Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-02-04
BY Stephen BOnssll.

- IN years ago the rare traveller
from the Mountainous West, WI
traversed the Sea OF Japan and
auded upon the shores of Corea.
hen known. and correctly known,
he Hermit Klugdom. it he
preferred not to be classed with
Baron Muncnausen and Lemuel CULVER,
Esq. had to ne very careful about the
letters ne wrote home. For Corea was
thea and is really to-day a country which
in this sce7lc4l age could not be taken
on faith. You nave to see the place and
its extraordinary inhabitants for yourself
and even then for season at least you
are inclined 10 distrust your eyes
Il was tie Hermit Kingdom for the for
eisners. and when you remember that
ninety per cent Of the outsiders who came
TO ChGsen came with n desire 20 loot the
royal ronbs which were supposed TO be
the storehouse of fabulous riches. yor
will understand In measure at least why
The Corogrs referred to feast by them
selves. But the intimate and aTectionate
name for this strange and most innroh3 Die
country was Land or the Morn NJ SIN
ness or Calm'-qu.ta as much a misnom =. +
BY the way, as the name given by the FORE
eign devils. for Corea within the measure /
able reaches OF history never has been
really quiet but only apparently 50.
W'o.s IN Afr ctio4.
In this farewell to Corea shall only deal
with certain phases Of court life which
came under my observation and have
nothing 20 say about the working classes.
though dare say they existed; only when
we had any work to do in Corea We in
trusted Il to rowing bands OF Chinese
coolies The few wise men versed in the
Corean language all agree in saying that
the word for work or labor Is synonymous
of great grief, dire afilicton or appalling
misfortune. 50 you see how embed led In
the rock Of language was the national att-
tude OF the people on the labor question. a
point Of view or racial trait which I'M
doubtedly accounts for he general eclipse
of the people. who whether they wanted
10 or not. were compelled to live in this
workaday world
Another Characteristic OF the Coreans
which has helped to their undoing as
nation was the fact that they were guided
wholly by precedent. In omparison with
these conservatives the Chinese are a pro-
gressive people. When a new situation pre-
scented they did not cope with It in the
light of the day they were living. but were
guided entirely by the old saws and the
ancient maxims Of wise men who had been
dead thousand years or so. A striking IT,
lustration OF this national trait was fur
nished In the matter OF their wearing ap-
parel. which was changed according 10 an
ancient calendar and without any regard
to the temperature Of the day.
Land of Er're77eS
Corea Is a land of great extremes OF heat
and cold and the man who drafted the
calendar by which all clothing IS changed.
though a Chinese sage. It is said. was no;
success as a weather prophet, unless as
some maintain, the climate in the course
OF the hundreds OF years which have
elapsed, has changed. When the calendar
announces now begins the period OF great
est cold the conservative Corean. al
though the air may be soft and balmy
pads out his white garments with six or
seven thicknesses OF cotton waddiug untI'
the thin man becomes a fat man ana the
stout party swells up to such enornou,
size as to block up the streets when NJ
walks or, rather rolls abroad Again
though spring and early summer NAV hay,
come and the heat prevailing be almos
tropical, the Corean swelters about in hi,
Waooed clothing in persplring veneratior
OF MS hereditary calendar.
The yangbans, or those eligible to big,
once, who also had their place AZ tho ey
elusive court. were an extraordinarv nc,
OF people. with ideals diametricaliv on
posed to those honored In our intense an,
strenuous world. Feeble enough the,
were, both mentally and pbvsfcalI,. =,
yet not quite the utter incompetsnts ~,
StroVe to appear. A vaughan only VAIL,
"hen ne had to. and that was A., oarta Z,
precincts OF the palace approaching H.
Corean Sedan Chairs.
Here he maintained a Staggering noi,
sanS.n, was contrIved with the purpose O
conveying TO all beholders the imnressiot
that ne had never walked before in v,bic
he generally succeeded. AT the nnn,, RI
DOCK, on the edge OF the charmed cour
circle, where neither quadrupeds nor bear
ing coohes might enter, he would fan N
moment exhausted into the arms OF n
attendants. by whom he would be lai
with care into Corean version OF a seda
chalr, or placed upon the back of his pom,
wnere ne would assume the general sea
ana bearing of bag Of meal The larges
size Corean pony Is about three feet higl
but the vaughan, once mounted spare
no EFFORT TO demonstrate his physical II
competence. one and sometimes two a
tendanis led the pony by the nosehan
and the bride, while on either side of h
saddle the courter was supported bv al
Other stalwart slave. Should the yangba
stumble OF fall. whether riding or walkn
j; was quite job TO get him upon his fe'
yain. He might give directions 20 n
servants and slaves as TO the method the
should pursue in propping him up but he
himself he would not, as that would ha'
been bad form.
TAe day before | reached Seoul the ca
ital and chief city of this whimsical rae
on my first visit there now nearly {,
years ago, the palace was in a turmoil b
cause The Queen, IN, had been murder
he night before. The japanese. as an u
on ,ial result OF their successful war wi
China, had taken possession OF Corea, al
me Queen opposed their high hand
measures with considerable ability I
japanese Minister at the coIrt, in conjun
ton with her father-in-law. a grim hgul
known and feared throughout COrea as Z
Prince Parent, had hired band OF Japa
csc desperadoes and japanese soldiers
kin her-a dastardly crime in which IN
were only too successful.
The Diplomatic Corps, OF which at +,
time the American Minister was the dea
did what little they could 10 comfort t