Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-08-23
A SLAVE GIRL EMPRESS.
Career Of the Woman Who Has Ruled
Chinese Affairs.


Chinese Affairs.
Kuan Foy, scholarly Chinese mer-
chant, and one of the most prominent
members of his race in the east, told
for the New York Herald the history OF
the romantic rise Of the empress
doWager from the lot of a slave girl,
and Of her first meeting with Ii Hung
Chang While he was a poor sailor lad
on a river boat and she was on her
way in bondage to the imperial city in
which she rose to supreme power.
Kuan Foy, in his native land of mys-
terry and millions, was a military OF
fetal. So far as may be in his own
words his story of the empress and
the statement is here repeated:
'"Tuen, the doWager empress Of
China, was once a slave. Her story is
strange, and one of the most remark
able features Of it is that Ii Hung
Chang, Chinas greatest man, was at
the same time a rough, ignorant sailor
lad, earning a living on one of the
boats Of the Hun-HO, and that to the
him for very brave deed Strange,
indeed that these two met by chance
while both were in Obscurity should
rise to play two such different and i'm
pOrtant parts in what promises to be
the last scene Of the drama of the
Chinese empire, or, at least Of the
Manchurian dynasty. The events Of
: e
to the end
"Tuen, being a gil: CT d Manchurian
IoW-grade official, suffered the con-
timely Of Chinese females. However,
her feet were not bound, and to this
fact. a seemingly minor circumstance,
tho great things in Chinese history
Tor the last so years are due If her
feet had been bound she would never
have risen from slavery to the rule of
the empire.
"A rebellion in her fathers Yamen
district rendered her family destitute,
and though but II years Of age, she
petitiOned her father to sell her as q
slave so that her brother might be
educated and her mother fed Hen
father consented and sold her to the
then yicerOy of his district, and little
Tuen passed away from her family,
never to know them again until years
later her agents sought out her brOtner
and she took him to live inside the
imperial city, though she could not
take him within the purple forbidden
city. He was made q ManchuTiin
prince and received great estates.
soon after she was taken into the
yicerOy's household she heard her
master mention an elaborate tunic lie
had seen at court. She listened to his
description Of its elaborate embroidery,
and y months later her childs hands
had finished one which was a duplicate
by description. The viceroy was as
founded, and asked her to name any
wish she had and it should be granted.
"She hesitated, and then IneeIing at
his feet. begged to be taught to read.
He told her that it was impossible for 4
girl to learn to read. She said it was
not her fault that she had been born
girl, and that the gods had been
cruel to her. The vicerOy was so i'm
pressed with her request. however, that
he sent master to begin instructing
her, and to his establishment they
found she already knew much and was
we'll along. seIt-taught She mastered
Nanchu, Mongol, and Chinese, and
! there are some who say that in the
last 10 years she has added English
secretly.
THE viceToy was very proud of his
clever little slave, and as she was de-
veloping into comely damsel he sent
her as a complimentary gift to the EN-
peror. She became the favorite slave
of the father Of the present emperor,
and when his mother the imperial con-
sort, died she became the empress and
saw to his bringing up, and was regent
of the empire following her husbands
| death until she took the reins of gov
eminent from Kwang-Su's hands, less
| than two years ago.
| while Sic was on her way to Pekin
| occurred the incident in which Ii
| Hung Chang figured. The party con-
! veying the pretty little slave girl in
| sedan chair had occasion to cross the
| Hun-HO river, and one Of the young
| men fell off the boat. He was drown
| ing, and Tuen implored the boatmen
| TO save him, Offering a ring she wore as
a reward. Ii plunged into the muddy
current, and with fine muscular effort
saved the drowning man. She gave
him the ring, and many years after
ward recognized it on the hand of an
| official who came to court. He had
won his way through 10 degrees Of
officialdom, and since she was then en-
press regent, and she had found him
he was very quickly advanced to the
| first place Of the land.