Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1876-02-24
japanese House.Bnlldcrs in Phila.
delphia.


\ His Imperial Majesty, the Mikado Of
Japan, through his deputies, 4 SQUAD of
japanese mechanics, has begun operations
on the slope of Georges hin upon . bam-
boo structure, to be used, - . 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 70 the middle Of the
thigh and girdled At the waist with what
would psss for longitudinal strip Of Jo-
seph's coat. On the back and on the
breast of the tunic Is shield like patch.
as large as the head of nail key, covered
with fire-cracker hieroglyphics, indicat-
ing the rank and family of the wearer
These Japs In their own country rank
seventh in caste, the grades being as fol.
lows: Princes, priests, soldiers, civil Of
ficials, traders, artisans and laborers. A
few days ago the foreman, who seemed 10
be q 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 officious ignoramuses who offered
him few nails, which they had begged
at Queen Nictoria'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 IL IS q 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 10 rest, like 4
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 q burst of
laughter from the bystanders. They had
q 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 a 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 ii In vertical position be-
tween his two forehngcrs, sights the
pile with il, and at last winks with both
eyes as o signal " the wofkmen 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 al every de.
scent until II is time tor the foreman to
do little more plumb bobbing. One
pile struck rock, and while everybody
was wondering hSs things were going %
be managed, one Of the gang ran OFF and
brought back something that had teeth
like = saw. but which was shaped like a
butchers cleayer, but the painting Jap had
severed the stick in about half the time
required for 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 a tape line case, and contains
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, one al
each end of the foundation, were connected
at the top by a tighily-drawn cord, from
end 10 end 81 this the mandarin foreman
walked with his rule, measuring OIL
spaces which he marked by tying bits OF
string ia bow knots TO tue main cord, and
then standing off 10 20 through his dell.
cate operation OF plumb. bobbing, which
he repeated every time that his men re.
moved the tripod 10 drive new pile.
Their adze Ia q remarkable tool, chiefly ON
account of It's handle, which In shaped as
Hogarths line of beauty might BIO II
warped by tofrid weather The wielder
of this tool stands over his timber and
hacks away, driving the steci far under.
meath his loot al every blow. When the
ropes Of the pile drivers were too long the
foreman fastened blocks of wood In slip.
knots 10 shorten them, bn! one Of these
slipped aud dropped on the head OF .
Young Jap, causing him TO let 20 the rope,
fall backward and roll over 10 big log,
upon which he sat down 10 rest himself
and laugh.
The Japanese square is eighteen and a
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 70 e.gh: o; ours,
In the bamboo building not nail will
be used all the material is there, dove.
tailed, beyeled and mortissd, ready to be
fastened together with wooden pins. The
artisans live In frame structure within The
Enclosure, do their own cooking and
laundry work, aud live on soup, rice and
dried meats, which they brought with
them In Theoretically sealed cans. The
officials having charge Of japanese opera.
tions In the park refuse 10 give the slight.
est information as u what they are doing.
When asked about their building and In.
tended exhibition, the questioner Is inva-
riably put of with Wait till comes time /,
YOU then see II dispieases them when
spectators laugh At the uncouth mechanical
operations Of the fiat nosed and tawny-
featured Orientals. 49, Philadelphia Times.
M -
THE Chinese watch the pearl mussel
closely, and when II opens its shell insert
pieces Of wood, bard earth, or little images
~ thsIv yesfs These irrifate the tsh and