Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-02-28
Consul General Allen Wants
Special Building For Himself
HAS TO ENTER DOORS SIDEWAYS.

DiMculties of Our Representative 1t
Seoul to Accommodate Himself to
His Pygmy Quarters-House OF Rep
resentatives May Be Divided Over
Odd Measure Appropriating Money.
There is some danger Of the house Of
representatives being divided into tall
and short factions, as result OF an ap-
plication, made by Consul General AL
len, the American representative at
Seoul, Korea, says the New York
Times. The tall men are disposed to
champion Mr.. Allen, while the short
men look upon the relief he asks as the
first step in legislation for the benefit
of tall men, who, they think, are al
ready sufficiently. favored by nature
without calling In the aid Of legisla-
ton.
Mr.. Allen, 1t should be promised, is a
very tall man. How much over six
feet he is cannot be definitely ascer-
tanned, but an acquaintance of his in
the state department., to whom recourse
was had for information, says that
Mr.. Allen looks like "a parallel Of
longitude"
The worst of 1t is that Mr.. Allen is
also tall sideways. He has the mis-
fortune to represent the United States
in a country where all the inhabitants
are lilliputians In Korea tall man is
suspected Of being an ogre. The Ko-
reans build their houses to accommo-
date themselves and not to accommo-
date diplomats from Brobdingnagian
states. To Mr.. Allen the most often
sive feature Of his pygmy house in
Seoul is the doorway, which is built in
proportion to the house and is four
feet high. When he enters this door,
Mr.. Allen has to go in doubled up like
jackknife. The Koreans are not
only short, but slim, and as the door
ways are built to accommodate slim
people, Mr.. Allen has to go in side
ways.
Mr.. Allen set forth his complaint in
communication to the state depart.
ment, in which he asked that build
ing be erected in Seoul especially for
him, so that he could properly uphold
the dignity of the United States, in
stead of exciting the derision Of the
people among whom his lot was cast
by entering his demesne like a round
shOuldered crab.
In this communication Mr.. Allen
stated that his official residence was
just opposite his palace, so that his
humiliating position was doubly &C.
centuated. He said that he had to bend
over when he entered his doorway.
When he got inside the house. he de-
clared in his communication, he could
not stand up if he had his hat on.
He estimated the cost of new build
ing at $4,000. Secretary Hay Endorsed
his application, and it was sent to con-
gress with the departmental approval.
An appropriation of 100000 has &C.
cordingly been asked for. Congress
views the matter with various feelings.
The tall men are q unit for the meas
ure, but the short men view it with
suspicion as the entering wedge Of
flood of bills in the interest of their
long fellow citizens.
The tallest man in the house Is the
Hon. Cyrus A. Sulloway of New Hamp-
shire, who is so many inches over six
feet in height that he cannot count
them.
81 strongly sympathize with this
proposition" said Mr.. Sulloway, in dis
cussing Mr.. Aliens needs, "and l be-
lieve that we should go further than
even the secretary of state desires in
providing Mr.. Allen with accommoda-
tons in which he can uphold the dig
nifty Of the United States In spirit I
am with Mr.. Allen, but as to the pre-
else nature of the remedy differ with
Mr.. Hay 1t isn't new legation build
ing this gentleman needs. It's barn.
And I'll vote him barn any time. OF
course, his head might occasionally get
among the rafters, but ceiling isn't
all rafters, and he could use judgment
in picking his position"
Samuel w. Smith of Michigan, the
smallest man in the house. took diff
ferent view Of the matter.
II consider this proposition an out
rage" said he. at is special legisla
tion-class legislation. What has ever
been done for us small men? Take my
case. When l am standing up, the
speaker thinks am sitting down and
fails to recognize the gentleman from
Michigan. When l am sitting down,
my feet don't touch the floor, and be-
cause of this my feet go to sleep.
Hence large part of the time that
should be devoted to public business
Is spent in trying to wake up my feet.
"Now, If this appropriation goes
through for forty thousand dollar
building for the consul general at Seoul
I shall Immediately introduce meas