Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1878-05-01
A NEAR SHAVE.

OF Japan had not entirely lost tina
simplicity which made them pa.
so dearly for the civilization the.
now strut about in. The characte
of the lower classes had not We
been altered by innovation ant
reform, and the commercial relation
between the sons of Nippon anC
the traders of the West ressemblet
very much those which Mr.. Died
rich Knickerbocker describes a,
existing between the Dutch traders
and the aboriginal Americans IN
der the happy reign of Van Twiller
Trade was then good /; there was
less rivalry amongst bankers and
merchants than at present; the
greed for gain had not yet Turned
the heads of the natives; tes and
silk paid well, and our half-yearly
balance-sheets generally showed
well on the right side. We had
plenty of work to do, but we also
had plenty of leisure, and at most
times one of our staff could leave
his duties for a few days ramble
up country, or yachting expedition
down the bay. For the information
of those unacquainted with the
Office arrangements of the far East,
it may be stated that all Offices are
divided into two distinct sections
the European and the Asiatic. In
the European department are
the manager or principal, the juni-
ors, and the Portuguese clerks.
All the head and book work is done
here; there is no paying coin
over the counter, or in fact, any
contact with the outer world be-
yond the mere inspection of drafts
and checks handed in for payment.
In the Asiatic section are the "com-
prador," Chinaman, generally
speaking, the petty king of the
establishment; the "schroffs," also
Cinnamon, who are the actual re-
ceiving and paying cashiers, and
who have absolute charge Of the
counter business, subject, of course,
to subsequent checking by the
Europeans; and the Japanese
coolies. At our bank European
always superintendent, at the
termination of business hours, the
weighing of all dollars received dur
ing the day, saw then packed and
locked up in the treasury. Beyond
this there was little interference
with the hard-money arrangements
on the part of the Europeans; and
hence the comprador and schroffs
were chosen, not only for their
hibernate knowledge of all the ms
and outs of exchange, and of the
thousand-and-one lodges Of the
natives, but for their good birth,
education and responsibility.
The tea season was well advanced,
and we were fairly busy the wealth
er was progressively hot in our dusty
settlement, 50 the European juni-
or had a ramble mp country. /,
as accountant, did his work as we'll
as my own, and amongst the extra
duties which devolved on me was
the weighing Of the dollars every
evening, and seeing them safely
locked up in the treasury. AS
went into the Office one morning,
the comprador met me at the door,
grinning all over with excitement,
and pointing to paragraph in the
daily paper which announced that
one of the great native banks in
Curio street had been robbed oil
some five thousand pounds worth
of gold coin, and that no trace had
yet been found either of the rob.
bers or their booty, remarked: "a
think that belongs to number one
clever robbery. S'pose we car
keep sharp lookout allo same
happens to u.s." So ! thought, and
gave orders that the "momban" OF
night-gate guard should be doubled
that the treasury locks should b.
seen to, that every precautior
should be taken to guard agains,
nocturnal visits.
One evening, some weeks aftel
this, when autumn had fairly arrived
and the days to draw in, the com.
prador told me as we were putting
the dollars into the treasury hat
got the notion into my head thai
l would see them in every nigh
myself, Notwithstanding that my
junior had long since returned
that some Japanese of high birth
and rural position, who had never
been into q European settlement
haforo xv;shad varv vv,uch to ,a<