Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-07-29

l Nse 81 IVY tN'idutu iioii tht COUNCIL,
of men and is n person of no conse
quence during the pig-tail period of hi.
life.
Korea is the paradise OF guacks
AS medicine the ground skull of tigei
is high in favor for all ills, while
gingseng. pulverized horns of fawn
macerated spiders and similar mix
lures are consumed in great quantities
with trust and confidence in their yir
tues. In surgery their practice is lin
tied to the crudest operations.
Religion in Korea, as far as there
may be said to be any, is mod .led
on the Chinese patterns with such re-
suits as might be expected. Law and
the administration of Justice are utter.
| ly feeble and reeking with corruption.
The reins of government, rs In China,
are in the hands of class which, by
family tradition, lives by the shame
| less oppression and robbery Of the
| pc or.
Koreans are passionately devoted &c
| flowers. although comparatively few
have the means to indulge their taste
in this direction.
The land is generously blessed with
I animal life. There are no oxen. how
ever, and Koreans never use milk or
any of its products, The work is all
done by bullocks. which usually attain
magnificent development Without his
bullock the Korean would be helpless.
and this fact is cited to prove thas
the Koreans have never been nomad.
ic people
Korea produces no sheep. but none
in that country is so poor as not to
own at least one dog, No family
would be complete without dog.
Koreans unlike the Japanese. love
good FIRE when the chill blasts of
winter sweep across the barren coun.
try This fondness for warmth Is the
cause of that barren appearance which
so often has been referred to by tray
elers. The Koreans keep their forests
cut to the quick to provide fuel. whle
the canny Japs let their forest grow
and shiver.
Everyone smokes in Korea. Botn
men and women use pipes with tiny
metal bowl and stems so long that
generally assistance must be asked ~,
light them. AS they are fnveterate
mokers the greater part of the 10.
rean's day is consumed In loading
and lighting pipes.
The Koreans are essentially an agri-
cultural people. They come from
stock entirely different from their two
great neighbors, China the merchant
nation, and Japan. the fighting people.
They are undoubtedly of Turnnian
origin with strong admixture of Chi
nese and Manchu blood.
The Koreans are peaceful and hos
pitabe people, though they have
fought well and bravely when they
have had to fight. They seem to lack
the strain of fighting Malay blood
which is so strongly marked in the
composition Of the warlike Japanese.
Seoul. the capital, is all ancient wall
ed city built in a networks of hills
eighteen miles from the sea. 1t Is
fortified in the strongest fashion by
a system of smells that would drive
any but an Asiatic army gasping into
the sea. 1t is poor in appearance but
rich in neas. On autumn nights tigers
and other beasts of prey frequently
contest the right of way with belated
travellers in the streets.
The vista across the housetops of
Seoul Is one of appalling monotony.
All chlmneys empty into the narrow
streets about two feet from the ground
and at eventide when the good wives
start their fires the pail OF smoke and
ashes that settles upon the town would
make a London fog look like a section
of the cerulean blue. The one ad-
vantage of the smoke evil In Seoul
is It's ability to suppress the odors
which rise up from its dreadful thor
oughfares.
Seoul Is the home Of mourners. In
deed II may be said literally with the
scriptures that the mourners go about
the streets" When Korean is be-
reaved by the death OF a close rela-
tive he Is entitled to mourn his loss
for a period of three years, and dur
ing this time he is not expected to
perform any labor AS the average
male Korean processes of lofty scorn
for labor at any time, II is quite to be
expected that the period of woe Is
accepted with resignation II not en-
braced with JOY by nearly all.
The wall surrounding Seoul, from
which kites fly perennially, is a small
replica Of the great Chinese wall. The
traveller is welcomed at the west gate,
but should unfortunate chance delay
him until the sun has disappeared and
a big bell booms its warning note, he
must prepare to camp in the open
| until the morn brings the gatekeeper
back to his duty. Barring an occa-
slonal court pageant. Seoul is singu-
larry free from sights to interest the
tourist.
A Seoul bakeshop Is triumph of
cleanliness and altogether n unique
institution. OF course there is an oven.
Rice -four is dampened and kneaded
lnto dough. This mass is spread upon
"A block and two lusty men proceed
To treat II In n notindinp nroeego u,it n