Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-24
japanese House-Bnllders In Phila.
delphiA.

His Imperial Majesty, the Mikado Of
Japan. through his deputies, . squad Of
japanese mechanics, has begun operations
on the slope of Georges hin upon bam-
boo structure, to be used. as q dwelling
during the Centennial by His Majesty's
commissioners and exhibitors. There are
twelve sturdy Jap artisans, some clad in
American costume from the neck upward
and others from the ankle down. the in
tervening space being covered with close
fitting tights of blue stuff for the legs and
great baggy tunics Of the same color and
material reaching to the middle of the
thigh and girdled at the waist with what
seph's coat. On the back and on the
breast of the tunic is shield like patch,
as large as the head of . nail keg, covered
with fiTe-cracker hieroglyphics, indicat-
ing the rank and family of the wearer
These Japs in their own country rank
seventh in caste, the grades being Is fol-
lows: Princes, priests, soldiers, civil of.
ficials, traders, artisans and laborers. A
few days ago the foreman, who seemed to
be mandarin, as his shield patches were
Of unusual size and he wore no hat. spent
much of his time in saving nails, while
strapping up something like fence to
keep bad Mclean boys from running
away with the cases Of bamboo, which
weigh about half ton each. There are
number of trees about the place, and,
rs these saved posts, the Japs made their
rails stretch toward every available tree.
The foreman took bits OF rope made Of
Japanese grass, and began fastening the
rails with them to the trees, turning now
and then look of Celestial scorn upon
certain oficious ignoramuses who offered
him few nails, which they had begged
at Queen Victoria's houses, to win the IA
vor OF the Mikado's mandarin foreman.
Many a scramble there was among grave
gentlemen and mirthful boys anxious to
grab up fragment Of the grass rope to
preserve it rs Japanese relic of the Cen.
tennial. But the most curious part of the
days work was the driving of number
of piles, each six feet long and ten inches
in diameter, upon which is TO rest, like n
corn crib, q rectangular structure eighty
four by forty four feet, and in general APP
pearance like She pictures of japanese
houses that children see in their primers.
The way In which the Japs managed the
pile driving brought many a burst Of
laughter from the bystanders. They had
portable tripod, about twenty feet high,
with two fixed pulleys under the apex,
from which was suspended by grass
rope cylindrical iron hammer, weighing
800 pounds. Six Japs on each side Of
the machine seize grass rope which
passes over one of the pulleys, the fore.
man stands to one side, holds up his tore.
finger, closes one eye, and then apparent.
ly not satisfied with this, picks up short
stick, holds il in a vertical position be-
a AM tyhg tl,x
pile with it, and at last winks with both
eyes as signal ~ the workmen that the
ceremony of japanese plumb. bobbing is
concluded, whereupon the hammer moves
up and down very rapidly, driving the
pile an inch into The earth at every de.
scent, until it is tine TOR the foreman TO
do little more plumb. bobbing. One
pile struck . rock, ahd while everybody
was wondering how things were going 60
be managed, one of the gang ran off and
brought back something that had teeth
like = saw. but which was shaped like a
butchers cleaver, but the painting Jap had
severed the stick in about half the time
required for a saw OF American make 10 do
the same work.
The Japs draw their planes toward them
instead OF pushing them from them, aud
use an ink. line instead of chalk line. IL
resembles tape-lina case, and contains q
! sponge which may be saturated with ink
OF any color; through this sponge the cord
| may be drawn and then wound up, dis
| pensing with the tedious process OF chalk.
| ing. The holes Tor the piles were marked
out in this odd way: The posts, ono at
each end of the foundation were connected
at the top by a ightly-drawn cord; from
| end TO end Of this the mandarin foreman
| walked with his rule, measuring oil
| spaces which he marked by tying bits OF
| string in bow knots to tue main cord, and
| then standing off to 20 through his deli
| cate operation Of plumb. bobbing, which
| he repeated every time that his men re-
moved the tripod 10 drive new pile.
| Their adze is remarkable tool, chiefly ON
account of its handle, which Is shaped as
| Hogarths line of beauty might be IL
| warped by torrid weather The wielder
| of this tool stands over his timber and
hacks away, driving the steei far under.
meath his loot at every blow. When the
ropes of the pile.drivcrs were too long the
| foreman fastened blocks Of wood In slip
knots TO shorten them, but one Of these
slipped and dropped on the head OF =
young Jap, causing him to let 90 the rope,
fall backward and roll over 10 u big log,
upon which he sat down TO rest himself
and laugh.
The Japanese square is eighteen and q
| half inches long and nine and quarter
wide, and is graduated. like the rule, by
the decimal system, nine and quarter OF
their inches being equal to eight of ours.
In the bamboo building not nail will
be used; all the material is there, dove.
| tailed, beveled and mortised, ready to be
| fastened together with woodsn pins. The
artisans live In frame structure within the
Enclosure, do their own cooking and
laundry.work, and live on soup, rice and
dried meats, which they brought with
them In Theoretically sealed cans. The
officials having charge Of japanese opera
.ions in the park refuse TO give the slight
es, information as 10 what they are doing.
When asked about their building and in
| tended exhibition, the questioner Is inSa-
riably put oil with Wait till comes time (;
| you then see, Itdispleases them when
spectators laugh at the uncouth mechanical
operations of the fiat nosed and tawny.
! featured Orientals. II philadelphia Times
THE Chinese watch the pearl mussel
closely, and when II opens It's shell insert
pieces OF wood, hard earth, or little images
| OF their gods. These irriiate the fish and
| cause Il 10 cover the substance with q