The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-31
OF THE KING.
A Californian Secures Valu-
able Concessions From
KOrea'S Ruler.
The Concession Covers the Most
Valuable Mining District in
the Kingdom.

One of the most important concessions
ever gained by an American from a foreign
government has just been secured by
James R. Morse, formerly of San Fran
cisco, but more recently of New York and
Yokohama, Japan, from his Royal High
ness, the King of Chosen, otherwise known
as Korea. One feature that renders this
concession of more than ordinary interest
is the fact that Mr.. Morse has not only
gained control of the richest mining dis
trict in the kingdom for the independence
of which China and Japan fought so saw
agely, but has been actually taken in as a
partner by the King himself.
This is probably the first instance in
modern history where the king of any
country has deigned to look upon an ordi-
nary mortal in any other light than as a
mental, and it is the more remarkable
coming from Korea. For over thirty years
enterprising Americans and Europeans
have vainly endeavored to gain foothold
in the rich mining districts of the king
dom of Chosen, but until this concession
to Mr.. Morse every effort has been met
with promises that never materialized or
with fiat refuSalS.
The readers of The CALL will remember a
series of letters by Frank G. Carpenter.
published in this paper about twelve
months ago. In one of these letters Mr..
Carpenter discussed at length certain min
ing and railroad concessions which the
American Trading Company sought to
obtain from the King of Korea. Some
thing over three years ago Mr.. Morse,
then president of this company, persuaded
the King to grant them exclusive mining
and railroad rights throughout the entire
kingdom for period Of fifty years. This
concession was to have been signed on a
given night at II O'Clock, but half an hour
after the appointed time Mr.. Morse re-
ceived the curt information that the King
had concluded not to place his royal
signature to the coveted document. 1t
afterward developed that the Queen, who
halls from the household of the Emperor
of the Flowery Kingdom, in some way
heard of the proposed concession and
forthwith put her precious little royal
Chinese foot down on any such transaction.
When peace was finally restored be-
tween China and Japan, Mr.. Morse re-
newed his efforts, though this time the
American Trading Company was not in
terested in either his success or failure.
told in a letter bearing date of Y Yokohama,
Japan, August 3, and addressed to his
brother, M. III. Morse of this City. The
letter in part is as follows:
For some years past, as you know, have
been trying for mining concession in Korea,
and have at last secured for twenty-f years
the best district in that kingdom. In 1886 Mr..
Townsend, who was at that time associated
with me in business, visited the Nhusan mines
by request of the King and reported them to be
very rich. Some of the ore sent me was assayed
here and went So so gold per ton. He reported
the mines easy of access, the ore soft and free
milling, and with modern appliances they
could be made to pay HANDS omely. In fact, he
pronounced the place perfect Ell Dorado, but
as the Koreans had no machinery, not even
ordinary well pumps, they could not do very
much mining on account of the water, although
in their primitive way of working-bailingo out
the shafts by hand, none of which were over
so feet in depth-they managed to extract
enough gold to pay them fair wages. Very re-
cently-last month, in fact-this particular
district was made over by the Cabinet Minis
tiers to his Majesty the King, for his sole benefit,
and the King has made me his partner as
you will see by the inclosed copy of docu-
ment duly signed and lodged in the United
States legation safe at Seoul.
want a practical mining engineer to come