The Big Stone Gap post. [volume] (Big Stone Gap, Wise County, Va.) 1892-1928, 1900-07-05
a Remarkable Woman.

boxer movement, and as such ID i00P'"
bla for the blood now being shed IN On'-
~. and for the ominous probability oil
narti,ion. Admitting all this, it must De
confessed that she is woman oil rema'N-
allie genius. and in an article appearing
in the New York Independent is trustwor-
thy, her present scheme is to preserve TOT
e;cn influence in the empire instead oil at
tempting to restore the ancient oroer VI
things, charge universally pto"s"'
against her.
I, NINA, he known that there are TWO
opposing sects, or rather d'V's'on' "
races. in the Chinese empire. Ohe 10 '"o
Moncbu. the other the Monaghan. ISL
An comes OF the former, which IS Sa'u ~
ron,osent the radical sentiment in ohiha'
ri An whose father was an Impoverished
Manchu nobeman, was sold INTO s'"'o''
bv her parents at an early age to save ner
from starvation. She happened TO IAN
into cood hands and developed III sur
arising manner. She speedily mastered
tbe arts of reading and writing grew rap
idlv in womanly beauty, and begun 10
demonstrate an intellect oil SURPRISING
hr;,li,ncc. for an oriental. In 1913 the
Emncror Hen Fung issued the marriage
proclamation prescribed by law III w"'c"
all eligible maidens of Mancbu cesce"''
between The ages of fifteen and c'oh'ee"
wo,e rcuuested to present themselves al
the imperial palace at Pekin, with VIC"
n examination as imperial concubIneS' or
secondary wives. =,
The ambition of the young Manchu girl
led her TO the Chinese capital, ana az
result of the examination she was among
the first fen Of the list of successful eau
didates. This secured her iootho'u j"
the nalace. and it was not long before she
u;olded GREAT influence over the emperor,
although she had too much diplomacy u"
40 doing to make an enemy of the empress
She finally presented him with SON.
which secured the direct successIon' anu
which served to emphasize the hold whIcn
she had ON the fond old man. Hen ruhS
died in 1890 some say from poison, others
ascriI ing different reasons. lie was sue
cccdcd by Tumg Chi. Isl Ans SON. al
,,honch fine actual government devolved on
: the two empresses and Prince hung the
boys uncle.
The new government evinced most
l.. progressive trend, importing western IDEAS
!. and encouraging European officers ana
!, customs. Many reforms were inaugural
oil all of which arc said to be directly
traccable to the present dowager empress
: This much of recent history appears 10 re-
fute the commonly accepted theory 'ha'
she is working for reinstatement OF INC
ancient civilization.
TO make long story short, it was al
this period that the dowager empress oe-
gan TO show forth in most sombre Golor'
Her own son, who had begun to develop
dangerous degree of independence, dIed
mysterously, aud his fate was shorty
7 shared by his Young wife, wh) was about
10 become a mother. In the meantime
the palnce brisiled with intrigue and the
influential uoblemcn were hustled around
Inv Isl An with the dexterty and lack OF
cnremonv of chessmcn. Gradually heI
power was growing less, and the tendency
increasing to dispute her authority. one
contested every inch of ground stubborn
ly, in her dilemma having frequent re-
course to her old friend-the poison cup
IT Kwang Su, the present emperor, was Sc
a Iected Inv Tsi An out of horde of Man
churian mobiles to govern the empire, and
the old regency was continued.
This youugstcr, however, demonstrated
greater affection for the real empress thar
for Isl An, so the widow of her old bene-
2: factor died mysterioIsly" and Isl An Sc
herself about the task of winning the at
!. fect;ons of Kwang Su. The latter being
docile. lovable child, for time YIELDED
10 70 the dictates of the willy cmpresN dOwa
ger. but eventually set his will against tina
4 of the woman--a proceeding which ha'
been go fatal TO his predecessors. 70
: some reason, however, ne was spared, he
ing mmured in II secure prison and act
ing the puppct to Isl Ans strings. Sh
:, il was who forced him, contrary to OH
nese tradition, to receive the ambassador
in person at pekin. Hitherto it had bee
considered high sacrilege for the "Son
nd Heaven" to expose himself to public gaz'
cal She herself gave personal audience
sH' mary foreign ladies Of distinction, an
IN. other proceeding highly icOnoclastic
NJ. Meanwhile the empress dowager wa
% fighting tooth and nail to preserve her 81
% premac,. She is said to have had benin
30 her powerful element favoring reform
," but the friends of young Kwang Su an
25 numberless court factions have been, az
90 are now, taxing her ingenuity to the u
~ most. and she is near the end OF her r.
40 sources. Should she fall, it means tn
40 those opposed to the Manchu doctrine
90 progress and reform will conquer. VIII
10 renders the situation the more despera
IS for the empress dowager is the fact TIL
~ the hostile mobiles have the legal power
I A. depOse both she and the emperor, a