The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-15

didnOt rank with Bismarck was shown
in his failure to appreciate the gravity
of the JapaneSe-ChineSe war, and also
in his intriguing with Russia. Like
most Chinese yiceroys, he was cor
rupt in money matters, and in Illicit
ways he accumulated a great fortune.
Ii Hung Chang was born in 1922, in
the province of An Huei, which lies
just south of the Yellow river, and
west of the Grand canal. His family
was humble, but it has, however, be-
come noted from the fact that Lii and
all his brothers have sought the gov
eminent service and have each become
mandarins of the highest rank.
Ii saved the Manchu dynasty more
than once. 1t was he that put down
the famous Tai-Ping rebellion, which
ragged through China from 1850 to 1858
II Earl Ii was the first Chinese to real
iize the advantage of western civiliza-
ton, and ever since he called in the
American. Ward, and Chinese" Cor
don to help him put down the Tai
Pings he has steadily remained the
friend of foreigners and the most pro-
gressive Of Chinese; he strung the first
telegraph line in China down the Taku
road from his yamen to the fort at the
mouth of the river; he developed the
great Kai-Ping coal mines, and was
really the builder of all the railroad
now existing in China.
After the massacre of Tien-tsin In
1870 Earl Ii was selected as Yiceroy
of the metropolitan province of Chill,
with his court at TientSin. For
twenty-five years with a stern and re-
lentless hand he repressed and kept in
order the VIGOROUSLY vicious and tur-
bulent population of that great city.
While in this position he organized
the first Chinese army equipped with
modern weapons and drilled under for
eign drillmasters. At the time of the
selection of the present Emperor to the
succession, he discovered a plot intend
ed to set aside the regency of the
Empress DoWager, but checkmated it
and secured the lasting gratitude of
the Empress by appearing outside the
walls of Picking with his army. For
this signal service he was appointed
guardian OF the throne and reach
ed a position never before attained by
a viceroy.
In 1883 Ii Hung Chang paid a visit
to this country and Europe. his first
trip abroad, and was lionized every
where he went.
Ii Hung Chang was reputed to be
one of the richest officials in the en-
pire, and his wealth has been put as
high as 100000 taels, or about $780,
600, COO
Personally he was striking figure,
being over feet 1 inch in his stock
ings, and looking even taller because
OF his thick wooden soles. He wore a
gown of bright yellow satin, falling
from his neck to his feet, and over this
a Jacket sometimes of brown velvet
with gold buttons, sometimes Of seal
skin-unless it was a state occasion, !
when the famous yellow jacket always
appeared. The three-eyed peacock
feather, another of his honors, was at
tached by a button on the top of his !
state hat, sticking gayly out behind. /
When not on dress parade he replaced |
this with a skull cap of black silk, in |
the front of which was set an e2or- !
nous diamond. He drank almost no |
but was fond of his pipe, |
r complicated affair which a servant /
carried around after him, thrusting the |
md into his masters mouth at dis |
erect intervals. At table he used a /
fork as well as chopsticks, and show /
ID considerable knowledge Of Euro
oean customs.