Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-02-26
The Chinese OILe.

The allied troops in China are under
stood To have acquired an cNtraordiH-
airy amount ~ IurS ana other tlnerE ln
/ which Pekin. owing to the number ~
its well dressed aristocrats. WAS pccu-
liarly rich. The over dressed China
man is Il familiar figure in Pckin. unl
The troops have probably secured nau5
wardrobcs belonging "a absent owner.
says the London Daily Mail.
The Chinese dude has many atrau-.
habits. First OF all to br dud" "a
chinaman of preteusious must boast "t
an ancestry. With lineage mi ucrr!t
five hundred years or ~ TN would lr
classcd as 4 paryenuc ann %cnrncd ar-
cordingly. r. have any social prc-t!g"
a family must date back enc. tWo o"
three thousand years. Money may he
Of service and influence in some ways.
1t may even buy office I;ut ID plays nn
part IN the Chnaman' social con-
! dition. II entities him 70 rn social
consideration whatever.
D. To Toe society man in china. COS
tune is all important. Eat it must to-
inherited. Rare furs, cmbroiderics
Oriental stones. especially fine bias nt
jade Of rare tint. are handed down. just
AS lAlnllN tiiit is III f.llE -G4l.l k.' sa'lfi
lu@tre to great name.
ON social occasions Of great moment
the Chinese dude arrays himself in Ill"
costume Of his ancestors in cmbroid
cred robes in the richest furs. a. sable
and silver fox, and dons the inyariahi"
sign Of grandeur jade ring Of rarcst
quality. light sea green. The ring il
self is about an inch wide. and is Worn
on the thumb.
The condition OF the nails dc-
notes rank. prestige. power. The dude
allows his to grow about enc inch and
a half long. sometimes two inches
They often curl over like the ta!ons al
bird. showing that the high horn' is
/ quite above the pale Of manual labor.
These thinGs-the ciaw-like nails, th"
light green jade ring. the gorgeous eln-
7 broideries several generations old. tn"
( rich furS-assert his social rank. just
as the number Of out-riderS Indicat"
I his official position.
| II not too exalted in rank the Chinese
| man OF fashion goes to the play nous"
for his brief recreation. IL too high up
in the social scale for such a journey
/ the players come to him, and he enjoys
| the theatre at home.
! Unwfitten Law requires that the glass
Of fashion and the mould Of form GIN
! ChnaD must be an expert with the bow
and arrow, an accomplished horseman
and a proficient gambler. No gambling,
no dude: noblesse ohljg".
Gambling enters into every tranSaC-
tion Of the mans life. In q restaurant.
! for instance. some game Of chanc" In
| played with the cashier To sec Whcthet
the price Of the dinner Is 10 be twice
the sum charged or whether the patron
is to have it free.
With the jade ring on his thumb. in
silken robes. with emhroidcrics that
pleased his Ercat-grcat- grandfather.
preceded and followed ~ 4 rctinu" ri
servants, the Chinese dude goes out for
a fashionable promenade. always with
a little twig in his hand.
Upon this twig pcrchcs . little Blown
bird. which every now and then hr
losses up in the air, sometimes as hirh
as twenty feet The bird circles an1vr
him. Sweeps dawn suddenly and p-cks
seed from his lips. Then it nu,lels
back to its perch for rcpuse. tW!tjcr:n"
, and content.
IN spite If bis external 2rHnden. nnI
gorgeous ulSfldN tne 'nlnCSt man ~
fashion knows nothing whichever of
cleanliness. hHgicue. or personal de
Ccncy, IS understood by the red -hairpd
devils oi the West" Picturesque and
interesting rs q part Of 4 pageant.
closer vieN Of the dude in China To-
vcals 4 man that. in social ana do
mestic life. is indeed a yellow terror.
Pckin should be an interesting sight
when the fashiona BILE men who have
I fie1 from the European troops return
again to their houses. There Will
doubtless be many lalncntatin when
they learn the worst and find most or
their cherished ha bilimcntS missing.
The allied officers are said to have
purchased all the most gorgeous furs
and fashionable cmbroidercs from the
hooters at 4 great auction sale. held
for the benefit Of the troops. ana
doubtless they will send them home.
They will grace European homes and
curio establishments. and the Chinese
dude will have to get another supply.
or else modify his taste for the
splendid and costly garments which Ge-
lighted Pekin.