Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-10
OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE.

y < 4 4 4
which Senator William H. Stewart OF Nevada
was the leading member.
In 1885, soon after President Cleveland
went into office, Mr.. Greathouse was in
Washington, arguing a case in the supreme
court. One Of his friends who had influence
with the administration asked him how he
would like to go to Yokohama Japan, as
consul. Greathouse replied that he believed
he would like it. A few days later he was
given the appointment and he wired his
widowed mother with whom he 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 very efficient and
busnesslike consul and made such fine
record that he was continued in office under
the Harrison administration until his resig-
nation. During his term as consul he had
rendered great service to Mixing, the king
Cf Ccrea, by giving him advice, and his
royal hghness soon became of the opinion
that he couldn't conduct the affairs of his
kingdom without Greathouse. He created
the office of ho-pang, corresponding in civil
lized monarchies to the position of prime
minister, and bes ught Mr.. Greathouse to
accept it.
Greathouse did so and resigned his con-
sulate. He went to Seoul to live in 1890 and
has been there ever since. His career in
Corea has been one of constant excitement
and many times his head has been in jeop
ardy.
During the violent internal disturbances in
Corea in 1894, which eliminated in the
brutal assassination of the queen in her
chamber in the palace by mob, MIR. Great
h,N,, L. rir hn,, fr;A and
comforter. He was appointed to investigate
the murder of the queen and caused the ar
rest and conviction of several of the guilty
parties.
A few m nths later an attempt was made
by natives to destroy Mr.. Greathouse and his
mother by blowing up their dwelling. The
plot was exposed by servant, who was in
the confidence of the conspirators and who
weakened just as the horrible deed was about
to be consummated. Enough explosives were
found beneath the floor of the prime min
ister's bedchamber to have blown him into
atoms. After that, and during the trouble
between the Chinese and Japanese. Mr.
Greathouse and his mother were taken to
King Ni-Kung's palace, and did not leave
the building without bodyguard of soldiers
General Greathouse, as the king calls
him, has been potent factor in the deve-
"pment OF Corea and the king is said to be
in full sympathy with his Yankee ally, fa-
voring the building of railr ads, the deve
cpment of the mines, the opening of the
ports to foreign commerce and the teaching
Of the English language to the Coreans
Greathouse was said to have an interest in
mining in Corea and with the princely sal
airy he receives from the king (said to be
nearly 100000 Year, he was enabled to live
like lord. He did not affect the peculiar
oriental garb, the tripledecked headgear
and jade in which he was pictured by San
Francisco newspaper some years ago, but
always wore the plain dress of an Amer-
can citizen.
Mr.. Greathouse cared nothing for money
aside from what it would buy, and the life
of oriental ease and spendor which he led
in Seoul is said to have been very agreeable
to him. He was a singular compound of
clean-cut intelligence, great ability and
dreaminess.