The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1894-08-03
ABOUT KOREA.
Interesting Information About the Land
witch Has Caused War.


Witch Has Caused War.
The kingdom Of Korea, which China
and Japan arc quarrellng ovOr, is not
quits twice as large as the state OF New
York. says tho Word. It's population
ia estimated ut 100000. or in tho
neighborhood Of 100000 moro than
tho population Of this state.
Korea Is q peninsula stretching out
from tho continent Of Asia in south:
casterly direction, between Japan and
ChIna propcr, with Yellow Goa on ono
aide ana tho Sea OF japan on tho other.
Tho average width 10 1856 miles, and tho
whole length 10 about COO miles. The
native name for the country 10 TsYo-
sicn, or Chosen. Tho Chinese cali 1t
Kao Loo. Tho Japanese know 1t as
Koral, from which comes tho English
namo.
Tho climate Is cold, and In Tho cum
Nor rain Ia frequent Tho mountain
range running through II lcngthwiso 10
proclpltous on tho oastorn side, but tho
gentle slope Of the west side, we'll
watercd by rtvers. Is exceedingly
fertile.
Ihorc ere eIght provinces, zach with
q governor. The kings revenues,
which arc considerable, aro obtained
chioly by tho letting out OF lands and
from q tltho Of all tho produce. The
king owns nearly oil tho landed proper
ty. Tho people arc great sullCrors
through this syatom OF land-gtabbtng
aud tar.farmine. Grinding poverty
holds Thorn in rclentlcss grasp.
Chemulpo, wherc tho hostile troops
are glaring ut one another, and whore
the United States cruiser Baltimore
and British warship havo landed ma
rinos to project tho American and Eng
lish legations. is tho port Of tho capital,
Seoul, q walled town Of $4,000 inhabl.
.ants, about twenty-five miles inland,
and joined to It's seaport BY badly
mado road. The hnr Dor OF Chemulpo
Ia picturesque, but the water Is very
shallow, and tho trade OF Korea is 80
small that only about once month can
tho small steamer OF tho Nippon Yusen
Kaisha Japanese company DO soen in
tho bay.
Korea 10 rich In minerals; gold, sill.
ycr, copper and coal arc oil common.
The government shows itself thor
0ughly altvo to this faCt--gold mining
strictly prohibited, tho permission TO
work silver mines has boon revoked.
tho copper m!ues AFRO neglected and tho
uso OF coal is confined to low districts.
There arc q good many cattle. horscs,
dogs, pigs, goats and shcep. The sheep
and goats arc royal monopoly, aud arc
only used for aacriGcA Tie people cat
tho dogs.
Tho priucieai ministers arc tho
scngcltsicng Tor admirable counsellor, o
very, useful official to have at hand1 tho
tsoaeltsicng and tho cu.et'Isiong. There
AFRO also judges, whose main function is
tho FREQ use, as an incentive toward
ycracity, OF dIslocation OF logs, cardSng
OF calves with batons, cutting OF thighs
BY continual friction with cord or
suspension by tho arms. Attorthis one
Ia but family moved by the information
tha.;ho usual form Of execution is do
capItation.
All officials arc paid very high salaries.
But rs 1t il in the irst social law Of
Korea that when In otlicc man has to
support oil his relatives, the system
sccms TO work out pretty oven all
round.
Tho nature Of tho language can hnrd.
" case tho porpIcxities that will BIO
soon 10 beset tho average Korean in
lischarging tho duties OF citizenship.
True, there are only tourtcnn conso-
nantS, but tho vowols muster eleven
and tho diphthongs thirtecn., Learn
ing, Us in China, Is held in high rO-
spcc,, but nobody learns particularly.
Still thore arc competitive examinations
for tho premiership and such public
posts, and man takes his degree by
having his fnco BprInklod with flour
md wiped with ink, to tho sound OF
lnusic.
Tho religion ia Coutucian. relieved by
n firm trust in devils aud great vcnCr-
alton for snakes.
Women hold low position In Korean
estimation, and count for little in tho
sight OF tho law. AS. however, thoy arc
not held personally responsible Tor any
Of their actions. they presumably miss
the invoring eye Of the law less than
lnost mon.
To tho Chinese and Korean mind evon
apuroxImAte truth is absolutely useless
and supertluous.
The telegraph has penetrated to
Korea, and a wire runs from Wan.san.
q seaport town on :ho cast coast. TO tho
capital, aud 10 Chcmulpo, on the coast,
but the railway hna not been intro
duCol.
The many streams in Korea arr used
10 work water.miiiS Tor grinding corn.
These mills arc OF IL very primitive con-
s,ruc.ion. a tree trunk is followed out
to trough at ono eud, mud is 10 bal
anccd on pair OF trunniona gUs in q
frame shnt whom tho trough 10 filled
with winter, lol to II from the nOIghbor.
inv stream, tho trough Ond sinks, tho
water is discharged mud tho log resumes
lis place; tho other end being fitted
viii! wooden pOg acts MS peselo on
Tho grain, placed inH mortar sunk in
the ground. This takes place six to
niuc timcs a minute.
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