East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-03-15

Following is an extract from w. j.
Bryan's letter written to the Oregon
Sunday Journal from Korea:
Poor little Korea! One hardly
knows whether to be amused or griev-
ed, so strangely have comedy and
tragedy been blended in her history.
Mr.. Griffths, in his very compre-
hensive book bearing that title, calls
Korea the Hermit Nation, and the ap-
pellation was fitting one until with
in a generation. Since that time she
might be described as a bone of con-
tention, for she has been the cause of
several bloody quarrels.
The position of Korea On the map
of Asia very much resembles Florida's
position on the map of North Ameri-
ca, and Japan's relative position is
something like that which Cuba bears
to Florida. Separated on the south
from Japan by about 100 miles of
water and joining both China and
Russia on the north, it is not strange
that all three of these nations have
looked upon her with covetous eyes
and begrudged each other any ad-
vantage obtained. The surface of
| Korea is quite mountainous, the
ranges and valleys extending for the
most part from the northeast to the
southwest.
Until recently the country was in
accessible and few of the white race
have penetrated the interior. A few
years ago a railroad was built from
i nf La
nearest seaport. Since then the Jap
anese have built a road from Seoul
north to Peng Yang, and southeast to
Fusan. The last line, which has been
finished less than year, is 275 miles
long and connects the Korean capital
with the nearest seaport to Japan.
This railroad is of such great mill
tary importance to Japan that she
aided the building to the extent of
guaranteeing 8 per cent interest on
the investment for Is years with the
provision that the cost of the road
should not exceed 25,000,000 yen.
The Korean government gave the
right of way for the road and the free
admission of material imported for
its construction and equipment.
The engines and cars are of Amer
lean style and make and the road is
standard gauge. 1t is now so easy to
pass through Korea in going from
I 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 coun-
try and the people. The road crosses
three rivers and the watersheds which
separate them, making its construc-
tion extremely difficult.
The mountains are bare, and we
are informed that they had been de-
nuded by the natives and the wood
used for fuel. The Koreans some.
times blame the japanese for the ap-
pearance of the country and attribute
it to the invasion 800 years ago; al
intelligent son of Japan replied tina,
as his country recovered from earth
quake shocks within a few years, the
Koreans should have been able to re.
move the traces of an invasion in less
than three centuries.
The valleys are fertile, but in tillage
and in evidences of industry they dc
not approach the valleys of Japan
One misses the orchards, the trees
the vines and the flowers which arc
ever present in THE Land of the
Rising Sun"
Rice is the principal crop in the
south. while barley and wheat are
more cultivated in the north. Beans
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 export of this one ore amount
ed to nearly $4,000 last year, but tbs
country has been so isolated that its
mineral wealth has not been eXhaus'
lively explored.
The population of Korea is various
ly estimated from 100000 to $4,000
600. The men are larger than the
Japanese and somewhat lighter in
color but not so alert. Like the Pap
anese, they have rather a scanty
heard, but it seems to be more fash
ionable for the older men to allow
their chin whiskers to grow. In dres,
the Korean man is unique. He wears
a long white coat of thin cotton reach
ing TO the knees, with trousers gen
orally of white, very full in the seat
and tied oroupd tho ankles The vest