Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1868-02-18
Wbiiol, Stateslllan.
FROM NEW YORK.
cors...lp,epd.pe. Of Ii. Ohio Statesman. j
I. NEW YORK. Feb. Is, 1856

A Japanese funeral is new incident |
in our western civilization. Ha-ya-ta- |
kee, chief of the troupe of Japanese
jugglers recently performing in this city,
died and was buried a few days ago,
according to the rites practiced by his
people. The body of the dead juggler
was wrapped in rich brocade silk, with
Jewels and trinkets scattered about his
breast and loins; his hair was shaved
from his temples, his teeth and nails
blackened, halfopened fan placed in
his left hand, and at the foot of tile
coffin, up to the time of the funeral,
stood cup of water. a cup Of rice and
a platter of soaked crackers. These
were designed for the use of the disem-
bodied spirit, which, according to the
Japanese belief, hovers for seven days
among the relatives of the deceased.
At the end of this period it enters, if
the life has been an evil one, into the
body of an inferior animal, but if pure
it occupies the tenement of a noble and
beautiful animal. Day and night, dur
ing the long watch betweenthe death and
the funeral the Japanese remained
around the body of their dead chief.
filing the air with lamentations, some.
times breaking out into chants, at 9TH
ers indulging in long. dismal howls.-
The room was scented with spices and
burnt eastern drugs. At the funeral the
Japanese mourners knelt around the
open grave in the snow. All threw
handfuls of earth upon the coffin, and
each brought away stone, or weed, or
bit of earth, as memento of the occa-
sion. Ha-ya-ta-kee was noble in his
own land-for nobility in japan is not
thought inconsistent with the profession
of charmer. He was the author of
number of Japanese dramas, and was
looked upon as man of mark aud
learning. siz2 ~ -
There is very great destitution in
New Y ork at present, and with it that
increase of crime which is always ex-
hibited in times of unusual poverty or
suffering. But the assertion, current in
some of the papers, that one out of every
seven of our population have during the
last year been committed to prison or
received charity at some of the public
institutions, is certainly an error. One
hundred and fifteen thousand is the ag-
gregate estimate of both these classes.
This immense number, it should be re-
membered by those whoquote the figures,
is swollen by the fact that one person
during year is often repeatedly an in
mate of our hospitals or the recipient of
our charities, and that even of those
committed to prison, a large number are
Ivagabonds who are continually up on
some petty charge or other. The same
thing occurs at the station houses, where,
according to reports, some hundred thou
sand people receives shelter every year.
And yet it is known that many Migrants
resort night after night to these retreats,
one homeless fellow thus counting in the
course of year as q score or SO. Fig
ures should always be read understand
ingly. The ferry companies report car
rying six millions of people between New
York and Brooklyn last year. Are we
to understand, therefore, that these two
cities have a population of that num-
ber? ~
/ 1t is understood that Alexander H.
Stephens, of confederate notoriety, is to
come to New York this spring and de-
liver, by special invitation, an address
on political and social affairs in the
South. The talents of this gentleman
are too striking and too well known for
him to fail to obtain crowded audiences.
am reminded by this announcement, of
! an anecdote concerning Mr.. Stephens,
reported to ME by one who was present.
Mr.. Stephens, as is well known, is very
small, weighing, indeed. only "a pounds.
On one occasion number of big Georgia
mountain men came into a political
meeting to hear him speak. One huge,
broad-shouldered giant could not restrain
his amazement when the diminutive ora
tor made his appearance, and he ex-
claimed: "That Alexander Fl. Stephens!
By jingo, if he was just CREASED behind
the ears, 1 could swallow him whole! !''
Mr.. Stephens overheard the remark.
"No doubt you could" said he. and il
you did, my friend, you would have more
brains in your stomach than you ever
had in your head" The retort, as may
be supposed, was eminently successful,
and was enjoyed by the .,victim5of it as
heartily as by the rest.
| We have some talk of grand cosmo.
politan festival, to come off next June,
| in which the singing societies, the rife
clubs, the orchestral armies of the old
world and the new, are to unite in New
York in a grand mammoth exhibition oi
skill. The cooperation of German
French, Swiss and Austrian societies
with those of all the American cities
has been invited. 1t is estimated that
this international gathering will assem-.
BILE fully $4,000 sharp-shooters and gym
nasts, vast number of choristers, and
several thousand orchestral performers
OF course, the festival will be largely
German in character, our friends of the
Father-land having a peculiar genius
and taste for outdoor celebrations of the
kind. We may look to, see a gathering
such as the history of our city has moi
hitherto chronicled. 1t is stated tha
the railroad and steamship companie.
promise to aid the enterprise by issuing
excursion tickets at low rates
Probably every one knows, that al
New York does business at the lowe
end Of the Island, and travels from two
to four miles to the other end in order
to reach its domiciles. The recent snow
has caused us, therefore, no little yexa
ton and Inconvenience. The railroad
tracks have been for several weeks par
italy showed under, and the travel has
been exceedingly difficult. Every morn
ling and night sees cars filed full o
men and women, drawn by horses tina
struggle, and pant, and sweat, ant
stumble, and sometimes drop prostrat.