The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-05-11

SloN1Et y WAS S1
dressed that he would not have ap-
peared out of place at a diplomats
reception at the White House.
When I met the Crown Prince at
my last audience he wore a long gown
Oh red silk. with a stiff. hoop-like belt
amin around his body. under the
arm-plts. It was 81 large that it ex-
tended out six inches from the dress
all u The belt had decorations
OF jade and precious stones and it was
a mark OF high rank. His gown was
high at the neck and embroidered with
medallions as big around as a tea
plate. There was one of these on each
OF the shoulders and one each side
about the fifth rib. HIS feet were
shod with heavy cloth boots and his
head was covered with a heavy blue
cap of horsehair net. which was at
least five inches high. This had no
brim and it came we'll down over his
Inside the cap l could see
his top-knot. His majesty then wore
his hair long and put it uu IN Korean
style on his crown. Today the barber
keeps it cut to the length Of TWO inch
IS. or less. and the horsehair a has
disappeared, while in place of the
gown he wears a foreign dress.
During my audience in 1894 this
young man, who was then twenty
one, was supposed 60 be too holy 10
stand alone. and he had 3 eunuck On
each SIDE of him who held him up
by placing their hands under his
arms While he talked. His father. who
then kinS Of Korea. had the same sort
OF support when ! appeared before
him. and at that time no prince or
noble of high rank walked without
having servants on Fac side 20 help
hin along. If he Wen upon horse
back, there was a man on each side
of the pony to hold his leSs in place
and keep him from falling. These
eunuchs were almost as ~Sorgeously
dressed as the crown prince. They
wore hats and gowns and big boots
and had great sold embroidered
quares on their chests and backs. The
highest Of them had golden buttons
behind their right ears, attached to
their head-gear. and they had long
wings on each side of their caps,
which stood ou' like ears. denoring
that their owners We're always listen
ing for the commands Of the king.
There was nothing Of the kind in our
interview today, and the audience. all
told, was not different from that of
the principal courts of Europe, and
the dress Of the officials and OF his
majesty was about the same.
The Emperor and the athletes.
It seems to me that the emperor is
much brighter today than when | saw
him as crown prince. The japanese
officials tell me he appears 10 he wax
ing up. and that he shows more and
more ability from day to day. The
japanese are ruling the emperor
through his cabinet, but there arr
many papers he has to sign and some
documents which require his Officials
emotion. He has been taken out OF
the palace and has visited one or two
oI the nearby towns. He does some
things which show the existence of
F., II, or IN Iic ploLo-r,n mo BIO ic onN
ious to know what is going on in
the country. The other day, for in
stance. there was an exhibition of ath-
letic sports here in Scout in which all
the s~ciloolboyS took part. There were
tot races and other contests, with ap-
propriate prizes, ana the people in
general came out to see. About ten
thousand We're present, and the en-
perOr, hearing of them, ordered the
prize winners to be brought to thu
palace 10 run before him. AS they
did so. he was delighted and laughed
and applauded. At the close of the
races be ordered his highest court Of
ficials TO come out and run a rae
among themselves. Many Of these
men are bic fellows, accustomed to
being held up by the arms, as 1 have
described.
Some had never done a stroke of
work in their lives. and none had
Yer run before. They tried to beg
off. and one or two attempted to hide
They We're all dragged out, however,
and made to rum, while his majesty
uprOariously laughed.
The New Palaces.
After leaving his majesty 7 met tn
vice minister of the household de
partment, who has charge Of all the
palaces of Seoul, and is practically
the business manager and advisor Of
the emperor. We went together
through the audience hall which is
being repaired, and afterward
the museum which the Japa-
nese have established in one of the
old balace buildings, and h zoologi-
cal garden, where his majesty has a
tiger, a camel, and the beginning Of
a collection of the Korean auna. The
audience hall is several hundred years
old. It is one of the finest buildings