The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-01-10
CHINESE COURT RETURN WIT.
MESSED BY THOUSANDS.
CAMERA F|END WAS THERE
Traditional Chinese Custom Put Aside
and Foreigners Given Opportunity
to Gaze on Royalty.

Pekin, Jan. 1.-THE remittance Of
the Oh. n>e emperor iEtc Pekin today
was the most remarkable episode in
the annals OF the dynasty, save the
flight of the Chinese court when Pekin
was bombarded by ;le allied forces.
of the court exceeded expectations.
The cortega was a sort of glorified
lordmayor's show, and was a bewild-
ing barbaris exhibition of orlenta
splendor.
It's chief significance was the COM
plete placement of traditional deifica-
ton of Chinese royalty. Foreigners
were given greater facilities of wit
Messing the ceremonial than would
have been afforded at most Of the
| European aarts:~~TkeA scene ct the
Chen Gate when the emperor and
the dowagersempress entered the tenn
PIE to offer thanks for their safe
journey was nothing less than revo
lutionary when viewed in the light of
all Chinese customs. The horse shoe
wall, forming the ancient gate, was
crowded with Europeans, diplomats,
army officers, missionaries, ladies,
photographers and correspondents.
when the emperor and the dowager
empress arrived at the temple the pro-
cession halted and their majesties
alighted from their chairs which were
covered with imperial yellow silk.
The emperor proceeded to the temple
of the God of wal on the west side of
the plaza, with hundreds of foreigners
peering down only 40 feet above him
and dozens of cameras were focused
upon the "Son of Heaven When he
the gate. Then the chair of the dow
ager empress was brought to the door
way of the temple of the Goddess of
Mercy on the east side of the plaza
and the dowager empress appeared
Two arches at the sides of the
ancient gateway were framed by hum
,dreds of Chinese faces, whose owners
emboldened by the presence of the for
eigners, ventured to gaze upon their
rulers. This incident constitutes a
most sharp contrast with the old
regime when neither diplomats nor
natives were permitted to view the
passage Of royal personages along
the streets. .
The expression of the dowager en-
press seemed almost appealing as she
faced those who had humbled' her and
brought her down from her former ar
rogance, and this confirmed the i'm
preston that she is returning to Pek-
in with anxiety for her safety.
The streets from the Machiapo sta.
tion to the gateway of the Forbidden
City, a distance of four miles, were
swept and garnished early this morn
ing. The great plaza between the
temples of Heaven and Agriculture
were sprinkled with yellow sand.
Residents were compelled to remain
indoors. The soldiers and the police
formed a close Gordon along both
sides Of this entire distance. A sharp
wind, bringing sand from the Mongo-
liam desert, blinded the spectators.
The special train bearing the emperor
and the empress dowager composed
of % cars, was preceded by a pilot
engine and arrived here shortly after
noon. The engine and the emperor's
car had been decorated with yellow
silk dragons by the British officers,
two companies of Chinese cavalry
mounted on white horses and two
companies astride horses from Aus
tralia were drawn up at the sides of
the stations. Two thousand officials,
princes, viceroys and Toa Tais in a
Kaleidoscope field of silks and furs,
in which there cleaned an occasional
yellow jacket were massed upon the
platform. When the emperor appear
ed the entire ~assemblage Frustrated
itself and remained kneeling until
his majesty had taken his place in. his
chair.
At the station the dowager empress
summoned Traffic Manager Foley and
Superintendent Moffatt of the rail
road, the latter having driven the en-
CINE which drew the special train and
presented them to the emperor, who
thanked them for their services.
The imperial cavalcade then moved
off at a swift trot, the Chinese cavalry
in the lead. Then followed the great
body Of officials, riding shaggy Mon
golian ponies. Although the streets
were kept empty thousands of Chi
nese crowded the elevations along the
line of march a thing novar normifted