Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1889-03-08

and 1T is the custom in travelling in the
interior Of CJrca TO take an extra pack
horse along to carry your money. The
people outside OF the three sea ports
know nothing of silver and gold, and
one of the common sights near Fusan,
which is tho only southern port Of the
country, is cOOlic laden down with u
bushcl or SO of these copper coins, which
he carries upon his back. Each coin has
n square hole in it, and the common
way OF putting them up is in strands of
hundreds hung on straw cords of about
the thickness of clothes line Ten
dollars is q load for n man, and $50
would break down mule if the Journey
was long.
Considering the poverty Of Corca one
might suppose that the foreigners here
had hard lifo This is far from the
case. They have comfortable homes Mt
Seoul, and their provisions, which come
i'll large part from China, arc plenty and
good. They have II pleasant society
among themselves. play tennis, have
concerts, and as far rs | can hear are the
most free from social chickering's and
strife OF any Of the foreign colonies of
the Western Pacific. Their lives are
reasonably safe, except in such outbreaks
ms that OF last June, when some of the
anti'forcign fanatics among the natives
started the story that the foreign devils
were fcasting on Corcan babies. Then
for time it looks squally aud the troops
had to be called from one Of our men
of-war which usually lies in the harbor
Mt Chcmulpo. The foreigners keep in
doors, the King sends out proclama-
ton, the Corcans quiet down and it is
again all quiet Oh tho river which flows
by Seoul.
Speaking of the Corean baby eating by
the missionaries, the King in this case
sent out n proclamation asking any one
who had known of babies being stolen
by foreigners to come forth and make
his charge good. lie called attention to
the fact that Foreigners were civilized
ana asked the question rs to how
civilized people could cat children.
"Hut," the proclamation went on "if
children are bcing stolen, let the informa-
ton be flied before the proper authori-
ties and the offenders will be arrested,
and If found guilty by evidence will be
punished. A reward of 10, 200 cash will
be paid TO the informant for each person
SO found guilty, but in case the informa-
ton is not supported by the evidence
the informant shall be fined in Il like
sum for bringing the Charge" This
proclamation was signed with the royal
seal and was pasted on the gates and on
the great bell in the centre of the city.
The selling of children is, however not
uncommon in Corca, and am told that
many are exported to China Good, fat,
well disposed babies bring from 81 to
to $50 apiece and father has perfect
right to sell his children. Babies are
sometimes bought for adoption Slavery
exists to some extent in Corea, but it is
more seridom than slavery
Corcan society is divided into three
classes, the King, the mobiles and the
common people. The latter live in
matched hats and they are the poorest
of the poor. The mobiles or yang ban
are the curse of The country. They own
nil the lands and live by squeezing the
people who till them for them. The
better Of them dress in gorgeous silks.
They never 20 on the street without
having lot OF rctaincrs about them.
There is now one big American firm
in Corca, and here ut Seoul the foreign
colony, winch is made up OF three or
four scores of bright men and women, is
almost altogether American. The bust
ness firm is Mt Chcmulpo, the port of the
capital. Its members aro Morse and
Townsend, two bright young Bostonans,
who have spent years i'll Japan and