The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1904-03-25
From The Far East.
Seonl. Corea, Jan. 3lst, lgOl.


My DEAR PARENTS
Your ALWAYS welcome letters reached
me to-day Just as ! was engaged in
writing YOU a short bit of information
I'm regard 10 my whereabouts. Also re-
ceiyed two letters from friends ia san
Francisco and Manila, and all read J
was AN exceedingly well pleased "hom-
bre."
You will. no doubt. be surprised 20
hear from me 1910 miles from last post.
but the fortunes of discomfort, instead
OF lcayingme IN the Philippines 20 bake
out what little grey matter ! have left,
have carried me to ice bound COrea. |
suppose you have read of the trouble
or will have ere this reaches you. The
entire population OF the country is I'm
open rebellion and, as a result, Ameri-
can interests and Americans are in a
precariOus condition, notably among
them being the seoul Electric Com
pany," the owners and families. 10 say
nothing Of the numerous missionaries
who are always causing trouble for
the American Government. If they
would stay at home and try 20 allevi-
ate the suffering Of the poor devils
who constitute the population of the
slums of our large American cities,
they would do much better. At any
price they are nuisance.
They are queer people, these Cor
cans. They hate civilization in any
form and do their level best 20 keep IL
out of their country. and make all kinds
of trouble for the street railway in
Seoul. The mere glimpse of an electric
car is the signal for ridicule and some
times violence. At $40 Am, the 10Th,
we received message TO the effect that
there was trouble on the line about
mile or more from the power house
where we are stationed, and in just -
minutes 23 OF us had boarded car aud
were on the spot with our rifles and 100
rounds each. 10 was fun 10 see the
mob scatter when our car loaded with
blue uniforms sailed into them and the
sight that met our wondering gaze was
one that | shall not forget for some
time. \ COrean had been run over by
a car, there ne lay, cut into bits and the
car pulled from the track 10y the infuri
ated mob and partially destroyed.
They drove the COrean mOtOrman from
the car and were trying go kill him
when we arrived on the scene and put
a stop 10 the proceedings. When | saw
the size of the crowd was rather du.
make ourselves felt, but the moment
we tumbled out of our "war car" as we
call il, | read the true nature of the
Corean. The mob was from 500 90 600
strong and after we had been there 3
minutes there was not one within
range. They are lot of religious
fanatics, and worse than that-a lot OF
towards,
| was on duty on q car last night,
and as the car rounded a corner "A
shower Of stones struck IL, breaking 10
and striking few who were inside. |
was one of the lucky ones. Didn't get
! hit We have great time with them
and enjoy IL. About the only danger
there is at present Is danger Of being
attacked while alone on n car or on the
streets but we keep our weather eye
on them aud IL they start anything
there will be fun for us. but not for
them. We are 100 strong, and are I'm
two parties, 90 at the offices and power
house OF the Electric Company and 30
at the American Legation guarding
| the L. :. Consul.
The only thing we fear is that the
devils will cut some of the trolley wires
and the live wires will get beyond con.
troll M the streets II they do as they
have threatened IL will mean 200 20 800
dead Coreans as the charged wires will
instantly founder about the streets
where they are cut aud are certain
death 10 every one they touch. The
worst part Of 10 is, the poor ignorant
fools don't know what electricity will
do, and IL some Of them are killed 10y il
the others will probably cause serious
trouble, but we are prepared for any
thing that turns mp. We have mount
ed Colts automatic gun. good for 400
shots per minute, on tine tower of one
of our buildings and they had better
keep 10 their mud huts. The gen can
sweep the entire city. The COrean King
has an army Of over 2O,OO0 soldiers but
| Is afraid To issue any ammunition 90
them for fear they will kill him or fight
among themselves. 10 is common
thing for Us 90 see them fight with fixed
/ bayonets. The death rate I'm his army
ranges from to ~ every day as the
result of duels and stone fights with
their own comrades. The king has not
been outside his palace gates for nearly
three years His own people would
kill him aud don't want HIM for their
king. but are too ignorant and stupid
TO take legislative steps TO Gust him
from office.
Well, 90 drop the topic Of war, how
do you prosper at homer | suppose
you have made many changes in the
house and I'm n great many other ways.
| am enjoying good health and ] truly
appreciate the change of climate. The