The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-26
HELPED TO RULE coREANs.
Held the Post of Prime Minister Under
Oriental Government.

|
|. From a little country newspaper Of
| flee in Kentucky into life of royal
| ease and luxury, with a princely posi-
| ton under the -barabarlc kingdom
| of Corea, is a long step. and a most re-
| markable one. 1t seems almost 1mpoS-
sibe that an American could hold a
| position of trust under such strange
| and suspicious monarchy as that of
| Corea. walled in from the world for cen
| turtles, but Clarence Greathouse for 10
| years was prime minister or ho-pang
! OF the country and he was once law
| yer and editor in this country, with not
| the faintest dreams of ever leaving,
much less of holding Office in Corea.
| News recently received that he had
| died in Seoul, the capital of Corea, re-
! calls his romantic and marvellous eX-
| periences.
Thirty years ago Clarence Greathouse
! was editing country newspaper in
Versailles, KY. and practicing law. He
| was then % years old. He was born on
q farm about two miles south of the
town. He received his legal education
in the University of Virginia and was
a young man of fine natural ability and
brilliant promise.
Attracted by the boom on the Pacific
coast young Greathouse emigrated in
the fall of 1869 to San Francisco, and
through the aid of his kfnsman, Lloyd
Tevis, the multimillionaire who recent
ly died in that city, and by his own
ability and force, he was soon occupy
ing an enviahle position as an attorney
Later he became a partner in the le-
gal firm of Stewart Greenhouse &
Blanding. of which Senator William H.
Stewart of Nevada was the leading
member.
In 1885 soon after President Cleve
land went into office, Mr.. Greathouse
| in
the supreme court. One of his friends
who had influence with the administra-
ton asked him how he would like to so
to Yokohama, Japan. as consul
| Greathouse replied that he believed he
would like 1t, A few days later he was
given the appointment and he wired
his widowed mother. with whom he
had lived in San Francisco, to pack
up and be ready to move to Japan.
Two weeks later they set sail from San
Francisco.
Mr.. Greathouse was a very efficient
and businesslike consul and made such
a fine record that he was continued
in office under the Harrison admins
tration until his resignation. During
his term as consul he had rendered
great service to Mixing, the king OF
Corea, by giving him advice. and his
royal highness soon became of the
opinion that he couldn't conduct the
affairs of his kingdom without Great
house. He created the office of no.
pang corresponding in civilized mon
arches to the position of prime minis
ter and besought Mr.. Greathouse to
accept it.
Greathouse did so and resigned his
consulate. He went to Seoul to live in
1890 and has been there ever since. His
career in Corea has been one of con-
slant excitement and many times his
head has been in jeopardy.
During the violent internal disturb
ances in Corea in 1894. which culmi-
mated in the brutal assassination of
the queen in her chamber in the pal
ace by a mob, MI Greathouse was the
kings right hand friend and comforter
He was appointed to investigate the
murder of the queen and caused the
arrest and conviction of several of the
guilty parties.
A few months later an attempt was
made by natives to destroy MIR. Great
house and his mother by blowing up
their dwelling. The plot was exposed
by a servant, who was in the conf
dence of the conspirators and who
weakened Just as the terrible deed was
about to be consumma ted. Enough eX-
plostves were found beneath the floor
of the prime minister's bed chamber to
have blown him into atoms. After
that, and during the trouble between
the Chinese and Japanese, MIR. Great
house and his mother were taken to
King Ni-Kung's palace and did not
leave the building without body guard
of soldiers.
General Greathouse. as the king
calls him. has been a potent factor In
the DEVELOPMENT of Corea and the king
is said to be in full sympathy with his
Yankee ally, favorins the building of
railroads the development of the mines.