Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-09-10
Ways Of tho Japs.

As rule, the Japanese are very free
with their money never try to save ana
always seem happy, singing all the time,
and when drunk on too much SAKE are Ill
their best humor. They seldom, if ever,
fight with one another, and when they do
they never strike each other, but muss
the hair, disarrange the clothes and make
a terrible fuss but no damage. Still the
crowd gathers, Just the same rs ut a street
fight in America, but never interfere
until stern officer of the law comes
along. when they are only too willing to
stop and 60 and take n bath. The Japan
ese police force though not the finest
in the world certainly feel themselves
to he such They wear long ulsters,
trimmed with yellow, n short jacket and
pants with yellow stripes, caps with an
immense shield and clubs the same size
and shape as broom-handle, and look
like Il troop of monkeys. They are well
trained, US none have ever been seen until
the robbery is committed. In this they
equal the New York squad.
As class the Japanese are probably
the most cleanly i'll the world, rs far as
their bodies are concerned. They wash
two or three times day i'll bath houses
ms plenty as beer saloons in America.
The only drawback is that they will wear
the same suit of clothes fully II year, and
never change it. except at night to put
ON a heavy quilted cloak, which serves
them Us a bed at the same time. In the
coolest winter or the hottest days IN sum-
mer they seldom wear hats. Their hair
| is bushy, always black and very coarse,
| The hair of the Japanese women Is always
well kept, and they spend more money
with the hair dresser than they do with
their food, which latter consists OF fish
and rice All the tea is picked and dried
by the women the men attend to the
| fires and carry the boxes ; the women
manipulate the tea. Wages are now Il
cents day. A man and wife can live
on 81 a month and go to the theatre once
a ek-admission two cents. Japan is
alive with chillren-nearly every woman
has one slung on her back, and children
from four years old are toddling along the
streets all day with babies on their backs,
and the dexterous way in which they play
and lump and fall down and never dirty
the baby is really wonderful. Every
thing is done by the japanese TO make
their children happy. They buy toys for
them and seldom, if ever, punish them.
part Of the child for its parents, and this
is shown all through life, for no matter
how old they grow they are always under
the charge Of their parents, if living, and
never do ANYTHING without first asking
permission, the same as when they were
children. Once year On the first day
of Maya large paper fish is hung from
a pole in front of any house where a male
i : 1, th.a, md
that day you may rest assured the
houses are well decorated, for generally
one or two families hive III the same
house, and you count on two children and
likely four, though it is remarkable that
japanese women seldom, If ever, give
birth to twins, and never triplets, though
sometimes wonderful specimens are pro
duced. There is one now on exhibition
here. about four or five months old-n
male child-with two faces, four legs and
four arms At first it took nourshment
with both mouths alternately, but lately
with only one 1t seems i'll good health
and is likely to live. Ramum, or any
other man, could make his fortune by ex-
hibiting it in America but | doubt II the
mother would part with 1t.
OF late years the Japanese have gotten
very fond of horse racing, and nearly
every Sunday hold meetings. They have
some good horses the jockeys dress IN
regular suits and We pass many pleas
ant DAY ut the races. There Is Il brass
d-forty pieces natural musicians,
who were taught by Il German, formerly
leader of a man-of-war. and they play
all the latest music, from waltzes to
operate airs, with rs much skill and cor
rect tune as any of the reglmental bands
at home OF course they have the most
improved Instruments, and being the I'M
perial band, and under the lnikaio's own
eve, they have given the closest attention
to their work. Ii reflects much credit On
tha;r llslSi, .-..-t L .-sSnie N..y .'l.,uge tu
see Japs, who cannot 1T word of Eng
lish, read music like lot~ nld play
American airs Just as lsturdl. -..d with
as much feeling as if they composed the
music themselves.
The theatres here are probably the
most interesting to travellers everything
is so different from that to which We have
been accustomed. Of course there are
no seats, all squat on mats and running
down the centre of the theatre is an ele-
waited platform upon which the actors
always enter upon the stage the exits
are all from the rear, and instead Of
shifting the scenes, the whole stage Is re-
volved on wheels (the same AS We turn n
horse car on Broad street.. When an
actor is killed during the play, a man
dressed in black with his face covered
(you are not supposed to see HIM rushcs
out and holding Il large cloak i'll front Of
the dead man, the latter rises and rushes
off the stage, though Just beheaded, and
his head lying on the stage, looking 80
natural and the execution So well done
that until you actually see the dead
walk, you think he surely was beheaded
After the curtain falls for another act
all the children III the audience rush on
the stage behind the curtain and play
around behind the scenes until the drum
beats for another act The only music
they have is drum, fife and n small
string instrument, though the players are
generally singing i'll very high and I'M
musical key. The play generally begins
at 10 o'clock III the morning and lasts
until or o'clock at night, and the
audience always takes food enough to
last q hours, beside which men with
rice, tea, peanuts and oranges are always
passing through the audience very much
like our circuses at home A man always
reads the act before the performers come
on, but as it is i'll japanese lingo, 1t is
not much appreciated or very well under
stood by the foreigners present The
theatre is lighted by gas, very dimly,
however and as the audicnce-mcn,
women and children smoking pipes
all the time, the atmosphere is not very
pleasant. and | never stay more than
three or four hours, though always IN
Joy myself.