Little Falls herald., 1900-07-20
SLAMS KING VII
SOON Be HERE.
The Exotic Monarch sends Word That
He Desires to View Our Free &.
and Lovely Land. ~


and Lovely Land. ~
After long deliberation and a thor
ough study of the ocean roads by which
he may reach this country, the King of
Siam has announced his intention of
visiting the United States, if not 'in
the near FUTURE" at least within six
months or before another cold winter
shall have settled down. The King be-
ing an exotic monarch, would find zero
unendurable and this fact would keep
him from seeing some of the most in
teresting portions of the United States.
were he to make the trip in winter.
Often has the King travelled out of the
little oblong country into other lands,
and several times has he been a guest
of England. Between him and the Eng
lish Queen there is strong bond of
sympathy, and it is well known that he
respects her with a feeling, which in
the Orient is called love.
1t is now twenty-seven years since the
King, who is named 'Chulalongkorn as a
shorter and more distinguished one than
the others which he bears, was placed up
on the throne of Siam. Though only
twenty at the time, he had wife and
Immediately added other wives, increas-
ing as he saw pleasant
No one in all Siam was sufficiently
royal for this boy king. so his half-sister
was selected for him, and he welded her,
and, as the Siamese story tellers will
relate, lived happily ever after with her.
Certainly not even the oldest inhabitant
of Bangkok ever heard row in the
picturesque palace. though there are
now five hundred wives living there; ana
though the King spends almost all his
time Ill company with them and his
children, for he is very domestic man
and loves the joys of the home.
RAISING SIAN.
At the time of his coronation Siam was
an obscure country, known more in jest
than in reality. Its habitants were
supposed to be eccentric members of
the human family, uncivilized and next
to barbaric: and it is doubtful if the
great majority of Englishmen and Amer
leans ever heard of Siam at all, unless
through the immortal Siamese twins
These youngsters of Siam, joined by a
ligament, were the curious connecting
link between Siam and the world.
AS soon as. the young King became
firmly seated upon the silver and tur-
quoise throne which is Slams greatest
possession. he began the making of new
laws. These were along the lines of
progress and reform such as existed. he
had read, in other countries, where the
work of man was done by powers of
mechanism. The labor saving principle
was in his head, and he carried it out
Immediately after his coronation Chu-
lalongkorn began a work Of reform and
progress which has now reached results
Of magnificent proportions. He began
by adopting, save on special occasions,
European dress. He abolished the old
form OF salutation, by touching the fore
head to the ground, and bade his visitors
walk up to him and shake hands like
men.
He proclaimed religious liberty
throughout his realm, and decreed the
protection of Christians in their OBJ
servance of the Sabbath.
He reformed the executive and ju.
dicial branches of the Government, light
ened taxation, partially abolished slave
ry, opened new canals and roads, estab-
lished an admirable postal service. built
telegraphs, lighthouses and railroad,
surveyed and improved all navigable
waters, founded a fine system of public
schools, built hospitals. asylums, temples
and art museums, introduced innumer.
able useful inventions, and set to his
people personally an admirable example
of yirtuOus, temperate, Industrious, up
right and exalted manhood.
LIKES THE ENGLISH.
In doing this he found it necessary to
take journeys into the world and so,
England and the continent We're shown
him. He journeyed everywhere, saw ev-
erything, and studied all he saw. His
sons, too, grew to benefit by this pater-
nal progress. One went to the English
Naval Academy; another to Eton; both
were bright; and soon they became more
English than Siamese. On their trips
home they took modern furniture and
the drawing-room at Bangkok soon came
to resemble the grand salon at Windsor.
Even the bric-a-brac was modernlzed,
and in place of the hideous little idols
and squatty jars there were choice pieces
of statuary and the busts of celebrities.
These trips have been described with
much spirit by visitors to Bangkok, who
declare that the Siamese sons are every
whit as English as the sons of the Eng
lish Queen.
The King himself did not enjoy all
C1eSe advantages VI cuuCdIIOu, OuI ucS
made up for it since, and is, as far as
Orientals 60, extremely civilized. he
dresses in the European fashion, his
clothes being made by the best London
tailors; his palace is lighted by electricity
and connected by telephone with the
various departments of State. He plays
billiards and keeps an excellent table
and a French chef. He reads Shakes
peare, and is we'll posted on the current
European and American literature of the
day.
The Kings full name and titles are as
follows: Somdetch Phra Paraminda
Maha Chulalongkorn Patindir Debia
Maha Mongkut Purusiaratue Rdja Ra
Wongse Warut Mabrongse Parabut Wa
rakhattiara Raja Nikaro Tama Chatu-
ranta Parama Maha Chak Rubar Tira
Gasangkas Parumahdarm Mika Maha
Rujad Hiraja Para Manarth Pabite
Phra Chula Chomklau Chau Yu Hua.
SLAMS HISTORY.
The Kingdom Of Siam has in it's long
history had several changes of dynasty.
But just as all the Roman Emperors
were Caesars and the old Egyptian
rohs pharanhS SO oil Sismoso limos