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

have the old-time privilege. and conse-
quently only the old hays are seen upon
the streets unveiled. The bell is sounded
now at midnight. and the mothers that are
wakeful press their babes more closely,
for they believe the sound is the cry of the
murdered child-"Oh. mother mine!
Comparatively speaking. Seoul is a we'll
governed city. The head of the municipal
government is a governor The city Is
fairly we'll policed by uniformed police
men a royal body guard and several
on call in case of danger. The shops OF
Seoul are uninteresting and the trade OF
the city unimportant
Fires are very destructive, as many or
the stores and houses are straw thatched.
Hundreds burn at one fire, if the day or
night is windy. The only method of head
ing off a big fire is by pulling houses down.
1t is believed that "fre-imps" live in the
mountains around the city and now and
then descend to feast on the houses of the
people. A great fire once ravaged Seoul.
and it's path included the Kyung-Pok
palace. After that it was decided that the
'fire-imps" must be restrained from in
sulting royalty in the future. The homes
of the chief imp are in the mountains just
north and south of Seoul, and as he passed
from one home TO the other he left ruin
in his train.
TROUBLE OVERCOME.
"The trouble" writes Minister Allen,
was overcome by clever expedient Two
immense stone animals were erected in
the street in front OF the palace gate, with
their fierce angry faces pointed toward
the south, the quarter from which the fire
was supposed TO come. The presence of these
great and terribly fierce-looking images
has been ample protection for the palace,
while the fire god has been diverted from
his course over the south gate by building
a pond in front of it, which is kept filled
with water. the thing OF all others that the
fire god most abhorS
The marble pagoda of Seoul is one OF
the most striking monuments in all the far
East
1t is of white marble and comprises thir-
teen stories from top TO bottom. Ii stands
near the center of the city, but is hidden
by houses that have Crept close up about
il. The pagoda was sent by an Emperor OF
China at Marking to Ills daughter the
Queen Of Korea, about 200 years ago. 1t
rests on four fat stones six feet square
and two feet thick. Some OF the stories
are only foot in height; others are twice
as high. All are covered with Buddhistic
symbols and Inscriptions.
When the japanese invaded Korea three
hundred years ago, they appreciated this
beautiful monument and attempted TO take
1T to Japan. Finding the task much greater
than at first supposed after removing the
three upper stories, they gave up the at
tempt, and in anger bull. d great fire about
it. Beyond blackening the sides and crack
ing a few corners. no great harm was done.
The three upper stories still lie at the base
OF the pagoda.
The population of Seoul is estimated at
from a quarter of a million to half
million. 1t is probably about 100000. A
large Japanese settlement has grown up
in one quarter where the japanese lega-
ton is located. y large number of Chinese
live in Seoul The European colony num-
bers near two hundred souls. The Presby-
terrain and Methodist Episcopal mission
aries and teachers form large proportion
of this number.
While the eyes of the world are directed
to Seoul. it is wholly probable that the
foreigners there know exceedingly little
CT the war IN the midst of which they are
quietly living. The slow affairs OF the
strange city move on as they did through
out the centuries passed. The fine, sleek
bulls waddle under their great loads OF
wood. The shopkeepers stand by their little
stores smoking their two-foot pipes. The
multicolored children race UP and down
in their wooden shoes. The women peer
out from the black interiors of their homes
a word for which there Is no synonym in
the Korean language. The. policemen loaf
back and forth. avoiding all appearance OF
evil. The coolies chant at their work. The
donkeys bray at the palace gates. The ras-
cally Statesman" scheme fresh methods
of plumber, and the spring famines will
bring the annual spring riots, as has been
true since the time OF Christ.
DOWNRIGHT 1901 by Archer 3 HUBERT