Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-05-28
COREA.
Something About the Law ana REQ
pie of an IlterestiDg Country
IAN Francisco All

There is a system Of police in Corea
that is to say, force to detect CRIME
and administer punishment. a pre-
ference is shown TO punishment OF
humihating and cruel nature, such as
whipping or beheading. There IS
leaning to "Jedburgh justice exc
cution first ans tried afterward. Theft
is as often punished BY death as
capital crime. A system of state
prisons is not favored and does not
exist. The punishment OF those OF
a higher class consists of their dis
missal from cfIice and being debarred
from reappoihtaent. The most eoa1-
plete security exists IN the interior.
When foreign representatives wish 10
travel, the ing issues his tablets or
pa sports, and these, presented to the
governors of the provinces, insure
their beirg treated with the greatest
respect; but in any case there IS no
danger Of their being molested. There
may he said TO be no roads IN The
country. B0otmen carry letters from
one end Of the peninsula to the other
No doubt good roads would, by eX-
tending facility of communication,
increase the prosperity OF the counN
try. and even railroads might be
financial benefit. The population is
nomiually 12,0C0, but in reality Is
considerably over that number. They
have regular troops, and the excellence
of their drill is wonderful, The
government not long since bought
several stands of arms from the
United States to replace the old flint
locks, Of which, however there are
large quantities still in use. There
are no restrictions put by the Corean
government on foreign trade in the
way of export dGiies, and 1t is pro
bable that in exchange i'r our manu-
features we could do a considerable
trade with C1rea in hides, skins,
minerals, and other products
The revenue Of the country IS col
ieeted through the governors of the
provinces in small coin and IN pro>
duce. who pay it into the royal
treasury, the king regulating the ex-
penses according to pleasure The
Coreans in appearance compare more
with western nations than the Cbluese
or even japanese, though OF course
having the marked Monaghan char
acteristico Through all grades Of So
ciety the people Stem very soclable,
the aristoeracy especially So. They,
are continually paying visits and
seem to have q mania Tor giving pres
ents to each other. The childish
curiosity of the common people is very
amusing They are quite delighted II
they can handle foreign clothes and
implements. Their principal amuse>
ment seems to be gambling, which is
universal They have a variety of
games with dominoes, which they cali
"bone cards They also 90 ia for
pitching coppers-" pitch and toss,
it may be called--to certain extent.
The COreans are not vicious. Drunk
enness'is rare, though a good deal Of
sake is drunk IN a social way at the
salte>houses, which serve the purpose
of clubs. Opium sn okiug is tabooed,
and only INDUCED in secret dens as it
might be in any western city. The
very early marriages. mGde-b0ys at
IA years and girls at 10 to 12-is con-
ductive 10 great morality. Dinners
with the upper classes are very pleas
ant and entertaining, as no expense is
spared 10 have the surroundings as
luxurious as possible, and there IS no
drawback by having to sit in con-
strained and unaccompanied positions,
for as regards furniture and dinner
service everything is western. An
oriental charm is introduced by hay
ing dancing girls, which are always
attached to the suite of the high of
ficials and men of rank, waiting on
the guests and sfterward dancing to
music, which later, however, is too
much Of the tom tom style to please.
or course, the women of the family
are rigidly excluded from any meeting
with males not of their own family,
but it is probable that the ladies do
manage to have pretty good view OF
the male guests, from suudry peeping
holes which might so easily be made
in the paper windows which surround
the interior room. The dress of the
woman, which can only be judged
from these dancing girls, has very
pretty eject. AlNuah VI NdIlOt0- bAuANh
silks cover the figure, and when the
movements OF the dance disarrange
the outside gowns the closer-ftting
undergarments blend in color in a
very picturesque manner. Ladies in
the streets are carried about in wicker
sedan chairs, from which they can see
the outside world, but are themselves
most fully concealed Corea is un-
doubleday a very interesting country.
1t has so much TO show quite different
FROM any other form OF Oriental life
that it would amply repay travellers
visit, And the very amicable rela-
tions which exist between it and our
government should be fostered and
opportunities taken advantage of To
raise the civilization of the country,
which the king and Inhabitants are SC
disposed tomeet halfway, 10y CONNER
elal enterprise, whIch has always led
the val, in the stimulation Of AsaGC
torpOr.