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2nd. Tuesday. Beautiful. A glorious day.
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1. There is only one Japanese coal merchant in Seoul. He charges enormous prices for his coal. ＄14.00 for a ton of Peng-yang coal balls which are nothing more than mud balls covered with coal dust. ＄14 for 1 ton of Peng-yang coal ½ dust and ½ lump in contract, but all dust in reality. ＄15 for 1 ton of Japan coal－very inferior. Japanese in Corea are a bad lot to deal with.
5
After the war all the foreign trade in Seoul was for two years in the hand of Japanese. They had three general stores in Jung-dong. Where are they now? All have disappeared like a vision. On the other hand An-chong a Chinese store has retained all its customers all through the troublous times and is now doing a respectable business in the very place where three Japanese houses couldn't get a foothold. In business, Chinese beat Japanese all to pieces.
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2. It maddens me to see Coreans work or rather play at work. In building a wall around the new Palace, the foundation is being laid. To harden the ground, about 30 or more coolies are daily seen each with a stick. They stand in one place singing and shouting, joking and laughing while one of the gang beats the stick and leads the holloing. The sticks intended to harden the ground do not go up higher than an inch. Thus what one man can do well, thirty fellows do badly. What may be done in a week is played with for a month or so. What can be done with one dollar costs the King hundreds of dollars. Rotten, rotten, all is rotten!
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3. As to Jaisohn's ability and ambition there can be no question. He and I are, or may be said to be, on good terms. But if we were to meet tomorrow in a foreign city, unless my packet jingles with silver and gold dollars, he would pay no more attention to me than to a stranger. His friendship is a matter of business and not of sentiment. No wonder he gets on so well in the world.
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4. My uncle, now the magistrate of An-sung, is a thoroughly honest man. Besides, his stock of commonsense is full and well sorted. His magisterial career has been blameless in the sight of friends and foes. Robbers and highway men dare not go within his jurisdiction. He has a score of soldiers under him and they are a score of soldiers well disciplined. Sometime ago seven of his braves caught a gambler and took away some gold which he had. My uncle hearing of this threatened to court martial them. No entreaties could dissuade him from his stern purpose.
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So one morning, he gave orders to his soldiers to march out to the fair ground with the offenders. Thousands of people were collected to see the execution. When the hour came for carrying out the punishment, my uncle, in the sight of the immense congregation, pulled up his trousers and began to inflict severe blows on the calf of his legs saying that the disorderly conduct of his followers was, after all, the result of his mismanagement, and that as he couldn't bear to kill seven fellowmen for his own faults, he would punish himself. As blow after blow fell on his legs the soldiers－the offenders above all－and the people sent up an agonizing shout of admiration and of sympathy and several of the elders of the people rushed out of the crowd, came up to the platform and stayed my uncle's hand－while the soldiers wrote out a pledge to the effect that in case any of them should offend again, they would bear the heaviest penalty. Certainly this is a curious method of punishing offenders but perhaps the best way out of the difficulty in question.
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5. As I have no influence in the government, no influence worshippers come to see me. But lots of poor relatives come and ask for some money. A young man named Hong shows a deal of attention to me, calling me his elder brother on the ground that he is related to me through my great grand-mother, from whom he is removed only some 20 degrees.
11
6. A child is a model for selfishness. It cares for nobody but itself. Our Allen is gentle in the daytime. But during the night he wakes several times, disturbing the rest of the whole family with cries and yells.
14
Beginning from last Tuesday rain, rain, rain up to this morning.
15
Went out at 9 a.m. calling on different parties. Rain again in the afternoon. Returned home soaking wet.
16
Hear that yesterday, Cho Biung Sik, now the Minister of F.O. concluded a contract or treaty with Speyer to the effect that the management of all the branches of Corean finance should hence forward be in the hand of Russians.
17
Mr. Jordan begged Cho to postpone the signing of the contract for three days. Cho said he would report the same to His Majesty, but instead of going to the Palace he went to the house of Kim Hong Niuk with the seal of F.O. and there finished up the contract.
18
Speyer put Cho in the F.O. to do his bidding. Why should Cho act otherwise? Nobody is to be blamed but the Weak Man.
20
11th. Thursday. Pretty.
21
The Independent Club gave receptions today in honor of Dai-han(大韓) .
22
At 11 a public meeting, exclusively of Coreans, was held. The speakers were Cho Biong Sik, Yu Kui Huan and myself. Then refreshment.
23
At 4 p.m. a reception was given to the Foreign residents in Seoul in the Club hall. The American and the Japanese minsters were present. Neither Speyer, nor Jordan nor Krien nor De Plancey were out. Not a single Russian accepted the invitation. Not a foreigner responded to the toast.
24
Much discontent has been expressed of late of the traitorous manner in which Cho Biung Sik and Jung Nak Yong have handed over to Russia the sum and substance of Corea. In no other country would such men be safe a minute from the rough justice of the indignant populace. But in Corea these men are looked upon rather with envy than with indignation. The deplorable reasons for this may be found in following considerations.
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1. Long centuries of dependence on China has made Coreans think and feel that Corea can never be anything but a dependency of some great power. A Corean takes to national vassalage as naturally as a duck takes to water.
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2. Coreans did nothing in gaining the nominal independence which the country has enjoyed since the China－Japanese war. Comparatively few people know that Corea is now independent of China and fewer are those who care a cash for it.
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3. During and after the war, Japan for two years ruled Corea through a pro-Japanese Cabinet. There is, after all, nothing in what Russia demands which Japan did not set an example and precedence. Dose Russia control the army? So did Japan. Dose Russia want to control the finance and the customs? So did Japan. Does Russia make and unmake the Cabinet to suit its purposes? So did Japan. In other words, Cho Biung Sik and Jung Nak Yong are doing for Russia what Kim Hong Chip and Yu Kil Chun did for Japan.
28
4. For the past three years. Corea has been nominally independent. But can we name anything that has been done to set forth before the people the unmistakable advantages of independence and of reformation? Bribery, illegal taxes, capricious changes in the government, oppression, eunuchs, royal inspectors, intrigues, conspiracies, from one end of the year to the other. The people are in so miserable a condition of poverty and of slavery that they are willing to serve any master, be he Russian or Japanese or Hottentot who would give them security of life and property.
29
5. Five centuries of disgraceful Confucianism placing literati high in honors above the military profession, thus crushing out the only preservative influence of a semibarbarous nation－viz. the martial spirit.
30
The other night in speaking about Yi Wan Yong, Hutchison said: "I tell you he is very mean in money matters. I entertained his son at my table for some months, but Yi Wan Yong didn't pay a cent for it. Last year I gave him a new year present of 30 dollars' worth but in return he sent me hundred walnuts－which I am still keeping to remind me of his generosity."
33
At 5 p.m. went to the Palace. At 10 saw His Majesty and explained how my father has been maligned by the Royal Inspector. H.M. was very kind to me asking me questions concerning my house keeping－if I warmed rooms with stoves; whether my wife could eat Korean food; how many servants I kept; how much I paid each etc. etc.
34
Poor King! He is surrounded by hundreds of people who are hurrying him and his country to ruin. Yet what can be done with a gentleman for whom experience has no lessons; patriotism no meaning, and honesty no attractions? Woe unto the land whose destiny, has been placed in the hand of such a master. Every time I see His Majesty I feel like crying: for I love as well as pity him; but I can't get near him because I wouldn't lie and cheat him.
37
Up at 5 a.m. to attend the late Queen's funeral procession. What I saw and thought today.
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1. The procession left the Jung-dong Palace about 9 a.m. Long and big banners, each representing a trade guild, preceded all. Then the sedan chair which Her Majesty used to ride in on public occasions. Half a dozen of square yellow sedan chairs followed. Two pairs of Pang-sang-su or four fellows in ugly masks intended to drive away evil spirits. Eight wooden horses drawn on red painted carts. Then the bier, an immense oblong box painted in all the colors known to a Corean artist born on the shoulders of, say, 180 men in yellow. The coffin in the box. Two fellows stood at each end of the bier ringing a bell all the time. The bier was immediately preceded by a crowd of Palace maids in mourning attire mounted on ponies, wailing as they went. They were surrounded by a white curtain whose poles were held by a score of coolies.
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2. Two thousand coolies have been hired at the rate of 2 for a dollar, for the occasion under the name of 豫備兵 or "reserve." These coolies, dressed in tight trousers open wide where they ought to be closed, armed with rusty rifles which they used as sticks, were one of the innumerable evidences of the rottenness of the present administration.
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3. Two years and untold amount of money have been wasted in the elaborate preparations for this occassion. The disorder and confusion which reigned supereme in the procession sickened me. Puerility, emptiness and falsehood in every detail of the program which should have been characterized by orderliness and solemnity.
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4. Several hundred of acres were bought around the Royal Grave and ￥ 20,000.00 were spent in planting trees thereon, in the two years past. Not a single tree is alive now. Next Spring the rascals will again squeeze a large amount of money out under the same pretext of planting trees which never live!
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5. While the coffin was being taken out of the bier, a eunuch openly "sleeved" the fruits which were placed in front of the coffin. It maddened me to see this sacrilegious proceeding and if I had authority I would have given the rascal a lesson not to be easily forgotten.
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6. His Majesty came guarded by a number of Russian soldiers. Mu Ye Chung (武藝廳) , or Palace servants who attended the Imperial chair, ordered the Corean soliders on guard to turn round, facing the walls－lest they might see the Imperial face! Can anything more absurd be imagined? Oh for a thorough cleaning-out of these wretches who swarm the Palace. The disheartening truth of the business is that the King likes these wretches.
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7. Food was plentiful. Hundreds of tickets were given out to persons who had no business to be fed by the King. I could easily have gotten a meal ticket but, as I had no connection with service, I prefered to go hungry.
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8. Late in the evening, met Yi Wan Yong, An Kiung Soo and Han Kiu Sul. Accepting their invitation, went to the residence of one Mr. Cho Chin Tai near the East Gate. Had a splendid meal and rest.
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The remains of the late Empress were buried at about 7 a.m. Then series of sacrifices and wailing up to 2 p.m.
50
30th. Tuesday. Pretty.
51
At 2 p.m. attended the first anniversary of the Debating Society of the Pai Chai School. It started with 13 boys, now numbers nearly two hundred members. Jaisohn and I spoke. Jaisohn's address, as usual, was good. But he went too far when he said that one may kill his sovereign or his father for the maintenance of his rights.
52
After the meeting Jaisohn and I called on Yi Wang Yong. The following bit of Jaisohn's personal history interested me very much.
53
"In '84, Jaisohn said, when we, Kim O.K., Pak Y.H., Soh K.P. and I went to Japan after the coup d'état, Japanese gave us no assistance. Mr. Morse gave us ＄100.00 per month, but of this Kim O.K. took ＄70.00, leaving only ＄30.00 for us three. Such was our misery that the Japanese blankets which we had in common were full of vermin. Finally Kim left us entirely on the pretext of making a loan-raising tour. Soh K.P. and I made a secret arrangement to go to America. Pak Y.H. knowing this, begged us to take him with us. So we did."
54
"On arriving at San Francisco we rented nice apartments where we lived in a grand style exchanging calls with the swells of the city. One evening, after entertaining a number of prominent men, we told them our circumstances, suggesting that we should be grateful for some material help. The trick worked well, at least for the first instance. But of course we could not live on such tricks for any length of time. Besides, Pak Y.H. now free from the superior presence of Kim O.K., began to put on airs. This I wouldn't tolerate. So I left them and went to seek an employment in a furniture store kept by an Irishman. Thenceforth I had no more to do with them."
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"In Washington, I helped, out of my scanty store, Soh K.P. time and again. He was the laziest man I had ever seen, as careless of his money, whenever he got any, as if he were a millionaire. Pak Y.H. is the best of the lot, but he is an exceedingly cold-hearted man (薄情人) . Indebted though he was to me in money matters, he never wrote to me while I was in America. The late Queen gave 2,000.00 to Pak Y.H. to be sent me. Pak handed this sum to Soh K.P. thinking that Soh might be better able to transmit the same to me. But Soh sent me only ＄400.00 and 'ate up' the rest."
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