The Paducah evening sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1906-1929, 1907-07-25

.llesa oppression ana robbery or the
,lpoor
II Koreans are passionately devoted
to flowers, although comparatively
few have the means to indulge their
taste in this direction.
The land is generously blessed
With animal life. There are no oxen,
however. 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 that the Koreans have
never been A nomadic 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 a dog.
Koreans, unlike the japanese, love
a good fire when the chill blasts of
winter sweep across tae barren coun-
try. This fondness for warmth is the
cause Of that barren appearance
which so often has been referred to
by travellers. The Koreans keep their
forests cut to the quick to provide
fuel, while the canny Japs let their
forests grow and SILVER
Every one smokes in Korea. Both
men and women use pipes with IA
tiny metal bowl and stems so long
that generally assistance must be
asked to light them. AS they are
inveterate smokers the greater part
of the Koreans day is consumed in
loading and lighting pipes
The Koreans are essentially an
agricultural people. They come from
a stock entirely different from their
two great neighbors, China the mer-
chant nation, and Japan the fighting
people. They are undoubtedly of
lTuranian origin with a strong admix-
ture OF Chinese and Manchu blood.
The Koreans are peaceful and
hospitable 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 an ancient
walled city built in a network 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. II is poor in appearance but
rich in neas. On autumn nights
tigers and other beasts of prey fire.
quently contest the right of way with
belated travellers in the streets.
The vista across the housetops of
Seoul is one of appalling monotony.
All chimneys 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 advantage of the
smoke evil in Seoul is its ability to-
suppress the odors which rise up
from It's dreadful thoroughfares.
Seoul is the home of mourners
Indeed it may be said literally with
the scriptures that "the mourners go
about the streets" When a Korean
is bereaved by the death of a close
relative he is entitled to mourn his
loss for a period of three years, and
during this time he IS not expected
to perform any labor. AS the aver
Iage male Korean processes of lofty
scorn for labor at any time, it isl
quite to be expected that the period
of woe is accepted with resignation
if not embraced with JOY by nearly
Jail.
The wall surrounding Seoul, from
which kites ny perenlally, 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 me morn br.nss the gate
keeper back 20 his duty Barring an
occasional court pageant 4Seoul is sin
|gularly free from sights to interest
the tourist.
A Seoul bakeshop is a triumph of
cleanliness and altogether a unique
institution. OF course there is an
oven Rice -four is dampened and
kneaded into dough This mass is
spread upon a block and two lusty
men proceed to treat It to a pound
ling process with heavy wooden mauls
While this is being done an elderly
assistant dips his hands into water
and performs the somewhat hazard
Gus feat of keeping the dough moist
by patting it between the blows of the