Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-08-15
KOREA AND JAPAN
BY A. c. BAKER
Koreans an A' tive People. Flock
SO Close to d Trains That
Many G.o ed.
CHERRY BLOSSOM DA. q.
GREAT EVENT INs IAN
Dance is Performed by the Geisha
Girls, 80 Dancers and 20
Musicians.

1t is April 18th, and as our train
runs south from Seoul we see the IA
tives at their spring work. We travel
most of the way to Fusan in a valley
about the center of Korea. It is 2SS
miles to Fusan where we will take
the boat for Japan
1t is $3.50 and we ride out into the
valley and see the natives in their
white garments, their horsehair hat
and long pipe, either walking staight
like the American Indian or stolidly
staring into our coach.
Perhaps few of their peculiar
characteristics might be desirable to
mention.
A large number Of them you see
with hats made of bamboo, hats as
large as wash tub and looking like
an inverted butter bowl, their other
clothing other than hat, is white.
These are mourners for their dead;
they wear this kind of dress for three
years after a death among their rela-
tives. Their hat covers far down on
their face so you cannot see the up
per part.
SO ilquisitive are they that they
will stand so close 10 the train that
in coming into one station the car
struck one knocking him so hard that
he lay dying just out the window of
our car as we stopped at the station.
They. like the American Indian, of
whom they are no doubt she original
stock, as in Korean history they re-
late of over 200 boats that left for a
far east land and never returned and
. all characteristics point to these as
being the progenerators of the Amerii
can Indian. Like our Indian they
will enter into any foolish undertak-
ing if so advised and the Japs prey
upon their weakness in that respect,
influencing them to fool undertak-
ings.
They have great aride in their
birth and forget any qualification
other than an inherent one from their
birth.
An unmarried man must leave his
hair hanging and if he never marries
must continue this manner during
life.
The birthday of Buddha is cele-
brated about the first of May. In a
household where a son had been born
during the year, immense paper fish,
some of them twenty feet long, are
hung on poles near the house. bow
inserted in the mouth to keep 1t
open that the fish may constantly be
Inflated Many of these fish are. seen
in every community and as we were
just in season for the exhibition saw
them both there and in Japan where
the same practice is in vogue.
They sit upon the floor, the same
as the japanese, having no chairs.
Their houses are rooted first with a
covering of earth and above that
either tile or rice straw. House
snakes are very common living in
this dirt under the upper covering
and seldom do you find house not
infested with them.
The people use for conveying water
the kerosene cans that are shipped il
there by the Standard Oil Co. These
same Standard Oil Companies cans
/ have seen in every oriental country;
they are the principal water bucket.
A most interesting way of digging
a trench or lifting irrigating water is
the three man shovel as it is called.
From three to dozen men will op-
crate one of these shovels. One man
pulls ii back and number with two
ropes. one on either side, pull for
ward with a jerk throwing the water
or earth far ahead; by keeping up
this motion an immense amount Of
earth or water can be lifted.
You see the women angling the
cotton suits that they may have the
luster of silk and they do it so thor
oughly that one would be deceived
and think it really silk.
Their dishes are largely brass. they
cast it and afterward turn it in a
lathe smooth.
They never use milk, though they
have veyy good looking cows.
Where there are many sons in a
family, one is often made a eunuch
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