The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1905-02-16
Extracts Of Letters from Elizabeth
Carson, Missionary at Taiku,
Korea,

Il .
aries on board the same ship, the very
agreeable acquaintances and doubtless
life long friendships formed, of how the
time passed while three weeks crossing
the ocean, sights at Honolulu and A1oa
kohoma, she says, Nov. 90 l9U4:: -
arrived about one O'clock yesterday,
Saturday. on construction train. Its
was sport the last thirty miles over the
mountains, seated on top.of some iron.
spans on a fiat car il charge of bridge
builders. At the station the Bible
woman and several Christians met us;
they were accompanied by halfa doz-
en- boys from the school who were as.
eager to do something for the mission
aries as Juniors at home. The Adams
children bearing the flag met us out
side the compound bringing letters of
greeting
Taiku is walled city, the cap, ess of
the province; it has 5000 people and
is composed of huts. A Korean town
ls always in the valley. Our mission
compound is on bill outside the city
walls, and made up of thiee houses and
the hospital, all built in the Korean
style of architecture. Each house has
six rooms and also a garden affordIng
fruit and vegetables. Living here is
much more comfortable than | had
supposed it would be. / have large,
airy room aud we'll lighted study in
the home of Rev and Mrs. II. M. Bru
en-. attended church this morning;
about loo present, 4l of them women,
who crowded around me and made
manifest their appreciation at my pres
ence. My special designation here is
the single lady,"
In another letter she writes: Sin
Japan they were very careful to make
stricr investigation of our health, but
not so in Korea saw a company Of
soldiers marching down street and the
band played marching through Geor-
gia.' AT one harbor saw two torpedo
boats black with soldiers. Qua boats
guarded the harbors and Notifications
froWned from all the hills forbidding
even kodaks. The harbors are also
mined. There are 40 drs Us astkt
rea; jicky men carry every thing. 1t
inust have been hare: work bringing
our big trunks over the mountains on
their backs. There are no roads, only
foot-paths everywhere ami oh such
stony paths. < Today is market day
and from the upstairs window we can
see the market place swarming with
people all moving slowly about, and we
can hear the roar of confused sounds
- am so glad this is sunshiny
land, quite like our own Dakota"
Dec. 4, 1904, she writes. "The wealth
er IS ideal here, like October, sun shiny
and bright. took long tramp over
the hills yesterday. My language
work has not progressed very rapidly;
| have changed leachers several times
and been without some. Excused my
teacher one day that he might go t."
the country on business and the next
day he sent me word he had to offer
rice at an ancestors grave. I have
learned to count to ten and can find
the place now in the hymnaI and BIZ
BILE. Some of these Korean Christians
will walk ten miles to get to keep sun
day with the Taiku church.
AT a native wedding last week had
a chance to try Korean food, which I
hope will not come again soon, though
senior missionaries say eating with
them carries great weight; but 1 can
not bear the sight of some of their deli
cacies. have seen several funeral
professions; they have all sorts of gay
trappings for the bier and sing dirge
as they move along the way, the
m0urneTs following clad il coarse cloth
and wearing great hats on their heads
to shut out view of the offended heay-
en-. Korea is one huge graveyard; ev-
cry where you go graves may be seen;
the larger the mound the richer the
deceased; paupers are not buried at all,
simply wrapped in straw and thrown
away. ! he graves seldom have Inonu
ments though the better class may.
haye a huge gray slab or pi,ar at one
end, all grown over with llchens.
The barley fields are getting green.
Rice Is the other chief crop and the
fields are cut up with small patches
very irregular 10 shape a dirt embank-
ment being between to aid in keeping
them flooded. The mission conf
pound is on a hill considerably above
the town yet itseems low very in COM
parison with the surrounding noun
tains. We have no dead level out here
to grow monotonons. Plenty of ups
and downs in life if nothing more than
up and down over a grave mound
Thank God with me for giving me q
share III his work and such a lovely
! place in which tn workm