Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 117, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 16 May 1916 — Korea's Old Capital [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Korea's Old Capital

SEOUL, the old capital of Korea, is undergoing changes. Until recently its wall was intact and gave a picturesqueness to the city pleasing to western eyes. There were eight gates —four of them larger than the others and facing the cardinal points. The main street of the city ran from the east to the west gates and from the south to the north. At their intersection stood the old bell, which was struck at intervals through the day—at 6 in the morning, at noon, at 6 at night, at 9 and then at midnight, writes Frederick Starr in the Chicago News.

The bell, like most conspicuous objects in Korea, had a story and its sound in the ears of many was a wail of terror. They say that when the bell was to be made it was a matter of public interest and of popular contribution. Everyone gave something to its make-up. Mirrors, rings, ornaments, coins, all were given to the melting pot. When finally the day came for its casting, a great crowd gathered. The metal was finally molten ready to be run. The word was given and the hot liquid was poured into the mold. When it was somewhat cooled the casting was uncovered bit by bit, and, 10, it was imperfect! Broken to pieces, it was again molten on another day and again it was flawed. A third time the mishap occurred and the people were well-nigh discouraged at the evil omen. The master workman ordered a final trial. Again the crowd assembled, again the broken fragments, submitted to the heat, gradually melted until the crucial moment was near. At that instant an unknown woman of the common people pressed through the crowd, her baby in her arms; coming to the pot of molten metal, she cried, “But you have not yet my contribution,’’ raised the baby and hurled it into the seething mass. The moment had come for the pouring and before the cry of horror had died away upon the lips of the crowd, the signal was given and the hot metal flowed down into the mold. When it was uncovered the bell emerged perfect; the sacrifice had been effective; but through the years mothers at the stroke of the old bell have heard in it the wailing of the child, shrieking, “Oh, mother, my mother!” When Women Walk Abroad.

li\ the old days, and not so very long ago,' the bell gave the signal for various movements. Women, save the most common and rustic, were not permitted freely on the streets. From midnight to noon and from noon to 9 at night, men and boys were free to roam, but women and girls were expected to keep indoors. But when the old bell struck at the hour of 9, men and boys betook themselves to their houses and females were privileged to walk the streets till the midnight bell drove them home.

Those days are past, but even today few women are seen upon the streets, and those of any social standing have the face almost concealed. The covering's curious. It is apparently a garment for the upper body, with neck space and sleeves, but it is not worn as such, but only laid upon the head, with sleeves dangling at the sides, back falling capelike over the shoulders and the front coming down on both sides of the face, nearly concealing it In Seoul this garment is regularly of a dull green cloth. To an extraordinary degree Seoul is a city of bridges. Not that it is intersected by rivers or important streams; there are only small brooks or canals within the city. Nor do these canals make the city a Venice. There are no gondolas here. But by the scant water in these streams women squat ti throngs,, doing laundry, work. The water often i- far from clean, but what does that matter? The worker uses a little wooden club or paddle and beats t£e clothing upon flat stones. Garments to be laundered are usually ripped along the seams, the pieces washed, and-then again put together

after the work is done. The bridges are usually of stone, well built and durable. No mortar or cement seems to be used, but the cut stones are fitted rather carefully. On many of the bridges in the city stone pillars are carved to grotesque animal forms at the top. The royal palaces have seen their days of glory. The one most used by the late king was the north palace. Some of the buildings are gone, some are neglected. The two most interesting were the great audience hall and the pavilion by the lotus pond. Approach to the audience hall was strictly regulated. There were nine grades of officers, each with two degrees. The paved way leading up to the audience hall was evenly spaced by pairs of stone posts, one on either side, eighteen pairs in all; each pair indicated the distance to which one grade of official might approach on occasions of ceremony. The pavilion is a large rectangular building, open at the, sides below; the floor of the second story is supported by metal capped granite columns, typical Korean construction,— Here in good weather the ruler and his guests enjoyed music and dancing and the beauties of the fine lotus pond. This year these palace grounds were utilized for the notable industrial exhibition, commemorating and illustrating five years of the new administration of the country. Useful Btone Monsters. The old gate of entrance fb the palace grounds still stands, facing south. From it leads a straight wide avenue at the sides of which are two strange stone monsters, worship of which would surely break no commandment of the decalogue. These uncouth creatures have a story, of course. It seems that when this north palace was first built it was damaged by fire coming from the south. By the way, north in Korea is the best quarter; it is beneficent. Repairing the damage was time wasted; fire came again and again. At last these stone monsters were constructed and set up facing the south point of danger. From that time on the danger ceased. With Japanese influence, immigration, administration, there has grown up within the city a definite Japanese section. Japan street is strongly characteristic. The change is instant. One passes from Korea to Japan in a moment’s time. Dress, language, aspect, shops, goods, movements, mannersall are different.

With the Japanese has come the jinrikisha vogue. On the whole the Korean has not taken very kindly to the little cart. Korean Shop Displays. In the old days the few wide streets of Seoul were crowded by the shops. All the early visitors dilate upon this and find it disagreeable. Korean shops, like oriental shops in general, are open to the losses and the : shopkeeper mourns his once proud display. The shops are not as a whole of great interest. There are shoe shopß, hat shops, basket shops, seed and grain shops, and the like. These are true selling shops. Then there are carpenter shops and coffin shops and tinners’ chimney shops, where the work goes on as well as sales. One of the most curious is the wedding and funeral outfitter’s. His is a rental, not a sales place. It is only a few feet in frontage -and here the stock still encroaches on the street. Here are the things necessary for the two great family ceremonies. Here are great wooden candles, carved with dragons, birds and flowers, all g&udy with painting; here are wooden geese —the goose being a symbol of conjugal happiness; here are the two boys, “heavenly messengers,’' bringing felicity; here are bbttbiiileilfl chains for ancestral spirits to occupy on anniversaries. Inside are other things—all to rent cheaply, alwayß in evidence, though perhaps more so at the New Tear season (Feb, 4 this year) than at other-times. ‘

THE ROOFS OF SEOUL