Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-11-24


men more expert than the SiameSe
40 not live in the orient, nor in the
world. indeed, unless it be among the
ESkimos or the south sea islanders;
and Saw Swee Ann was one of the
most skilful met during my wander
ings in the far east. Saw, for so l at
once abbreviated his tunetul name,
was a "saked" man and bore the in
aeIble mark, which all those wear who
serve royalty without pay. Not
tlat it is a service of especial honor.
hut a species Of traditional slavery.
Nor does every saked man serve the
king. In the intricate ald farreach-
ing systems, which cross-section the
socail fabric of oriental peoples and
2crplex the western mind, is provided
1 separate and distinct place for
every class of native mankind from
royalty to the lowl!est subject. Siam
has perhaps more than its share of
such subdivisions, and so it happened
that Saw also had his servant. The
1aan is indeed low in Slams social
scale Who is without a servitor Saked
men, however are those in the service
Of The king or those attached to the
person of noble or a tribal head.
Those who serve about the royal
palace, and those in any of the com
panies connected more or less direct
ly with the king, are marked on the
left side, a little below the armpit;
all others are marked on the fore
arm. And the mark C'sak0 always
the insignia of him in whose service
the man is enrolled. is pricked into the
skin. and then made permanent by APP
lying a mixture of India ink and
peacock bile. None but a native, |
believe. may be a saked man, and as
Travelled and studied the country, II
seemed to me that in the course of
another quarter-century pure Siam,
csc blood will flow in the veins only
of royalty and of the poorest of Slams
inhabitants The average native is
an indolent, improvident, good-natured
creature, who is happy so long as he
mas enough to keep his stomach from
protesting, and few ticals to gamble,
Great Britain, fortunately for the
commercial world, controls the export
t1ade of Siam, and the Chinaman is its
industrial backbone. More than that,
John Chiaaman is becoming Slams
small trader as well, and father of the
only dependable laborer growing up
ON its soil; for the Siamese woman
marries him in preference to her own
c0untrymen, because he makes a bet
ter husband, The result of this union
is called a Simo-Chinese but is really
a Chinaman in looks, in habits, so
strongly does the Chnaman stamp
his progeny. Thus the native Siamcse
Is being crowded into the lowest
walks of life Even in Bangkok, the
capital where reside the king and all
government officials, he finds it dt-
fieult to retain prestige, while the
place itself is taking on the motley APP
Bearance of an Oriental city turned
tgpsy-turvy by electric lights and troll
ley cars penetrating quarters Of such
sQualor, one maryels that life can
exist there at all.
1t is strange half.oating city, this
Bangkok oyerrun by parah dogs and
crows; oriental despite its improve
ments, and one Of the most interesting
cities in the far east. Yet a sad city
for the visitor with mind apart from
margins and moneysaying machinery.
At every turning are evidences of de-
cay of native art, and in their stead
the hdeously commonplace things that
bear the legend Made in Germany"
One would scarcely believe today, after
q visit to Bangkok, that at one time
the Siamese were distinguished, even
among Asiatic artisans, in silk weav-
ing. in ceramics, in ivory carving and
IN slyersmithing. Yet the royal
museum discloses treasures not found
elsewhere in the world, which serve
70 remind how far Siam has fallen
from the place she once occupied
among the art.producing nations Of
the world. When, therefore, we behold
people discouraging and losing their
splendid ancient arts. and giving in
stead a ready market to the cheap
trash which comes out Of the west,
We NAV hardly look for native indus.
trial Developments The day Is probably
not far off when Slams industries will
depend upon foreign guidance; and II
England, not France, supplies that i'm
petus. the world will be the gamer.
BY those people who delight In
comparisons-and read travellers fold
ers especially compiled for tourist
consumption-Ba Bangkok has been var
iously called the Constantinople OF
Asia and the Venice Of the east. True,
there is much pertinence in both com.
parsons. Certainly Bangkok is the
home Of the gaunt aad ugly pariah
dog, which spends its day foraging TO
keep life in its mangy carcass; multi
plying meanwhile with the fecundity
OF cats in a tropical cline, because the
Buddha faith forbids its killing. Nor
are outcast dogs the only pests of
20 hana44cp