The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-05-29
OSCAR KING DAVIS.

SPErIAL BY CABLE TO THE ST LOUIS RE
PUBLIC AND THE NEW YORK HERALD
Ping-Ysng, Korea. April "A, 1901 said
in Chinnampo that 1 would go 10 Ping
Yang. and here L am, but saying nothing
AT all about going back. 1t was a fine
thing TO go from Chinnampo To Ping
Yang because Ping-Sarg is on the way
to Anju. and. beyond Anju somewhere is
that elusive front We have been after for
long.
When they told US at headquarters in
Chinnampo that we would go on to Ping
Yang at once there was gnashing OF teeth
because the canteen steamer was not yet
arrived and she had. our horses and bag
gage. One can go to the front without
food: that is easy and has often been
done. But .C t. not too feasible to go
without horses when the walking is bad
and the front is 40 miles ahead OF You.
Therefore. II seemed wise TO wait for the
steamer with the beasts.
She came in the evening but the horses
were not landed until the next afternoon,
because there were no sampans large
enough for the debsrkation OF horses ex-
cept those owned by the army. and. they
Were busy dlScharsfag army stores
Then when they Were al last on land
again the poor horses when in great need
OF rest for a day or two after their long
Incarceration In the prison OF ships
hold. That made Il clear that we could
not start before the afternoon of the next
day, and then only for short march OF
five or six miles
Ny English friend. who typifies the
force that has made Britain great. having
coughed up a foundered pony in the will
derness OF the ocean village back Of the
settlement, declared for an advance. and
began It forthwith on his own. with his
interpreter riding behind on pony hired
for the special occasion and equipped
With square Korean pack saddle.
Thereupon MacHugh and 1 determined
n 1av- To-,
and once there to organize pack train
of our own and get along. leaving the can
leen to get up as soon as 1t could in It's
quarters TO which It and we wers as
signed.
Being transportation by water. there
ing all our baggage. and we smiled un-
ward.y at the thought Of the interest with
which the forceful Englishmen would
learn in Ping-Yang of our arrival and de-
parture In pursuit OF the front.
HOW IT RAINS IN KOREA.
Then it began to rain. 1t is no news,
but nevertheless a solemn fact. that there
IS rain and rain Some rain rains and
some driZZles. This rained. The many
starred heaven that had hung over US be-
came huge impenetrable black pail that
lowered threateningly Just overhead.
Darkness that was like tho haven of no
hope settled upon the streets of the set
the feeble gleam of q lantern animated by
a single candle, whose 1itfully sputterins
rays nickered across drpary. deserted
streets and along blank, hopeless walls.
Under foot there was nothing but water
and mud. thin. Shiny, treacherous mud.
that lay on the surface of the clay-made
and clay-paved Streets waiting whom #
might catch by the unwary heel and
sprawl at full length. Overhead nothing
but rain, driving. cold and sharp.
the sort Of rain that, when you are not
actuated 10y some great purpose or high
your clothes and makes your soul shiver
in its case.
The word from the steamship agent was
that we must he on board before 10
O'Clock. The ship vas to sail at midnight.
1t WAS but fve-hour run up the river TO
a o OciOck breakfast There were letters
10 write and some baggage TO overhaul
and arrangements to be made with the
canteen men for bringing over the horses,
30 that IL was after 5 when we were ready
to begin sending the baggage down to the
pier TO 90 aboard the ship.
We had sent out in good time for lot
or coolies and they were already hanging
around the house. The interpreter who I
had supervised their collection took stock |
or the baggage and decided that IL would I
take few more men to handle it. So he /
sent cut FOR more and Mac and Complet- |
ed our work and We're ready To 20.
Then we found that the coolies had al |
ready gone. One OF the other Interpreters,
who had not yet learned the important |
fact in an interpreters life-or in any /
body s-that TOO much zeal is oftentimes !
save money for his employer bv trying to 1
heat down the coolies charges for packing /
the baggage TO the pier to 81 cents PER /
man. There was no recovering them No |