The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-03-04
BY WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN.
copvrtOht; 1909, BY Joseph 3. BototsS'

1ccvrtohi IN oEsat Bntain--AH Rights Rasstesd'
Poor little Cereal One hardly knows
whether to be amused or gr1eved, 80
strangely have comedy and tragedy Deem
blended in her history.
Mr.. Grifathsi in his very comprehen-
sive book bearing that titles calls Corea
the Hermit Nation; and the appellation
was n fitting one until within a genera
ton. Since that time she might be de-
aoribed as q bone of contention, Tor she
has been the cause of several bloody quar-
rels.
The position Of Corea on the MAP OF Asia
very much resembles Florida's positlon
on the map Of North America, and p
relative position u something like That
which Cuba bears to Florida. Separated
on the south from Japan by about a hun-
dred miles Of water and joining both NINA
and Russia on the north, it Is not strange
that all three OF these nations have looked
upon her with covetous eyes and begruogeo
each other any advantag e obtained.
The surface of Corea is quite mountain
Gus, the ranges and valleys extending TOT
the most part from the northeast to the
southwest. Until recently the country was
inaccessible and few of the white race nave
penetrated the interior.
A few years ago a railroad was built
from Seoul thirty-fve miles west to Che
mulpo, the nearest seaport. Since then
the japanese have built a road from Seoul
north to Peng Yang, and southeast TO
Fusan.
BY Raj THROUGH coREA.
The last line; which has been finished
less than a year, is 275 miles long ana con-
neots the Corean capital with the nearest
A. I.-o. nhia ra tlrnaH ia NJ Gnph
great military importance to Japan that
she aided the building to the extent OF
guaranteeing 0 per cent. interest on the
investment for fifteen years, with the pro-
vision that the cost Of the road should not
exceed 25, 1000, 900 YEN.
The Corean Government gave the right
Of way for the road and the free admis-
sion Of material imported for its construc-
ton and equipment. The engines and
oars are of American style and make and
the road is standard gauge.
It Is now 30 easy to pass through Corea
IN going from Japan to Pekin that the
tourist should not miss its strange and
interesting sights, but the trip should be
made before November. We took the
train at Fusan and made the ride nearly
all the way in daylight, thus having an
opportunity to see both the country and
the people.
a. The road crosses three rivers and the
watersheds which separate them, making
ts construction extremely difficult. The
mountains are bare, and we were informed
that they had been denuded by the natives
and the wood used for fuel.
THE LAND RATHER BARREN.
The Coreans sometimes blame the Jap
--.-- D. kLo N ~ tho country
and attribute it to the INVASION 800 years
ago.; an intelligent son Of Japan replied
that as his country recovered from earth
quake shocks within a few years, the Coreans
: should have been able to remov the traces
Of an invasion in less than three centuries.
The valleys are fertile, but in tillage
and in evidences OF industry they do not
approach the valleys Of Japan. One misses
the orchards, the trees, the vines and the
flowers which are ever present in The
Land Of the Rising Sum-
Rice is the principal crop in the south,
while barley and wheat are more Guilt
waited In the north. Bean and peas are
also raised In large quantities and last year
constituted the chief article Of export. Rice,
while often the largest export, fell below
beans and peas that year and was closely
followed by hides and ginseng.
There are some gold mines, and the ex-
port of this ore amounted to nearly $50, 900
last year, but the country has been so
isolated that it's mineral wealth has not been
exhaustively explored.
MOURNING A PERMANENT OCCUPATION.
The population Of Corea is ~variously
estimated at from 5000, 900 to Is, 600, 900.
The men are larger than the Japanese
and somewhat lighter in color, but not so
alert. Like the Japanese they have rather
q scanty beard, but it seems to be more
fashionable for the older men to allow
their chin whiskers to grow.
In dress the Corean man is unique. He
wears a long, white coat of thin cotton
reaching to the knees, with trousers, gener-
ally Of white, very full in the seat and tied
around the ankles. The vest is Of red,
blue or green if he is not in mourning, but
mourning seems to be a permanent occupa-
ton in Corea.
1t was explained to us that white is the
color used for mourning, and that the
mourning period lasts three years. When
one of the royal family dies all Of the people
wear mourning for the full period, and
as they have sometimes had three royal
funerals within a decade, white came into
general use as a matter of economy.
The hats ordinarily worn are made Of wire
gauze, and, being only about a third as large
as our hats, they sit upon the top of the
bead without covering it, They have a
narrow brim of the same material and are
tied on with strings under the chin. These
hats are generally black, although different
colors may be seen upon the street; some
times an enormous straw hat is used for
mourning.
The unmarried men wear the hair in one
long braid like the Chinese pigtail, but
when one marries he combs his hair to the
top of his head and ties 1t in a stiff topknot,