The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-11-17
A MANDARIN'S BUTTONS.
How He Gets Them and What They
Signify.

| The hostilities in China cause us to
hear much about mandarins, and We
| are so apt to look upon them as Chi
nese officials OF great Importance and
wealth, that it Will be news to mary
to know that practically every Chinese
government civil servant is a man.
| DARN, and that there are thousands Of
them scattered about the celestial en-
pire whose official salaries do not ex-
| coed s. per month. These are of the
| lowest, or ninth class of mandarins,
| and have Just passed their first exam
nation, and are usually petty officials
in one of the numerous custom houses.
| When promotion follows in due course
our budding viceroy. provided his pee
| ulations have not exceeded the bounds
of moderation, becomes successfully a
mandarin of the eighth and seventh
| classes.
| THESE two steps, however, mean very
| little in advance in rank and before
! the sixth division can be entered an
other examination has to be passed.
~ little knowledge and "a great deal
| OF bribery having been successful in
getting him through this, our man.
DARN is now q person of some import
ance, sort of district magistrate te
probably, and his button is of pure
white quartz. In this capacity he can
| supplement his income Sloriously by
substantial pres ents from both rlan-
| tiffs and defendants alike, and in Il
few years has probably extorted
enough from both plaintiffs and defen-
dants alike, ana in few years las
probably eXtOrted enough from un-
| happy lltigants to join the ranks of
| the fifth class and wear n transparent
crystal button on his cap. Yet an
other grade, by the same means, he
may advance in lue course, and upon
attaining the dignity OF the fourth
class mandarin n turquoise button is
substituted for the crystal one.
| Here it is that many Chinese stop
| in their upward career, for before an
other step in advance may be made
another examination has TO be pass
ed" and this is a terribly expensive
| process. Should the resources of our
mandarin, however, prove equal to the
occasion, he proudly enters the third
class, and his button, though still blue,
| is transparent like amethyst. BY d-
! plomacy and cringing, still more brib-
cry and cunning, the second class is at
| last open to him, and with carved
| red coral button upon his cap he
| proudly governs one OF China's great
| cities. He can now go no higher, save
| by obtaining the good VIII of the em
perOr or of the empress, the mandar-
inship Of the first class is the direct
| gift of the reigning monarch, and car
ries with ii still a red coral button,
but quite plain and smooth instead of
being carved, as in the second class.
There is a title, "kung," which Is
very rarely bestowed and which is
| practically equal TO Il dukedom. In
stead of descending frCm father ia
son, however. 1t goes hack Ia his an
cestors, all OF Whom are ennoblel on
bloc. The examinations referred In IN
this article are usually held in large
halls. The examination han, or Koone
Yuin, as it is called, at Canton. con
tairs 100 cells. Each cell measures
nv 3. and is high enough 10 stand NJ
i'm. The furniture consists OF iva
boards, one to sit on and the other foI
writing at. The cells are arranged
around number of open courts, 50
that the soldiers who guard the plac'
can look in and see that no studen
communicates with another, Thr
characters on the cells indicate eacl
students particular place. Confine
ment i'm so crsmped an area. where 4
l. jmDossible to lie Gown. Is said "a
cause the death of manv students
some of whom are quite OLD men.