744
SEOUL
houses. A long main street, about 100 feet wide, running east and west, divides the city into two nearly equal portions. In the northern half are the walled inclosures containing the King's Palace and the more important public buildings. A street about 50 feet widle intersects the main street at right angles, dividing the northern half of the city into eastern and western quarters. At the point of intersection stands a pavilion called Chong-kak (the "Bell Kiosk "), from a large bell, about seven feet high, which is placed there. This spot is regarded as the centre of the city; and from it another street, as wide as the main street, branches off to the south-west. The four wide streets which thus radiate from the "Bell Kiosk" are known as the four Chong-ro or “Bell roads."
Another conspicuous feature of this central part of the city is the row of large warehouses, two storeys high, the lower portions of which are divided off into little shops, opening into a small courtyard instead of facing the street. The width of the main streets was formerly much reduced by the construction in front of nearly every house of a rude wooden shanty used for a workshop or for business purposes, which gave the streets a poor and squalid appearance, but some of the principal streets have now been cleared of these unsightly obstructions, and the people are gradually being taught the benefits of good roads and clean surroundings. A spacious market place has been erected in one of the busiest parts of the city, and arrangements are being made for establishing two or three others at suitable centres.
An annual appro- priation of $50,000 has been made by the Finance Department for the maintenance and improvement of the roads. The shops are small and unattractive, and contain no articles de luze or curios. The population of the city is about 200,000. About 20,000 Japanese reside in Seoul and about 3,000 Chinese. An electric railway, running for three miles along the main streets of Seoul and thence three or four miles into the country, was opened in 1899, and one extends to Riong-san and Mokpo. A railway connects Chemulpo with Seoul, and another line connects the city with Fusan.
DIRECTORY
GOVERNMENT-GENERAL OF CHOSEN
Governor-General--Viscount General Terauchi
Administrative Superintendent-
President of Land Investigation Bureau--I. Yamagata
President of Central Council-
Military Attaché to the Governor-General-Major-General H. Ishii
Naval Attaché to the Governor-General-Captain Tonami Private Secretary to the Governor-General-out H. Kodama
Director of Judicial Department.--Dr. Y. | Do. of Police Affairs Department - Major-
Kuratomi
Do. of Investigation Bureau--Y. Ishizuka | Do. of Financial Dept.--K. Arai Do. of Department of Agriculture, Com-
merce and Industry –J. Kiuchi Do. of Communications Bureau-J.
Ikeda
Do. of Internal Affairs Department-
K. Usami
Do. of General Affairs Department-
C. Ariyoshi
Do. of Foreign Affairs
Komatsu
Bureau-M.
Do, of Forestry Bureau-Col. Z. Tokio Do. of Railway Bureau-Dr. G. Ohya
General M. Akashi
GOVERNORS Keiki-do-N. Iligaki Keishonan-do-T. Kagawa Keishohoku-do-Yi Chinho Heiannan-do-B. Matsunaga Heianhoku-do T. Kawakami Kokai-do-Cho Ueimun
Zenrahoku-do-Yi Tuwhang
Zenranan-do-T, Nose
Chuseinan-do—T. Suzuki
Chuseinan-do-Pak Chungyang
Kogan-do-Yi Kiuwan
Kankyohoku-do—T. Takei Kankyonan-do-Sin Eungkeui