Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-07
A MANDARIN'S BUTTONS.
How He Gets Them and What They
Signify.
From the London Mail.

From the London Mail.
The hostiities in China cause us to hear
so much about mandarins, and we in Eng
land are so apt to look upon them as Chi
nese officials of great Importance and
wealth. that IT will be news to many to
know that practically every Chinese gov
eminent civil servant is a mandarin, and
that there are thousands Of them scattered
about the celestial empire whose official
salaries do not exceed IL per month.
These are of the lowest, or ninth. class of
mandarins. and have just passed their first
examination. and are usually petty officials
in OF the numerous custom houses
When promotion follows In due course our
budding viCeroy. provided his populations
have not exceeded the bounds of modera-
ton. becomes successfully mandarin Of
the eighth and seventh classes.
These two steps. however, mean very lit
tie advance in rank. and before the sixth
division can he entered another eXamina-
ton has to be passed. y little knowledge
and great deal of bribery having been
successful in getting him through this. our
mandarin is now person of some impor-
tanCe. sort of district magistrate proba-
bly,, and his button Is Of pure white quartz
In this capacity he can supplement his in
come gloriously by substantial presents
from both plaintiffs and defendants alike.
and in few Years has probably extorted
enough from unhappy litigants 20 join the
ldllh~ VI tilt III III CLASS fLllu wear IL trans
parent crystal button on his cap. Yet an
other grade. by the same means. he may
advance in due course, and upon attaining
To the dignity Of a fOurth-class mandarin a
turquoise button is substituted for the cryS-
tai one
Here IL IS that many Chinese stop in their
upward career. for before another step in
advance may be made another examinati ton
has to be passed. 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 trans
parent like amethyst.
BY diplomacy and cringing still more
bribery and cunning. the second class Is at
last open to him. and with a carved red
coral button upon his cap he proudly gov
ems one of China $ great cities
He can now go no higher, save by obi ain
ing the good will of the emperor or of the
empress. The mandarinship of the first
class IS the direct gift of the regniny mon
arch, and carries with IL 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 dukedom. Instead of descend
ing from father to son. however 1t goes
back to his ancestors all of whom are en-
nobled en- bloc
The examinations referred to in this ar
ucle are usually held in large halls The
examination hall. or kOOng YUM as IL 4,
called. at Canton contains 1900 cells Each
cell measures 1 feet by 3 and Is high
enough TO stand up in. The furniture con
slsts of TWO boards one to sit on and the
other for writing at.
The cells are arranged around a number
or open courts. so that the soldiers who
guard the place can look in and see that
no student communicates with another
The characters on the cells indicate each
student ) particular place. Confinement in
50 cramped an area. where 1t Is impossible
I" lie down. Is said to cause the death of
many students. some of whom are quite old
men.