Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-06-12

I the government under the direction of
1.-The Japanese. and in addition many
private schools At this athletic exlli-4
Sbition the girls ranged i'll age from to.
\ 16, and they went through their exer-5
5cises in sight of an invited crowd OF
Koreans of both sexes. Many OF them
came from well-to-do families. and
their sisters, cousins and aunts We're
present to see them. The most of these
had cloaks or wells OF some kind on
other over their faces. but the girls
themselves had no such covering and
they exercised without shame.
In the past the women of Korea have
been almost entirely uneducated, and
today those OF the higher class are
just beginning to send their children TO
school. The lower and middle class.
women have sent their children to the
mission schools for u number OF years,
and for this reason many of the teach-
ers in the girls, schools which contain.
the children Of the nobility as Well as
other girls, are of the lower classes.
This is not so of the higher school,.
founded by Lady ON for girls OF the
upper crust 1t Is composed of daush-
tiers OF the vaughan or mobiles. There
is also a school for girls established by
this same consort of the retired enlpel-t
or, which has only the daughters OF
the middle class. Both schools are g ~
Ing a foreign education to their pupils
and are doing great good.
ABOUT LADY ON.
Just here wish to say a few words
about Lady ON. Until the abdication
OF the emperor in 1907 she was the
leading lady oil this land and as such
did&lnuci for her sex While not 1.-THE
empress by actual marriage, she was
practically 50 to all intents and pur-
poses. She is the old emperof's fay
oritc concubine, or consort. as she
is called by the japanese. under, :,
stand his majesty is true to her. ana
that she allows no others of the ladies'
in-waiting about the court to come
near him. She is the mother of the
crown prince, who is now being edu ,,
Gated In Japan, and as such she VIII
probably maintain her influence even
after that of the old emperor; mas
become less than 1t is now.
Lady ON came into the palace
when she was girl as one of the
court women. one story states that
she started in as hairdresser. but
this is denied. She is not pretty. but
Very clever, and the queen of Korea,
who was assassinated by the Japanese.
took her up and made much of her.
She liked her cleverness, and she also
liked her homely appearance, as she
thought that would be an obstacle 70
any8love for her on the part of the
king, who afterward became emperor.
AS the story goes, the king aPpre-
ciated cleverness as we'll as beauty.
He cast sleeps eyes at Lady On,
Notwithstanding the presence of her
majesty, and, as result, Lady ON
had to flee for her life. She left the
palace and remained away until after
the queen was assassinated, and then
came back to be the consort OF his
oil n mr. know
self had anything to do with the selec-
ton Of the crown prince as the success
gsora OF the present emperor of Korea.
but I doubt not she aided in the 3manip-
lgulation. This boy is only IL or l.
years of age, and he was chosen py
| was an older son of the emperor by
| another mistress. Prince Euiwha Is
1.-THE young. fellow who ran away from
| Korea to the United States and re-
! ceived some education there. Hc
| first went to school at Delaware. Ohio.
and afterward TO little aeademy, 4. a. !
salem, Va He fully. expected to be his
| fathers successor but Prince Ito has
set him aside, and he is now living
| quietly here. The little prince, the
| son OF Lady ON, is exceedingly bright
and he will undoubtedly be the next
| emperor.
| AS to Lady Om's schools she estab-
iJlSileU lucse sOilit tus,'f t'iiN
been supporting them out of her private
lspurse She had plenty Of money UP to
I, the time the old emperor was retired,
| but her funds and those of the emperor
were then reduced and she has now
barely enough for her necessities. Find
ling that she could not continue the sup-
| ply for her school from her. own purse,
| she made over certain rice lands which
| had been given to her from those be-
longing to the crown, saying that their
J leve11ues would ibe enough to sup