Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-04-13
AN UNCOMFORTABLE KING
The Ruler Of Corea Has Anythins
But Pleasant Time Running
His Queer Kingdom.

Ii Hi, Lii Hsi, Ii HOui, Vi Hieung, tt
Houi, or whatever the name of the ruler
OF the Hermit Kingdom" with ths
soothing name Of The Land of ths
Morning Calm" may be, just now is in
the unenviaple position OF a kernel cl
grain between two giant millstones.
While Corea is in this MONDAY oil
trouble through the jealousy of hel
neighbors, Russia and Japan, it is quit,
possible that the little emperor of the
country, whose name is SO little known
to the outside world that encyclopaedia
makers and writers mention him as he
Ruler of Corea," knows little about the
fighting which is going on about his ears.
He is almost as much of a prisoner as
the pope, says the New York Tribune,
and knows less Of what goes on outside
the walls of his home 1t is said that he
has never travelled more than Is miles
beyond the walls of Seoul, and this dis
lance only once, when he visited certain
of the tombs of his ancestors.
The uncertain named ruler was not
ben an heir to the throne. His uncle
his predecessor, died in 1854 without is.
sue, and he was selected by the queen
1oWager to succeed at the age of Il
years. During his minority his father,
TAI Wen Kun, was regent, and a wicked
Did regent he was. He ruled with great
severity, and was responsible for the
furious persecution of the Christian
missionaries which induced the French
government to send an expedition into
the country in 1866. He was also re-
sponsible for the frantic anti-fOreign
crusade which was broken down by COM
pined pressure of the foreign powers.
The present king is described by one
| Who has seen him as little man, stout,
and somewhat unhealthy looking. He
smiles amiably and constantly, but does
| cot look very clever. Another writer
asserts that he is we'll Informed for Q
| man who has never gone beyond the
| sight Of the walls Of his capital, and de-
| ,lares that he is an intelligent man
| who reads nothing but Chinese. but is
| constantly endeayOrirg TO learn all he
| can by hearsay Of what is going on in
| the world. He questions every diplom II
! and traveller who comes in his way. Seer
In his audience hall, he looks ridiculous
| " small and insignificant. This is rot
| altogether because of his low stature
but because the audience chamber is a
| large one, and the king is always seen
| alone.
His court is truly oriental in many re.
spects. He has several hundred wives
According to report, however, there wa;
a period Of many years during which hs
might as well not have had them so far
as enjoying their society was concerned
During that time he was henpecEee
man indeed. being under the thumb Of
| wife No. 1, the queen. A few years age
| reports came thickly from Seoul thai
she had been murdered by bard OF
co2spirators, who had the sympathy OF
| the japanese government, their Objeci
being TO remove him from the dominion
| of power which was antagonistic. II
was never proved that Japan had any
| thing to do with this attack. The King
escaped from the palace and received
shelter in the Russian legation. While
he was there the Russians obtained tbs
timber concessions which contributed to
the disagreement between Japan and
Russia
Until 1897 the ruler of Corea was only
king, acknowledging the suzerainty
Of the emperor of China. Taking advan.
tage of the opportunity provided by the
outcome of the Chinese-Japanes war.
he in that year declared his country az
empire and himself an emperor
| European notions have crept into the
country and the European dress is rot
an unusual sight in these days. Indeed.
contact with the outside world has re-
suited in the modernization of the dress
of the soldiers, so that they are now
CARRIED in such fashion as permits them
to do little fighting if need be.
The emperor does not even know the
streets of his capital. He thinks he does.
Five times a year he makes progress
through the chief street, wide thor
oughfare, which is carefully prepared
for the event and therefore presents a
fair appearance when he traverses it.
He does not know that all the other
streets are narrow and dirty, and thss
even this street on ordinary days is
crowded on either side with the mer-
chandise of street merchants. These
pageants leave the annual displays OF the
greatest show OF earth" and the lord
mayors parade in London far in the
shade. They are somewhat shabby, but
gorgeous In color. On these occasions