The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-03-13
FUSAN STRAGET TIC
 POINT IN FAR EASl Is FIourishing Town With Man'
 Japanese Residents PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING Market Is Held Every Fifth Day, When Peasants Come in to Trade.
 Towns Future Depends
 on the War.
PEOPLE ARE INTERESTING

sesses, with the possible eAcepeioh o ~ sampho, the best harbor of which the "hermit Kingdom" can boast, 1t being well sheltered from the elements, protected py outlying forts from attack by the enemy's ships, and having roadstead or considerable area, in which fleet of moderate-sized warships may safely an- chor or manoeuvre.
 Fusan is the nearest Korean port to Japan, being but IS hours distant 3k steamship from Nagasak and, natur- ally. 1t will be one of the first of Japan's ! objective points upon the beginning of hostilities.
 It was the laying place for aggressive expeditions by the Japanese to Korea in the 18th and 16th centuries, and at the very outbreak of the Chinese-Japanese war, 10 years ago. Field Marshal Count Yanagata seized the port and held It and the approaches to 1t with 10000 Jap anese troops.
 Fusan Is one of the three Korean ports which were opened to the commerce of the world subsequent to the negotiation of treaties with Korea by Japan, the United States, Germany, Great Britain and other European nations between 1876 1 and 1884.
 Now a Japanese City. 1 To all intents and purposes Fusan is now a Japanese city. Besides the So00 or 900 permanent Japanese residents, there is floating population of almost ] as many more Japanese fishermen. The postal and telegraph service is in Jap anese hands. The Japanese consul gen. eral lives in the finest European-built house in the place.
 The foreign trade is principally con- trolled by Japanese, and the railroad, Just completed, was built by Japanese with Japanese capital. This road con- meets Fusan with Seoul, the Korean capital and It's construction involved the solution of most difficult engineering l problems
 For much of the way 1t runs through a wild and mountainous country. The building of it had been agitated for 20 years before the Japanese capitalists, | backed by the government undertook the task This railroad and the one run ming from Chemulpo, on the west coast. are the only ones connecting the capital city with the coast. If war comes, Japan will be fortunate in being in control of l both.
 In the short run from Nagasaki to | Fusan, the ilsand of Tsushima where all mail steamers calls affords your last glimpse of Japan and its temple-crowned heights, Its stately flights of stone steps leading to Shinto shrines in the woods, the blue-grem masses of it's pines and the golden p,umage of its bamboos em- phasize the effect produced by the brown, bare hills of Fusan, perhaps attractive enough In summer. but grim and for bidding on sunless February day.
 The temperature of Korea is more equable than that of the mainland near by, but such advantages as it has over northern China are mainly due to the effects of the southwest monsoon. Win ter weather is cold, even as far south as fusan, where the thermometer some times registers 5 degrees blow zero. Tn the Interior of Kienkgai province. not Tar from Seoul, the weather Is often much more severe. In northern Korea the rivers are frozen over at this lime or the year, and in the extreme south snow lies on the ground, as usual thing throughout the winter
 Forts and the Town.
 The island of Cholyongto. or Deer island as we would call it, known to the Japan ese as The Island of the Interrunted shadow" shelters the harbor of Fusan On its high and grassy slopes the Janan- ese government has erected or rather re- built and modernized, Qualifications osten. sibly for the good of Korea, but in real ity for its own use and advantage In the event of Its being involved in war. Japan also maintains coaling station and ma rine hospital on this island It is not Korea but Japan, which meets one on anchoring In Fusan harbor.
 The foreign settlement, dominated by steep bluff, has an ancient Buddhist fem l n a To of 1892 Fusan, part native, part foreign. lies along the shore and extends up the sides of the hills. It Is, on the whole fairly good looking Japanese town. If has substantial retaining and sea walls and drainage, lighting and road-making car ried on at municipal expene
 There is one wide street of Jananesa shops and various Angio-Japanese build ings built of wood, including two banks, club house and a consulate. Nearly all of the other streets, both in the Japanese and native quarters. are narrow and dirty.
 The houses are low novels. built of mud smeared watto without windows. with straw roofs having deep caves, a black smoke-hole in every wall two feet from the ground, and outside irregular ditches containing solid and liquid refuse Many dogs and blear-eyed children abound. the latter half-naked and scaly with dirt
 In the lower town there are a few quite pretentious Japanese shops, but a a rule the traders squat on the bare ground. surrounded by their wares, which are spread out on straw mats. Each vender has beside him a small head of "cash" an uncouth bronze coin, with square hole in the center The exchange value of this coin has varied greatly, sometimes 5000 of them passing for a gold dollar, while in recent years 800 of leash" have been worth as much as several thousand were twenty years ago.
 Market, Manners and Dress.
 A market Is held in Fusan every fifth day. There being practically no shops in the country, peasants come to Fusan to trade on market days. or depend on tray- cling pedlers, of which there are a large number wandering from place to place, carrying their packs on their backs.
 The province of Kyonsang, in which Flu san is situated, is said to be the most pop ulous in the country. and with the possi- ble exception of Chulla. the most prosper ous and fruitful. Barren as the hills around the city look, they are believed to be rich in minerals Gold has been found within fifty miles of Fusan. copper near by. and coal In abundance in the interior of the province.
 Tn manners Sand dress the natives of Kyongsang do not differ materially from those of other provinces of Korea. The average height of man Is feet AZ inches, but his white dress and high l crowned hat make him look much taller He is better set up than the Chinese or Japanese.
 Tn winter the men wear white cotton sleeved robes. huge trousers wadded like