Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-04

perhaps than any other metal. The eating
utensils. ir Guiding dishes. spoons and chop
sticks, are made Of 1t, and all Of the wash
basins OF the country are Of this material.
The quality Of the brass Is superior to that
which have seen in any other part Of the
world. 1t takes a polish like gold. and 1t
Is wonderfully bright and pure. None OF
same is true Of the coal. The Corean coal
mines, which lie near the big city Of Ping
Yam, about 100 miles north Of Seoul. SO DIR.
Appenzeiler, one Of the best posted mis-
sionaries Of the country, tells me, are
rather coal quarries than shafts. The coal
Is dug from the top Of the ground, and 1t "
taken out at the minimum of expense.
1t Is a fine antracite, and 1t would bring
right here In the capital from $40 to 81 a
ton. A big trade could be carried on in 1T
10 TIE dinerent parts of China and the east.
AS 1t is, Japan sells millions of dollars
worth or coal every year. and the mines
were disposing OF from 100 to 1900 tons of
coal day. The coal that comes to Seoul.
however, goes chiefly to the palace. and
the mines await practical men to turn their
dusky Jumps into veritable black diamonds.
The People.
Alphabetically considered the country Is
very rich. Not one-twenticth of 1t is Guilt
waited, and the fact that the officials take
the greater part Of the crops removes all
only enough to keep them alive. Almost
anything that can be raised in the United
states can be raised here, and rice is
grown side by side with wheat and barley.
There Is plenty of good grazing land. and
the cattle are very fine and form the beasts
OF burden of the country. l don't think the
people are naturally lazy. They are strong
ana wei meaning. They have a fair idea
OF justice and right and their civiliza ton
is by no means & barbarous one. With Sc
curity or property and incentive to work
they could easily be taught to accumulat e
money, ana II the foreigners are allowed to
take mold OF the mines and build railroads
Sorea VIII in a short time approximate
Japan IN us progress. 1t has been several
times on the verge of giving concessions
to foreigners, and only a short time ago
the KING had agreed to such a proposition
An American. MIR. James X. Morse. who
hid spent Years in Corea, and who is the
chlet partner of the American firm now
| doing business here was called from New
York 10 Seoul to see the king about the
matter. lie was thoroughly responsible
man IN every respect. and he had at his
back some millions of American capital
He came to Seoul. and after a time 90,
the promise of such concessions as would
| nave given him the exclusive right to built
ra",uaos over the country, to have opened
up the gold mines and to have engaged fr
| schemes for the general DEVELOPMENT al
| Corca The papers were all ready to be sign
| ea ana the American left the palace witt
| ~ ooSuie ice tnat the next day all would
De settled and he could begin work at once
| Durng that night, however, either through
,ne Shlnese or some other influence tn,
| kings mind was changed and a messar,
| was sent to the American legation that hi,
majesty had decided to grant no conces
SION, slons at present and that Mr. Morse was n,
npefty 10 leave as soon as he chose A,
| 10 Just how this change came about no on.
! Knows out China probably had her finger,
| IN the pie. 1t is said that one of the FOR
| eisrers connected with the court demaodaf
! tnat ne be paid a big percentage of Tn,
pronts OF the scheme for the influence
whloh ne claimed to have exerted I'm get
tlns the King to accede to 1t. This was re-
!used. and hs probably got his revenge
lnIouSn the Chinese. In all this trouble
| wmcn Is going on I'M iCorea 1t must he re-
membered that the Chinese are the enc
Hies Oh progress. They are not the tru,
friends OF the Corean people. They have
the upper hand and they are doing all they
can TO Keep the country back The faIliDs
through of this scheme was a very unfortu
nate thing for Corea. Had the papers beer
signed both the king and the American
capitalists would now be on the road tC
wealth. The people would have had a
large amount of their taxes RENTED for
the kings treasury would have been ful
and there would have been no rebellion. As
II Is now. no one can tell what will happen
put sooner or later this land will be one ot
the most prosperous on the globe