Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-01-27
ALLEN AND THE COREANS
Personality of American Minister te the "Ffermit NatiOn."

the Hermit NatiOn." The foremost personality in Kore. today is the American minister. H. N | Allen, says the Philadelphia Press. Th' story of his entrance upon the stage
 of Korean affairs and of his steady ad
 vancement in the favor of the people as well as in official position is as TO
 mantle as any of the better known sto ries of American enterprise, adventure and achievement.
 Minister Allen was born in Delaware
 O., In 1858 and when twentS three was
 graduated from Ohio Wesleyan univer sity. Two years later, in 1888, he mar
 ried classmate just preparatory tz setting out for China as Presby teriar
 missionary At this time Korea waa attracting considerable attention, fol her gates had just been opened to GOV tnzadon, she having remained ''the hermit nation" long after China and Japan had given up their exclusive. ness
 The young missionary doctor had not been long in China before he made his way down to Korea on tour of in spection at his own expense. Evident. ly he sent back favorable reports to his superior officers in New York, for in a short time he received a cablegram containing the single word "Korea.' s This he understood to mean that he should undertake to find a foothold In the capital of this ages old nation with it's avowed intolerance of Christianity. He was thus the first Protestant mis- sionary to Korea. The United States minister, General Foote, made him physician to the legation, thus giving him an excuse for remaining in Seoul which no KoreaN could sainsay.
 Two months later the young Ameri- cans opportunity came. An insurrec- tion broke out in Seoul, and six Ko- reans were murdered at an official din- ner party, and a seventh, a relative of the king and the most prominent of all, Prince Min Yong K, who had been Korean minister to this country, was badly wounded. Panic at once seized the city. Everybody began to look out for himself. Even General Foote and all the Europeans fled to ChemuIpo to kSs all except the young missionary doc tor. Within half an hour he was at the side of the wounded prince disregard ing all danger to himself /.
 He found thirteen Korean doctors gathered around about to pour black wax into the gaping wound. Dr. Allen pluckily withstood them all, while he tried what western science could do. While these looked on wondering he tied up the arteries and sewed up the wounds and continued his treatment until the prince got well.
 It was heroic thing for pr. and Mrs. Allen to remain where buildings were burning and bullets were whizNng through the streets and treason and fanatictsm were on every hand. Here Is what Dr. Allen wrote home at the time: Il came to do just such work. I can't leave these wounded people. We shall live in the legation, with the old flag flying, and trust the kind Father to care for us."
 The emperor of Korea in recognition of Dr. Aliens service. by which he had been converted to a belief in the use fulness of western knowledge, estab- hshed royal hospital, the 'tHouse of Civilized Virtue" with Dr. Allen in charge, the latter being still in the en- ploy of the Presbyterian board of for efgn missions. In this first institution of western civilization in Korea Dr. Allen, within a short time, was per forming half dozen or more opera tions every morning and mintstering to upward of 100 dispensary patients in the afternoon. The hospital itself ac- commodated forty patients.
 AS if to fix firmly the place of this skillful Yankee missionary in the royal favor the emperor himself fell sick. to be cured by pr. Allen. This gave him the title of court physician and a com manding position at the palace, which latter he has held to this day.
 Another evidence of the high favor in which he was held was his appoint ment by the direct wish of the emperor to be foreign secretary of the Korean embassy to the United States. He re- turned after a time to take up his rou- tine missionary work, but in 1900, with the consent of the missionary board, he was A1dAO 6CSISLAAy LII G4G OhIS0 States legation at Seoul. During the Worlds fair at Chicago he served as commissioner for Korea. In 1898 he was made charge d'affaires at Seoul by President Cleveland, and President Mckinley appointed him envoy ex- traordinary and minister plenipoten- tiary, which position he still holds.
 Minister Allen has identified himself with all the best interests of the coun- try, and he understands the native chara cter thoroughly. He has written a book upon Korea and its folklore as well as several papers dealing with scientific. historical and missionary subjects in connection with Korea.