New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-01-22
GOSSIP AT THE CAPITAL.
THE CoREAN MINISTER AND HIS SUITE.
INCIDENTS OF TIE WHITE HOUSE REoEPrIos-A

WASHINGTON, Jan 21.-The equanimity OF th'
Corean embassy is only surpassed by the curiosity o
other people who continually gazing Mt the now
legation Possibly the Minister and secretaries wore
warned beforehand Of American curiosity. NJ any
rate they appear as indifferent and stolca as tht
Indian, who is always unmoved by the doings OF the
"palefaces." At the White House on Tuesday, amer
their to the President the Corcans, ten II
number, came out on the portico, where for sonie
minutes they literally left out in the cold"
believe they had through some misunderstanding come
from the Blue Room too soon, hurrying away before
the interpreter, DR.. Allen, could terminate the lh'cr
view The three carriages were brought up In hhe
before the portco steps but there the Corean grou
stood, shvering and waiting, with wonder In thelr
dbrown faces. Not one budged to enter carriage
and they probably thought this delay of standing Oh
American snow, and getting the edge Of an American
blizzard. form of American etiquette that mao
not been explained to them For Eve minutes GER
tanly It a suffering embassy.
The Corean costume is, should say hslf-and-hali
mixture of the Chinese and Japanese native dress
There is less embroidery than the japanese dress
and fewer tuncs short gowns than the Chinesc
wear Distinctive features and purely Corean arc the
BELTS standing out from the waist like hoops, ana the
tall sugarloaf peak hats, with straight round brls'
How those hats kept on the head Is mystery 10
the washington public. They arc black as night anu
stiff as buclram Three peculiarlties show Corean
rank small button the side Of the hat and the
belt are each insignia of rank The belt often lna
with shell and precious stones But the most strlK-
Ing mark Of rank is the small square of embroidery
worn on the back of the gown, Just between the
shoulders. I believe Americans in Corea call this
decoration "shicld" for want Of more suitaoe
name, and with utter disregard OF the fact lla'
shields arc not worn the back However, the
"shled7 worn by Pck Chung Yang, the new Minister
has the design of pair Of sorls very beautifully en-
md TIa
show the highest literary rank attained In Corea'
PAX Chung Yang therefore. has been mghtcd, so 70
speak for his literary qualities. Three secretaries
Ye Wan Yong, Ye la Yong and We Sang Jay wear
the decoration having one stork and denong lesser
degree OF rank The rest get along the best they can
without stork
The fashion OF tho coat or gown worn by the Corean
diplomat shows the garment as a whole, from inc
shoulders to the feet without additions and with mono
of the short TUNES or Jackets such the Chinese dip
loma delights in. Women who naturally take In
gown at glance assure me that PAX Chung Yang ;
green brocado when he presented his credentials
to the President the other day. is " Princess coat
II may be- ! only know the brocadc IS of the richest
fabric and the color umistakably dark green.
Two attaches Kang Chin Yum and Ye Hymn Yum,
arc the most striking Of all tho Legation, for several
reasons They are tall mon and of angular physique.
The full sleeves of their blue silk gowns blood red
and bright orange half and hail. in the two solid
coors This peculiar and entirely Corean fashion, ]
am told comes from a tradition, rather startling
than otherwise. when the Corean warrior goes to
battle he wipes his sword the red silk of his sleeve
and It leaves stain OF blood
Two Of the Corcan Legation speak English, learned
at the Government school charge OF American teach
ers. The Legation is already established in pretty
new hOuse I'm Q-st ard should not wonder II tho
Corcans should prove rather formidable social rivals 10
the Chinese II IS well known that there IS no love lost
between the two Governments, and nobody Will be
surprised II the embassy shows its ambition to
gain the social foothod already attained by the
Chinese. Anything "new under tho sum delights
official society, and the Coreans arc new curious and
interesting let Chang Yen Hoon, Of the Celestial
Empire, look TO his laurels
Look on this picture and then on that remarked
a friend OF mnc at the Presidents reception to the
Diplomatic corps pointing to the Blue Room, and
then turning to the squad of eight policemen filling
the doorway leading TO the Green Parlor The men
were I'm shabby civilian suits, and all but two were
green hands" In fact 1t was for the six their
debut as # were first Introduction to society,"
They Interested to the degree OF deserving then
posts. They had crowded into the doorway, and like
other guests were eager TO see the President and his
assistants come into the Blue Room, and there, like
other guests, they wished to the presentation OF
the diplomats. One Of the two who had boon there
before did precisely what any man in his place would
have done
"IIere. Mokc Now's your chance, me by LOOK
sharp The big fey with all the goold on his coat
IS the Hoyshin Minister"
The man. in his kindly insistance that HIS colleague
should see the diplomatic guests, got excited and the
wonder that his voice was not heard above the
voices of Colonel Wilson and sevellon Brown. intro
ducing the diplomats to the President Happily the
buzz Of conversation in the Blue Room helped him to
point ont the distinguished foreigners to Moike,7 and
nc went on
"And thim's the Chnec in all their cOort toggery'
four of thin in their silks and satlns And there's
that little Turk with the red hat And the mon with
the frcrld coat is from the Dennish Coort'
His little audience in the doorway quietly took In
the scene, that IS, without audible words. But their
faces showed pleased astOnshment. Finally :" Moke'
said
"Our FELIX'S ought to wear coort toggery. too.
They'd look dale better for it."
"Now me, by there's whore you're wrong. We're
too Dmicratc. No Dlmicrat would disgrace himself
with coort fnery. Our feys Is min, who don't haf
to git Themselves up IN such style to make an appear
ancc. TLel're min without all thin gewgaws. Just
look at thin furriners and listen to their gbbcrish
language And, then fist look at our min IL plane
nice clothes and spakln' plane Christian tongue
Now till me- Will you have our FELIX'S git thlmsclves
up with coort uniforms and spake all sorts Of languages
but their own blessed mother tonguef'
There touch OF scOrn in the mans voice, that
had IFS influence Moke' and kept the group silent
for a few moments. The Blue Room was getting
crowded, and there Indications that the crowd
would shortly find outlet through the doorway into
the Green Parlor, and on to the East Room.
"There, now. bys You've the best OF the
show. Git yourselves back to your posts and do your
dooty. Keep the guests in their proper places
And that's the last saw Of Molkc' aad tho Bys'
for that evening at least.
Dinners which the President has given this year
are said by those who attend them to be superior
In many respects to those of last year. which IS owing
no doubt to tho experience Mrs. Cleveland has &C
CURED and the cultivation OF her taste
When she first caIne to the White House, and In
fact all last winter, she had little to do with these