The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-09-12

trate, we reflect how the gracious counsel and excellent virtues of the great depart ed were revered by all beyond the seas. China has long been on terms of friendly intimacy with the United States, and your excellency, the President, on re- ceiving this news will surely mourn with uS''
 Where the Baby Monarch Lives.
 I wish I could take you into the home of little Pu Vi. From now on he will live in the palaces of the Pink Forbidden City in the most secluded part of Pekin To this city strangers are never admitted except they be members of the foreign legations or ladies invited to visit the Empress. Such visits have been made only within the past few years and it is a question whether any but the ministers will be admitted in the future
 l have information, however from con- fidential sources among the highest Chi nese which enables me to give you one or two peeps at these royal quarters The palaces are surrounded by a yellow tiled wall more than two miles in length and many feet high There are huge towers over the gates to this wall. and officers In uniform stand just below. They keep out all but the servants of the palace and the highest of the Chinese officials, and the ordinary Chnaman has no idea of what goes on within. It is only by standing upon the wall of the Tartar City that stranger can see any thing, and then only the roofs. All he sees Is a wilderness of high, broad build ings covered with bright yellow tiles, which glisten like gold under the sun. The buildings run up and down both sides of a lake, upon which are boats and inside which on a little island is the l palace where Kwang Su, the great Em- | peror, was confined by the great dow | ager when he would not do as she com manded. It may be that as Pu VI grows | older he may object to the orders of 1 the present Empress Dowager and have | the same prison-home for a time.
 Three Thousand Eunuchs. The imperial baby will have many att tendants. There are something like 10000 souls in the palaces and the buildings about and 1t is their duty to do as tho empress d0Wager wills. There are man servants and woman servants, as well as princes and ladies in waiting. One of the largest classes of the household is composed of eunuchs They have been ] the servants of the Chinese emperor as 1 fec back as the time of Christ, and they are mentioned in Chinese history about l 10C0 B. c. There are more than thrse
 thousand of them employed to serve his
 imperial majesty and each has a job of
 his own. Ths eunuohs belong to forty
 eight different departments. Some are l mere servants, others take care of the
 imperial sinks, 1ewelry and all sorts of l treasures, and some wait on the ladies l in the employ of the emperor. The em- | press dowsger has her own force and ! there are also lama priests, who supply | the spiritual wants of the household
 Po-TsIau-LI, the Squeezer.
 At the head of these eunuchs Is a man
 wiio has cut big figure in the recent I history of China. He was for years the | favorite of the great dowager and 1t was
 charged that he largely ruled China
 through her He has committed all sorts
 of extortions and has made a great for ;, tune by squeezing the officials who, | through him, got the ear of the old em- press dowager It is sure that he is now | d man of enormous wealth. Indeed he
 had 50 much money in the Chinese banks
 of Picking that he created a panic when
 tre old empress died by saying that he
 was going to withdraw his deposits.
 A half dozen banks then failed on this account. This mans name is Ii
 Lien Ying or, as he is sometimes called,
 Pi-Tsiau-M or "Cobbler h." because he
 is the son of a cobbler of Tung Chow, about IA miles from Pekin. Li was
 taken into the palace as boy. and