Daily camera. [volume] (Boulder, Colo.) 1891-1928, 1900-11-03
CHlNA'S FIRST LADY.
The Empress Dowager Said to Have
English Blood.
Remarkable Intellect and Wonder.
ful Characterix of the Wom-
an Who Rules the Desti.
Mes of the Chinese.

Few people are aware that the en-
press dowage1' is credibly believed by
well-informed people in China, Japan
and India to have British blood in
her veins! There is no doubt that
her mother was European, though
whether British, Portuguese or Rus
sian deponent saith not, says the Lon
don Sketch. Though close on 70
years of age. she is still a good artist,
AID is said by those familiar with the
Chinese language to be a fine poet.
Some ID years ago she solemnly pre-
scented long poem of her own COM
position to the Hanln college. Trans
lation of those articles dealing with
Chinese affairs appearing in leading
European newspapers are carefully
read by her. so she is quite aware
of the jealousy and suspicion which
animate the powers the moment the
Chinese problem comes under dis
cuSSion.
Very, very few of the millions
have ever seen the empress dowager.
AS regards all outward forms and
ceremonies. she is intensely conserva-
tive, and it is said that she even dis
cusses high affairs of state through
door and through a curtain. The
Purple Forbidden City in other
words. the imperial palace, at Pc
kings huge human rabbit-war-
ren, for there must dwell all those
connected with the court. with the
nominal emperor, his harem. and the
thousand eunuchs who wait on the
Imperial family, and who aid the en-
press dowager in bringing on her en-
emies the mysterious disease. pressed
in anger of the inside" (which has re-
moved so many unpleasant people
from her path, including, it is said,
two empress consorts.
Tsze-Hsi enjoys wonderful health,
and nowhere is her remarkable intel
aect more shown than in the matter
of doctors and hygiene. She early
grasped the fact that European wom-
zen owed their strength of body and
mind to their habit of taking great
deal of exercise. Accordingly she
learned to wrestle, and each morning
takes it out of herself in this. for
Chinese lady. astounding fashion.
Then. again, she is great believer
in the efficacy of cold water. and
she has horror of doctors and of
sorcerers-indeed, she sends for one
only when she requires the loan of
peculiarly deadly and potent drug
1t is believed that the empress own
life has been attempted no fewer than
so times. but. thanks to her wonder
fully well-organized detective system
and also. it is but fair to add. to the
real affection. and even respect, she
inspires in her own faithful band of
ennuchs, she has never been serious
~ injured. Very characteristic is her
intense interest in all that concerns
Queen Victoria. Pictures cut from
London papers and representing the
more notable events of the great SOW
tslsaEgn's life have been framed and
hung up in her inner chambers.
The empress dowager, as her name
and, indeed. early career prove, was
once a very noted beauty. She has
remained much interested in the art
of beauty, and dresses with eXtraor-
binary magnificence. On the other
hand she remains faithful to the Chi
oese custom of wearing no precious
stones, only very finely wrought gold
en- orna:.snts and splendidly carved
jade. Nothing makes her more con-
nptuously angry than to see Chi
nese woman in European dress or
aping any Of the ways of lady for
,eign devil