The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-17
Seoul, Queerest of All Cities,
Is Now the Capital Of Little Korea
in Pleasing Legend
Wise Men Sent Bell
.CreatW alls for Protecto

mutilated body was set afire-than the royal
soothsayers were troubled with TumOr
that the grave site was an unlucky one,
and that the tomb ought to be removed
/ elsewhere. And the American company
which had built the electric railway to
the grave-a Mecca for koreans-were
likewise at sea over the possibility of
removal. and bent their energies to have
the sight declared lucky" The tomb was
not moved.
With the exception of its remarkable stu
alton amid mountain peaks and its ancient
wall. there is nothing Of great interest in
Seoul, though the curious may find much
that will attract and hold the attention.
There are no native buildings that are
worth mentioning. Even the palaces are
poor shacks OF buildings. one story high
and of no special beauty. The abandoned
kyUng-POk palace. in which Queen Min
was murdered, exhibited in a small way
Korean ornamentation of woodwork and
marble, but ii was nothing worth going far
out of the way to see.
The one building i'm Seoul which. in point
of prominence, overshadows all others-as
Washington's monument would tower
above the headStones in a country grave
yards the new Catholic Cathedral re-
Gently completed. The Methodist Episcopal
Church is a fine brick structure in the for
eign quarter of the city near the east
gate. The legation buildings modest
brick or wooden structures. The Amer
lean minister has been housed in a Korean
one-stOry house with a tiled roof.
Most of the streets of Seoul are narrow
little aisles. the low mud and stone houses.
about 5000 in number. abutting on the
cutters into which the 'chimneys" 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 financiers.
So far as there Is any system TO the
streets, they converge at the Bell place,
which is nominally the center of the city.
Here stands the Bell House, one of the
strange sights" of this strange old city.
Within low latticed building hangs the
famed bell of Seoul; the building measures
sixteen by twenty-fOur feet, and is slightly
over twelve feet high. The bell is eight
feet in diameter and ten feet high. These
measurements are exclusive OF the dragon
casting at the top and the heavy hang
ings.
The legend of the bell of Seoul, as told
by the American minister, DR.. Allen, states
that when the excavation for the walls of
Seoul going forward five centuries ago
workman unearthed an iron bell. The
King, Tai Jo founder of the present dynas-
", determined to cast a great bell accord
ing to the model of the little bell. Metal
was gathered from all portions Of the king
dom, but when the bell was cast it broke
as it was cooling. Again it was cast and
again it broke.
When all the soothsayers were attempting
to ascertain the reason for the unkindness
of the gods, one of the men who gathered
| metal told them that at certain place he
made a request of an old woman for metal
| for the Kings new bell.
II have metal" cried the old bag,
| "but take this and she reached to her
| back to unfasten baby she carried there
/, The man hurried away without her gift.
All agreed that the woman was a WITCH
and she was sent for. Again the metal
poured in the cauldron, but before
the bell was cast the witch threw into the
molten mass the child she had promised
When the babe fell headong it cried: En-
mile, Enmille' (Oh. my mother. oh, my
mOtherD.
The bell ruled the city for centuries. 1t
was struck with great beam, which hangs
on chains beside it. at O'Clock every night.
At that signal. which could be heard for
miles all men had to return to their homes,
! and every man found on the streets was
considered a thief and treated as such.
! Then the women of the capital were al
| lowed come forth and have the freedom
of the city
| The name of the bell is 'In Jung" which
means imam decides Ito go to bed. }
/ When the bell was sounded the city gates
were closed and many of the first foreigners
/ in Seoul had the delicious experience of
scaling the WALL if caught without the
| walls AT that hour. Nowadays, the curfew
| at does not ring, Korean women do not