Omaha daily bee., 1909-12-19

They must be wrapped about the head he
Tor going into battle and the constant
shaving and braiding necessary 20 keep
them in order cannot be done during a
campaign. Besides, In the case Of a hand
to-hand Tight the man who wears the ulfuN
IT at a disadvantage. as he can be isrN yI
this way and that by his enemy. The Chi.
nese policemen now coil their queues like
a snake inside their caps. They seriously
impede their attempts at arrest. and they
want to get rid OF them. II is the same
with many Of the leading statesmen. Said
Mr.. Chers. the former adviser VI one W
the viceroys, TO me: Il should like to roe
an edict for all officials to cut off their
queues. l can tell YOU that mine viii go ofr
the first day IL comes, and that there IRE
millions OF other Chinese who will be glad
to get It. We only keep them because Il Is
according TO the fashion and the law. aud
we shall be glad to see them go.''
The queue came into China as a badge
Of servltude 10 the Manchus, and & Is stiII
compulsory. In some Of the secret societies
which have been recently organized 90 do
away with the Tartar government, the
candidates FOR membership are requested
to cut off their queues, and they some.
times do so. This. however. Is IAN ferrous.
as it might be looked upon o., q s,gr OF rec
bellion. Many Of the s'ud,l,s VINO 10 to
America adopt foreign clothes aud cut or
their hair while abroad They use false
queues when they return. such things are
sold in every Chinese city. The hair is
hung up on sheets and one can get a very
fair pigtall for from 90 cents to 81. MANY
Of the Chinese wear false queues and rot
a few reinforce their hair with black sllN
thread.
And all this brings me to another Qucs-
tion that is agltating the men OF this en-
pire. This is, will the Chinese wear Uous,
ers? I answer yes. The women have had
them from time immemorial, and the work
ingmen OF tho lower classes are wearing
them now. 1t is only the gentlemen who
are always clad In long gowns. They we'd
silks, satins and v%elvets, but they Often
have on trousers under their dresses, and
by the new movement they will abolish
the latter and come out clad like the Jap
anese or ourselves.
Already the soldiers have uniforms VI
coats and pantaloons OF wadded cotton.
and the press OF the schoolboys Is much
the same. These new trousers are far DIFF
ferent from those of the old Chinese cut.
They are sewed up In the back and are
gradually approaching the shape Of our
western unmentionables.
1 wonder II you have ever seen a pair
of Chinese gents pants. The regulation
cut is a cross between wadded drawers
and boomers, with a slice out at the back.
They make one think of little Dickie bout,
with his shirttail out" They bag at
tho knees and wrinkle down the leg, re-
minding one of the farmers remarks about
the elephant. This farmer had gone to the
circus, and upon his return was asked
what he thought of the animals. lie
replied that they all suited him well with
the exception Of the elephant. And II,
too, was all right, but 1t had too much
slack in it's pants Well. that Is the trouble
with the old Chinese trousers. and It
is so also with the new styles now coming
in. FRANK G.. CARPENTER.