The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1882-05-27
AMONG THE JAPS.
Scenes in a Leading Japanese CHy-C
lioUs Fehicies, Etc.


riOus Vehicies Etc.
A correspondent of the Detroit FRI
Press, writing of visit to Yokohama, j;
pan, says Taking ''sampan" l left tn
ship, and during the mile pull that brough
Gus to the shore had ample opportunitie
study the pecuharities of the craft and it
owners. 1t was nothing more that fiat
bottomed boat very rudely constructed an
propelled by means of two great souls of
peculiar form The boatmen belong to
class that live in their boats the whole yea
round, and were small but powerful.
In sculing the boat, one man takes hi
place in the stern and the other on tn,
side. The oars are formed of two piece.
and are triangular in appearance, something
ike file with the faces rounded out A,
a substitute for rowlocks, they have pi,
fastened to the gunwale and crescent
shaped piece of wood, with hole in the
rounded part for the pin, fastened to the
oar Where the man catches hold he ha;
another pin, and over this he passes the
1 hoop Of a rope fastened TO the bottom Of
the boat In sculling, each man has an
inclined rest for one foot The boats are
clumsy looking things, but move very rap
idly The men are wild; savage-looking
set, and very small They are bare-headed
and nearly all, as | was informed by my
boatman, have circular patch ON the top
of their heads shaved. Most of them wear
sandals made cut of straw, though many go
bare-footed, even in winter.
On arrival at the landing was besieged
by crowd of men, who followed me as
persistently as the hackmen in the United
States follow railroad passengers, each and
every one wanting to know if | would not
ike ''rikisha." Picking out one of these
famous carriages of the East, | seated my
self, and told the man to take me up to
"Bentendori," street in "Japtown,' as
the foreigners call it, where most of the
silk and laequers stores are. The Gin
rikisha, in appearance, looks like an en-
larged baby carriage, and Is in fact nothing
else 1t Is drawn, not as one might sup
pose by horse. but BY the man himself
who jogs along at a steady trot, bare-head
ed, bare-legged, through mud and water in
his sandals with apparent ease. The jim
rikiSha' business Is an important one in
the East, and rates are regulated by local
enactments. the same as our cab fares are
regulated in America and England. There
Is an immense difference, however in the
fare paid for hack and that paid for
'.rikisha" The latter may be had for ten
sen an hour, or about six cents in Ameri-
can money
The city Of Yokohama Is Of very recent
origin, but is growing rapidly having at
the present time population of about 10,
000 japanese and 2,50G foreigners, the
latter forming colony Of their own. In
the European part of the city the houses
are very substantially built of stone, but in
the native portion the buildings are very
lightly built. Few houses in either pOr-
ton Of the city are built very high on ae-
count Of the earthquakes which occur quite
frequently. There are many Europeans
engaged in business here, principally in the
trade with Fris,-o. Owing to the depre-
ciation of the native paper money, exchanges
flourish ON nearly every corner, and. strange
to sly, the broker business seems to been
tirely in the hands of John Chinaman, who
also controls the tailoring business. The
taste of the japanese Is displayed IN the
beautiful public buildings that have been
erected, notably the depot of the Toxic and
Yokohams railroad, a building which would
even do credit to Detroit
-Curio" Town, for 50 the japanese por-
tion of the city nigh, be very aptly called,
Is the most interesting portion Of the whole
city. The streets are alive with people,
from the little japanese children with their
faces, flying kites and play
ing in the streets, to the letter-carrier with
his bundle OF letters. Dismissing my
..rikisha' "a soon as "Bentendori was
reached. | wandered on from store TO store
gazing in amazement at the curious, beau
tiful works of art One might spend many
hours in a single store booking at the lac
quer ware. curious carvings in tortoise shell,
and in stained pig-skin, which so closely
resembles tortoise she'll that it would take
an expert to tell them apart. Then the
bronze work. done in every form, the work
in mother of-pearl aud ivory the old arrnor,
swords formed from steel that Is as finely
as the famous Damascus blade,
IN beautiful lacquered soabbards, photo
graphs, paintings on silk, embroidery, and
many other things, viii not allow your at
iention to flag for an instant One has to
be in japan but very short time to realize
hat the people are naturally artistic and
and that they are fully as in
.elligent as any nation on earth, ana inf
nitely more polite They never meet one .
mother in the streets without saluting, and
N their houses and stores they always wait
IN YOU with grave attention, and bow you I
iut with the same politeness, no matter /
now much trouble and Inconvenience you /
nay have put them to, and especially Is /
his true among the business men. In /
heir houses the people are very particular /
bout leaving their shoes outside. This T.
practice is probably due in a great measure /
o the fact that the sandals they wear in
he streets would be very clumsy affairs in
he house, and they therefore change them.
Hence the curious sight one has sometimes /
f dozen or so of sandals in front of the .
louise. In all their habits and customs
leanliness is the prevailing trait. They
bhor dirt in any form.
1t would hardly do to pass over the silk
aintings by merely mentioning them as an
TRACTION Given photograph, the color
f hair and eyes, and the Japanese artist
ill produce an enlarged and correct like
ess of the person, clad in Japanese cos
ume. The one defect in their work is the
to put in Monaghan eyes, and
gainst that it is necessary to warn them.
f an original scene is desired, they win
amt birds and animals in all manner of
ositions, and embroider the plumage Of a
ird or the petals of flower, shading as
with the needle as with the
rush.
My first thought after entering one of
lese stores was that it would never do for
man to let his wife get into one of them
Y herself, or he would be bankrupt be
IRE night Searfs, shawls, dressing gowns,
oaks and other articles Of the finest silk,
and ornamented so that each
-ticle was complete work of art in insef,
ere in profusion. | had entered the store
it'll the intention of purchasing, but the
,autiful appearance Of each article render
II 81 difhcult to make a choice that I { !