The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1867-11-16

A coTresP0n dent Of the New York 7in44 ]
gives the following interesting accoup- 1.
The Japanese artisans in San Francisco -
8 The steamship Colorado brought over a
company Of Japanese performers, calling
themselves the Hs-ya-ta-kee troupe. During
the past week they have been htting up tn e
MetrOp0itaB Theatre in the simihtude OF q
Japanese temple, for the exhibition Of their
teats Of strength. II is said that the entire
company, even the workmen who are engaged
10 putting up the stage, belong 20 one fam
ily. IL Is curious sight TO see these Jap
snese carpenters at work. They use their
hands and toes ut the same time, the latter
being as handy as their fingers. At first
there seems to ne great advantage iu their
having four hands instead of two, and, al
though they seem b work with great rapid
ity, yet they do not accomplish one-half as
much az good American mechanic would
IN the same time. A Japanese carpenter
makes no use Of work-benehes or vices. ff
ne wants TO shanQTaa saw. be sqaats on his
hams, places the back Of the teol TO be ope.-
ted on on the ground, grips the end of the
saw with his left hand, scizes the other with
the toes Of his right foot, and goes 10 work.
Their tools are not ike American tools.
Trough they hsve slight similarity, show
ing that all toolf Mge ore common parent
age, whether th Inventor was TuhaI Cain
or some other art Ger. All Japanese ssws
are shaped like @ptcher's cleavers. The
handle Is like thF2 2andle OF q cleaver. but
hAttish, as if whi "A out CT a piece of inch
board the metal ank Of the saw is driven
into that handle, and the whole is secured by
being wrapped With foe split cane. The.
metal OF the saw 10 about the substance OF
our saws, but the teeth are narrower. giving
more Of them to an inch, aud much Logger
Fney are all pointed toward the handle. and
cut the wood like 80 many hooks. When q
Japanese wants to rip plank, be places Il
across anything which will elevate the end
few inches, tnen stands on the wJod and
cuts Il BY Sc zing the cieayer-ioOkins stw IN
both hands. and pulling 1t 10 gard him.
rhus, by number Of short, quick, ups.rokes
be gets through plank not so speedily, but
quite Is effectively, as Al American cxrpen
ter would with sh. sie#,-dewa stroke
Of the rip-saw. The "a are small, with
single lrons-no handles. The planes are
shorter, lighter, and the woed shallower
than ours, being generally nor more than az
i1cn deep. To plane piece Of weod, they
lay II on the ground, squat on fneir hams,
hold Il fist with their toes, and work the
plane with both hands toward them To
drill hole they have short awt inserted
IN round piece of stick eight or nine inches
long. They take the wood between their
toes, squat as before, and make the hole by
rubbing she handle Of the awl between theiE]
hands, in less time than one or eur carpen
ters could drill one with gimlet. Their
hammers are solid cylindFica pieces, not
made shapely with waists and graceful out
lines ike ours They have the same fat
sided handles as the SAWS. The Jxps. have
iron squares, not nrlike American squares.
marked with degrees, Their measures are
Ass, very light and futed. On one side
the inch, or what stands for the inch with
US, Is S-l6 inches, and divided irto ten
parts On the other side il drffsrent scale
measuring 1916 inchts, and divided into
twelve parts. Some Of their tools appear to
oe mere childreR's toys; tor instance, they
have smoothing plane two and one-haIf IN
ches long, one inch broad and half an inch
thick. Their chiseIs are light and small.
fhe cutting paris of some ara the sine and
shape OF a section Of half dollar--the square
side being the cutting edge, ard rvund
metal SHAFT connecting the convex sine with
. wooden handle. f'i ef~
" The most ingonious article in their tool
chest y acbs!k h0e. It is wooden cup
containing q spongy substance steeped in
Indian lax. fhi Ia pierced front and back.
and the marking lins passes shroagh il.
The cod OF the line In attached to smAls
awa; the other sad Of the line, after passing
through the cup, 10 wound round, . reel. nel
unlike fshing-rod reel, which takes the
place Of the hands q Of the cup. TO mara
lias dewu . plasl, ne Jspsasse csrpsntss
slicks tbs swi ja at ese end 1t Eshe psoposed
i.ne, carries the cnp . the other, the lins
paying Itself out = be does 10 ; be holds The
nne down 70 the board when be resches tbe
desired SPOT. ssFikssshssun61r md then ~ 81
sP nis cup and reels up ssosJioe ~ be wsIks
back 70 the spos whsret be ippertsd the awl.-
rhe process Of psyM: out ths line and q
fesiius Il up again bot1 draw Il through fhs
nk sapyiy in sAs.sup - skssp it rssdy fos
bctton-S fflE rat r. Ytas1s ~ 14t aIsJ = I