The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17

TTENT IS difficult 70 tell how many
te3fE Scouts. or capitals. Korea has
go had. 1t is a peculiar custom
sGTxfi which 10 nation has except little.
800 war-ravaged Korea. to have each
new dynasty found a new capital. The
present Seoul was founded in 1882 by the
dynasty Of which Emperor vi Hung is the
present representative.
a pleasing legend fingers yet with refer
ence to the founding of Korea's capital
When the present dynasty was established
the new King sent out three wise men to
locate the proper site for a new capital.
Like all wise men. they quarreled as they
Travelled, each disputing the opinion of
the others. One morning after a long.
wordy wrangle, they arose and started
on their way, when they saw in a valley a
great ring of snow. nine miles in circum-
ference. Heaven had interviewed to locate
the capital and it was instantly decided
that the walls must follow the snow line
near the river Han. where the walls of
Seoul were later built.
Like so many ancient capitals-Rome,
London, Paris. Athens, Picking, Jerusalem
Korea's capital was located inland, to
escape the ravages of pirates and enemies.
a good many Korean towns-according to
Koreans-are located on the backs of ami
mails, or in some equally strange situation.
but l have never heard that Seoul was so
located. 1t is a native belief that Ping
Yang, a city OF $1,000 people is situated in
the middle of a boat and If well is dug
the whole may pierce the bottom and scut-
tie the boat AS result, not a well is al
lowed in the town. and water is carried
from wells without the walls. While this
Is, of course. a drawback it compels the
people to use purer water than would
otherwise be the case.
Some of the terrible scourges that have
swept Seoul have come from the impure
water of the city wells. which receive
much of the surface drainage of the
crowded city. American engineering Skill
which has done much in Korea. is now
being directed toward alternating the dis
tress and sickness caused by poor water
The American promoters of the Seoul
Chemupo Railway have signed a contract
with the Korean government, involving a
sum greater than the cost of the railway
which. calls for a system of water works
which will supply the capital with water
pumped from the river Han, three miles
distant.
or in a boat, the Korean capital is GER
tainly beautifully located. like an eagles
nest hung between mountain peaks. On all
sides, except or the east. are mountain
ranges, resembling somewhat the peculiar
sharp-pointed hills to be found in the upper
Ohio valley. if only those hills ran straight
up two thousand feet and were of sold bare
rock
WALLS OF PROTECTION.
Before the days of modern warfare the
mountains were walls of protection, and
the city wall, thirty feet high, must have
made them almost impregnable The old
wall still surrounds the city, keeping guard
over the sea of roofs it incloses. and.
though tottering in some spots, it is still
thirty feet high in many places. From any
part of the city it be seen crawling
over the mountain or down the slopes like
a shaggy worm.
Nine gates. surmounted by Chinese roofs,
give access from without, into Seoul. On
the roofs of the gates sit the rows of clay
monkeys, life-size. which supposed to
keep the devils out of the city. The east
gate is the terminus of the Seoul-Chemul-
pc Railway and the Seoul Electric Rail-
way, also built by Americans and which
runs three miles through the capital and
thence three miles farther to the tomb of
Queen Min, who was murdered in 1895.
No sooner was her Majesty safely buried
only her little finger was left after the