The daily democrat. [volume] (Anadarko, Oklahoma) 190?-1908, 1907-06-08
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Cut to see the world. The king of
Siam by easy stages is going to girdle
the earth, and whether the potentate
| Of this little Asiatic kingdom is actu-
| ated by spirit of adventure and
longing for some new sight and sensa-
ton, or is moved by a deep purpose
to know the world better that he may
govern his principally more wisely is
an open question, but one thing is GER
tain, and that is he is having n royal
ly good time and is making the most
of his opportunities wherever he goes.
Paris has just extended the glad
hand to him, and is going to help him
have a good time as only the Paris
ians can do. No doubt kingly honors
and distinction will be showered upon
him, but it is not just what he is
after, according to persons who are
close to his majesty and who say that
he specially desires to remain as much
incCSnito as possible, as he wants to
do much sight seeing and on the quiet
have the time Of his life"
And after Paris is covered from
center to circumference, London and
other Europena cities are on his list.
after which it is likely that he will
como to America and cross to the Pa.
ciiic coast, where he will embark for
tho voyage back to his own land and
his place at Bankok.
There is no sovereign in the world
wao ia accustomed to receive more
abicct homage than his majesty of
Siam. lie possesses a most imposing
s,ring OF titles. Among other things
he Is supreme arbiteT of the ebb and
flow of the tides, brother of the moon
half brother of the sun and owner of
four and twenty golden umbrellas.
Whenever he takes an airing in his
own domain his faithful subjects pros.
trate themselves as he passes by. no
matter how muddy the streets may
happen Ia be. Even the highest in the
land when they approach his august
presence must do so on all fours His
favorite wives have to kneel before
him. His brothers do likewise. So
King Chulalongkorn is not likely to be
much impressed by crowd that
keeps on its legs before him and
shouts and waves hats and handker-
chiefs at him. He won't bob his head
until his neck aches as European
kings are expected to do when they
show themselves to the public.
As king of Siam, Chulalongkorn has
much easier billet than the occupants
Of European thrones. He Is invested
with powers as autocratic as those of
the car Of Russia, but his is a pa.
ternal despotism which is not tenn
pered by assassination. Siamese folk
dent throw bombs, and none of them
have yet reached that stage of en-
lightenment in which monarchs are
regarded as costly supernuities.
Chulalongkorn is not required to lead
the strenuous life. He can take
things as easy as he pleases. His in
come is something like $4,000. 600 a
year. His gorgeous royal palace at
Bangkok is a walled and battlemented
city within a city. Behind the line of
not very warlike sentries who guard
its massive gates is contained treas
ure far in excess Of the loot obtained
by the greatest feat of robbery com.
mitted in modern times--the sacklng
of the summer palace of Peking in
1860. II is really a double palace-an
outer and an inner palace. Into the
latter no European of the male sex
has ever penetrated 1t contains
about 1000 women and one man. And
that man is the king. The Siamese
call the place Kang Mai ("The In
side.) aud so sacred is it held that
etiquette forblds any open allusion to
IT.
The most extraordinary feature of
the Kang Mai is the submerged
harem, situated in an artificial lake.
It is built entirely of glass OF varie-
gated colors, the plates being joined
together by an insoluble cement. 1t is
)rnamented with quaint turrets and
minarets. When not in use, it floats
on the surface Of the lake. When the