The Portland daily press., 1900-10-30
THE CHINESE EHPER0R'S
TOYS.
How They Awakened HIS Interest n
Western Civilization.

Prof. I. L. HeadIand in Ainslee's Ma1
zine.J
When KwaDg Hsu was a child then
were two foreign stores in Pekin Ia
had been established without permission
from the Chinese government. As thsT
were on Legation street, they seem to
have bean too unimportant to attract
OH cial attention. Yet these same storss
were destined to have a mighty Influence
onsthe future OF China. One Of them
was kept by an IIIIterate Dane, who sold
foreign toys, notions and dry goods, such
as might please the Chinese or be Of use
to the scanty European population OF the
capital. By chance, some eunnchs from
the imperial palace bought toys in this
shop for his infant majesty.
AS the baby emperor grew, the bust
ness OF the Dane shop-keeper increased.
His stock became larger and more
varied. And the emperor remand
profitable customer. Musical cats, dogs
and sheep, horns, guns, trains OF cars,
striking clocks and Swiss watches, all
were bought in turn by eunuehs from the
palace AS the(emper0r grew to bOyhOod
the Danish shop keeper supplied toys,
suitable to his years from his inexhaustl-
BILE shelves 10 understand how search
ing an influence these products Of far.
distant lands must have had on the grow
ing nina of Ghe-emperor you must know
that he was shut out from the world
shut out even from his own people, BY
three strong walls. He never left the
Forbidden city except III closed chair OF
In a closed cart Every side street was
barred from him By hanging canvass OF
mats He was 8 prisoner and slave in
the palace of his birthright.
If custom forbade his going out to see
the world, it did not prevent the world
from reaching him in the shape of wares
sold by the Dane in Legat1or steert
These were no longer toys although
such they seemed to the emperor. An
electric railroad was built for MIN in the
palace grounds, on which he rode as our
children ride on merry g0-reundss Fg
him an electric plant WAS built in : TIL
Forbidden City, and the palace vas
lighted with incandescent lamps. He
experimental With miniature telegraph
and telephone instruments. Officials that
sought imperial favor secured the port
cities to find new toys for his majesty
They came to Pekin university, and
bought our photograph, They got for
him gramOphones, music boxes, aeollans
and magnificent clocks that struck the
hours with music or with the song Of
birds, All the resources OF modern in.
vention in the West were tapped to pro.
cure toys for the Emperor KWaBg Hsu,
Once the assiduOus Danish shop-keepal
had a sleigh made for him in Europe
The sleigh was marvel of ingenuity,
with its foot-Wa Emers, mirrors, clocks
cushions of yellow silk and figureheadE
IN the shape Of golden dragons.
AS the boy grew older his tastes
changed. There were clear indications
Of mental growth IS the years ad vancea.
He began to wish to know the literatuTs
OF the countries that produced the fairy
toys and wonderful devices of his boy hood
pleasures He had two teachers appoint
ed to instruct him in English. One Of
these teachers WIS the grandfather Of 8
young man to whom I had taught Eng.
lisn IN return for lessons in Chinese. In
this way l learned much of what was GO
Ing on in the Tecess@s Of tbs palacs
WIS informed by thOss who had been into
the Emperor 5 private apartments that
they were more like a museum tnan like
rooms 50 crowded were they with c0mpl
Gated mechanism and toys.