The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-02-28
OF KOREA IS A
 MAN BUT LITTLE KNOWN

1 anti-foreign crusade which was broken down by combined pressure of the for | eign powers.
 Present King Is Small.
 The present king is described by one who has seen him as little. man, stout, I and somewhat unhealthy looking. He smiles amiablys and constantly, but does not look very clever. Another writer as~ serts that he Is welh informed for a man who has-xnevar --ssne beyond the sight of the walls of his capital and de- clsres that he is an intelligent man, who reads nothing but Chinese but is con stantly endeavoringA to learn all he can by hearsay of what Is going on in the world. He questions every diplomat and traveller who comes in his way. Seen in his audience hali, he looks ridiculously small and insignificant. This is not al- together because of his law stature. But because the audience chamber is a large one, and the king is always seen alone. His court is truly Oriental many re- spects. He has several hundred wives. According to report, however there was period of many years during which he might as well not have had them so far as enjoying their society was concerned During that time he was henpecked man indeed, being under the thumb of wife No. l, the Queen. A few years ago re- ports came thickly from Seoul that she had been murdered by band of con spirators, who had the sympathy of the Japanese government, their object being to remove him from the dominion of a power which was antagonstic. It was never proved that Japan had anything 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 the timber conces- sions which contributed to the disagree ment between Japan and Russia
 Until 1897 the ruler of Korea was only a King, acknowledging the suzerainty of the emperor of China. Taking advantage of the opportunity provided by the out come of the Chinese-Japanese war, he in that year declared his country an em- pire and himself an emperor
 European notions have crept into the country and the European dress is not 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 garbed in such a fashion as permits them to do little fighting if need be.
 Does Not Know Streets.
 The emperor does not even know the streets of his capital. He thinks he does Five times year makes a progress through the chief street wide thorough fare, winch is carefully prepared for the event and therefore presents fair ap- pearance when he traverses it. He does not know that all the other streets are narrow and dirty. and that even this street on ordinary days is crowded on either side with the merchandise of street merchants. These pageants leave the an- nual displays of the greatest show on earth" and the Lord Mayors parade in London far in the shade They are some what shabby, but gorgeous in color. On these occasions the emperor rides in a chair carried by a host of bearers He himself is adorned beyond the lilies of the field in magnificence
 eOwng to the fear of revolutions, the em- peror sleeps In the daytime and turns the night, when revolutions in Korea are sprung, into day. A story is told of one occasion when he was trying a new bed ---and did not sleep in it for funny req son. He thought he would like to have on the palace grounds a house built and furnished like a European house. One was duly built and the bed was com pleted with pillows. bolster and linen sloets-all of which were unknown to. Koreans. One cold day he decided to sleep in the new bed He unoressed and popped in between the sheets. No sooner was he in than he sprang out again with yell. An attendant threw a ban- ket around him and he fled from the house never to enter 1t again Koreans usually go to bed fully disrobed When the bare skin of the royal parsonage touched the cold sheets he received shock which he never forgot.