Hot Springs weekly star. (Hot Springs, S.D.) 1892-1917, 1901-11-15
"Li Hung Chang is. a wonderful nan

Ouy. lie always SalO IL was OeStlneO
that he and the general should be
friends. They were born the same
year: lie says, I believe. under the
same planets also, and it was destiny
that each should attain greatness.
HE felt u very deep regard toward
the general and sent me n very touch
Ing letter at the time of the generals
death. With all his greatness Ii Hung
Chang is Il man of very tender and
deep feelings. He was enc of the very
first to contribute to the fund for the
generals tomb. and the wreath that
a been placed there annually by rep
resentatfves of China has been due to
his strong attachment to the generals
memory.
"We have maintained a desultory
correspondence. When the death of
the first Lady Ii occurred, 1 wrote to
him expressing my sympathy. Natu-
rally the meeting Mt my sons has
many painful memories.
ut Is really u great compliment that
the viceroy pays when he asks ones
age. This, however, occasioned several
droll experiences with members of our
party when we were travelling in
China. When the viceroy asked me, 1
answered as I had intended to, Just
four years younger than your. excel
lency.' He and General Grant were of
the same age.
when we were in China, the vice.
roy. made the general some beautiful
gifts. l am not sure whether any of
them are in the National museum col
lection in Washington or not. One of
the gifts was a magnificent coat of
sable. l have the sable now"
Earl Ii was very much interested in
General Grant. who in turn is known
to have had n high opinion of the vice
roy. In fact, the two men seem to have
recognized each other as capable men
Of affairs. The Chinese followed the
sad story Of Grants passing away with
sympathy, and in after years Ii was
fond of making an odd and not ut all
necessary application of Grants cir
cumstances to his own case. Ii had
an abrasion on his tongue, the origin
of which vas obscure for a time, and
there was a possibility Of some throat
difficulty similar to that Of Grants.
He seemed to be rather proud of the
historical parallel than otherwise, and
perhaps thought that the conquerors
of the two greatest rebellions in his
tory ought to reach the Elysian fields
by the same route. The viceroy's diff
Guilty proved to have an entirely differ
ent origin, however, and was, in fact,
merely Il local trouble Of no import
aEce.
Ii Hung Chang almost suffered death
at the hands of General Gordon. The
story is worth telling because 1t por-
trays an ingrained spirit Of treachery
which no doubt lurked in his ma
turc. When the head of the TAPPING
rebellion had been practically broken
and the chiefs Of the rebel army We're
making n final stand in the city Of
Suchau, General Gordon obtained Ii
Hung Changes consent to pardon the
leaders on condition that the city
would surrender Internationally. The
terms were named. the city capitulat-
ed, but what was GOrdon's astonish-
ment to find on the following morning
that Ii Hung Chang had invited the
leaders to his tent and while they were
%partaking of his hospitality had bar
barously massacred them.
Gordon's fury knew no bounds. The
deceived general, it is said, followed
Ii Hung Chang with a loaded revolver
along the city walls, and the Chinese
commander escaped being shot by talk
ing shelter in the house of Il friend.
The subsequent friendship (twenty
years afterward) which subsisted be-
tween the two has always been an
enigma to the friends of Gordon and
can be accounted for only by Gordon's
deep righteousness and his desire to for
give.
The story goes that when Ii Hung
Chang was in England an admirer sent
him Il specially fine bull terrier. intend
ed to watch ovcr the veteran states
mans declining years. The following
letter-so the story goes-was received
in Acknowledgement:
My Dear =: While rendering my best thanks
for sending me your dog l beg to say that, as for
myself. I have long since given up the practice
of eating dogs flesh, but my attendants, to whom
/ handed the creature, tell me they never tasted
anything SO nice.
TRADE UNlONlST MAYOR.