Empire following her hus-
bands death until she took the reins OF
government from Kwang-SU's hands. less
than two years ago
" hl4e Sle was on her way 10 Pekln Oc-
curred the incid dent in which Ii Hung
Chang figured The party conveying the
pretty little slsve girl in a sedan chair ha 4 !
occasion to cross the Hun-Ho River. ara
one OF the young men fell of the boat. lie |
wac drowning. and Tuen implored the boa = !
men TO save him. offering a ring she wore
sas reward. Ii plunged into the muddy |
current. and with a fine muscular effort |
saved the drowning man. She gave him |
the rine. and many years afterward reccg-
nized II on the hand OF official who cane |
to court He had won his way up through /
fourteen degrees of offiCialdom. and Stree ]
she was then Empress regent and she |
had found him. he was very quickly ed- |
vaEced 10 the first places OF the lanc.
Degraded time and again. il has never |
lessesed his influence for his mind end !
might are the greatest in the Middle King |
dom.
From the day the slave girl Tuen enter !
ed the walls of the Imeprial City, tIact
within Pekin about six miles square, she
has never left it up to the pres sent time.
and there are no Cinnamon but the yerT