The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-08-16
odist publishing plant is in process a

to the publication of tracts, papers
and other religious literature. The
Korean Religious Tract society, which
is one of the union enterprises. is
even getting out set of educational
primers. The Korean common peo-
pie have not been readers; so to the
missionaries has come the opportu-
nifty to quicken desire for reading
in the nation, to teach it to read, and
to create literature. There is little
or no evil reading matter to counter
act; the field is open for the mission
aries, and they are occupying it.
The demand for the Scriptures has
not yet been met fully, since the
Korean Christians are devoted Bible
students. The New Testament has
been put into the native tongue, and
board of translation is at work upon
the Old Testament. This matter Of
Bible translation, which is financed
and directed by the American and
British and Foreign Bible societies, is
considered of far reaching impor-
lance, inasmuch as it is done for all
the future. Owing to the lack of ma
tive words to express many religious
terms, a new Christian vocabular is
practically created.
The Cross on the Dance Hall.
The visible signs of Christianity
which the casual visitor may find in
Seoul would by no means tell the
whole story. On two hills outside the
old city walls (whose gates no longer
shut at curfew, as they did a few
years ago. may be seen imposing
Roman Catholic churches. The Meth.
odist church, not far from the Amer
lean legation, is also in western style.
as Is likewise the Anglican church.
One other large outbuilding on the
main street bears the sacred symbol
in the form usually seen over Protest
ant Episcopal churches; investigation
shows, however, that the building is
a low dance hall, the vilest resort in
the city. How it ever came to be
surmounted by cross nobody seems
able to explain.
The churches, for the most part
are in low one-story Korean buildings,
the exterior giving no adequate con-
ception of the seating capacity. The
Presbyterians have what they call a
Collegiate Church" 1t comprises
three congregations, meeting together
for a joint preaching service by
missionary in the afternoon. In the
morning Sunday schools are held,
more adults than children attending,
and in the evening the congregations
worship separately usually with
Korean preaching. Several of the
church buildings are too small to
hold the crowds in attendance. Union
services in English are held every
Sunday afternoon on the Methodist
compound.
The Methodist churches, like the
Presbyterians, are experiencing tre-
mendous growth. Rev. DR.. George
Heber Jones, pastor of the largest,
tells me that upon his recent return
from America he found no less than
800 probationers on the waiting list.
One Sunday of my sojourn in Seoul
one of the most notorious characters
in the city arose in the Methodist
church, and, confessing his sins,
asked to be admitted as a probation
er. He has been high Office holder
and a wealthy man; his eXtortions
had earned for him nickname which
DR.. Jones says can only be translated
as Min the cuss."
A Young Woman With Nerve.
A great deal of religious work in
the surrounding country centers in
Seoul. From this point many of the
missionaries who reside here go out
on their itinerating trips. 1t is sell
dom possible to find all the mission
aries at home at once. A newspaper
page could be filled with stories of
the experiences Of the itinerating mis-
sionarieS.
At little dinner party in Seoul I
CHANGED to be seated alongside of a
charmingly dressed young American
woman. Apropos of my tale of riding
II hours to Pyeng Yang in zero wealth
er in absolutely unheated cars, she
told how before the railway was run
ming she once started to come down
from Pyeng Yang to Seoul, in
Korean sampan filled with natives
There was only one room, no sleep
ing accommodations, and no privacy.
The boat was scheduled to start at
noon: by wild rush the missionary
arrived in time, and there she had
to stay until six o'clock the next
evening, expecting the boat to start
at every minute, and with no heat
and no food except Korean rice.
After that delay Of 80 hours came
the long ride down the ice-f1lled river.
This young woman, apropos of the
subject of foreigners feeling obliged
to travel armed, for fear of Japanese
coolies, related how in the earlier
days, when there was considerable
hostility to foreigners in the interior
of Korea, she was wont to examine
her revolver every night, in spectacu-
lar fashion, in order to impress che
natives, although she was as much
afraid of the weapon as they Once,
sojourning in an inn with an evil repu.
tation, she overheard an ominous con-