The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-17

buried-only her little finger was
left after the mutilated body was
set afire-than the royal soothsayers
we're troubled with a rumor that the
grave site was an unlucky one. ana
that the tomb ought to be removed
elsewhere. And the American com
pany which had built the electric rail-
way to the grave-a Mecca for Ko-
reans-were likewise at sea over the
possibility of a removal, and bent
their energies 10 have the sight de-
clared lucky" The tomb was not
moved.
A TumbIe-DOwn city.
With the exception of its remarka-
BILE situation amid mountain peaks ana
It's ancient wall, there Is nothing OF
great interest in Seoul, though the
curious may find much that Will at
tract and hold the attention. There
are no native buildings that are worm
mentioning. Even the palaces are
poor shacks of buildings. one story
high and of no special beauty. Inc
abandoned Kyung- Pok palace, In
which Queen Min was murdered. eX-
limited in a small way Korean orna-
mentation of woodwork and marble
but 1t was nothing worth going FAR
out OF the way to see.
The one building in Seoul which, In
others-as Washington's monument
would tower above the headstones in
country graveyard-is the new Cath
! ole Cathedral recently completed.
| The Methodist Episcopal Church is a
fine brick structure In the foreign
quarter of the city near the East Gate
The legation buildings are modest brick
or wooden structures. The American
minister has been housed in kore-
house with a tiled roof.
streets Are Narrow AisIes.
Most of the streets of Seoul are
narrow little aisles, the low mud and
stone houses. about $4,000 in number,
abutting on the cutters, into which
the "chlmneys" pour their smoke, the
stoves" in each house being under
| the stone floors. Several fine, wide
avenues through Seoul have been
opened by the customs department.,
which is in the hands of foreign ftnan-
! ciers.
So far as there is any system to
the streets they converge at the Bell
Place, which is nominaly the center
| of the city. Here stands the Bell
House, one of the strange sights"
| of this strange old city Within a
low Iatticed building hangs the famed
| Bell of Seoul; the building measures
Is by "a feet, and is slightly over II
feet high The bell is s feet in dame
ter and 10 feet high. These measure
ments are exclusive of the dragon
casting at the top and the heavy hang
ings.
Legend of the Bell.
The legend of the Bell of Seoul, as
told by the American Minister, DR..
Allen, states that when the excava-
ton for the walls of Seoul was going
forward five centuries ago workman
unearthed an iron bell. The King
Tai 10, founder of the present dynasty
determined to cast a great bell ac'
cording to the model of the little bell
Metal was gathered from all por
tions of the kingdom, but when thu
bell was cast 1t broke as 1t was cool
ing. Again 1t was cast and again i
broke.
When all the soothsayers were at
tempting to ascertain the reason fol
the unkindness of the gods, one o.
the men who gathered metal tolc
them that at a certain place he made
a request of an old woman for meta
for the Kings new bell.
II have no metal" cried the ole
bag, but take this" and she reached
TO her back to unfasten a baby she
carried there. The man hurried away
without her gift
witch, and she was sent for. Agar
the metal was poured in the cauldron
but before the bell was cast the witch
threw into the molten mass the chilc
she had promised. When the babe fel
headlong in cried: "Enmille, Enmille.
C'Oh, my mother! oh. my mother!",
Ruled for Centuries.
The bell ruled the city for centuries,
1t was struck with a great beam
which hangs on chains beside it, al
s o'clock every night. At tina
signal. which could be heard fol
miles. all men had to return to theil
homes, and every man found on the
streets was considered a thief and
treated as such. Then the women Of
the capital were allowed to come forth
and have the freedom of the city.
'Tn Jnns," "Mnn Decides"
The name OF the bell is I'm Jung,
which means Man Decides" Ito go t
bed). When the bell was sounded the
city gates were closed and many o.
the first foreigners in Seoul had the
delicious experience of scaling the wall
IL caught without the walls at thai
hour. Nowadays, the curfew at eigh
does not ring, Korean women do no
have the old-time privilege, and conse
quently only the old hays are seen up
on the streets unveiled The bell II
sounded now at midnight, and the
mothers that are wakeful press thei
babes more closely for they believe
the sound is the cry of the murdered
child-"Oh, mother mine!"
Comparatively speaking, Seoul is I
well-governed city. The head of TIL
municipal government is a governor
The city is fairly well policed by uni
formed policemen. A royal body guart
and several thousand Korean troop
are maintained on call in case of dan
ger. The shops of Seoul are uninterest
ing and the trade of the city unim
portant.
Havoc of Fires.
Fires are very destructive, as man.
of the stores and houses are straw
matched. Hundreds burn at one fire
IL the day or night is windy. The onl.
method Of heading off big fire is b.
pulling houses down. 1t Is believes
that "fire-imps" live in the mountain
around the city and now and then de
scend to feast on the houses Of tn
people. great fire once ravage'
Seoul, and its path included tn
Kyung-Pok Palace. After that it wa
decided that the "fire-imps" must b
restrained from insulting royalty Il
the future. The homes Of the Chic
Imp are in the mountains just mort
and south of Seoul, and as he passe,
from one home to the other he lef
ruin in his train.
THE trouble" writes Minister Al
len, was overcome by a clever expe
dent Two immense stone animal
were erected in the street in front O