Morning journal and courier., 1883-12-13
AROUND THE WORLD.
Misery-SomethingAbo TokiyO-An Ex- citing Exper1ence-IncOnSru Street Cars-A Linguistic DffHculty-FalltnS Among Thfeves-Of for NikkO-In a Japanese Hotel.

CRrs-A Linguistic Dihcu1ty-FalA1iaS
 Among Thfeves-Of for NikkO-In a
 Japanese Hotel.
 N1KKo, Japan, Nov. 5.
 To the Editor of the JOURNAL AND COURIER
 If you never enjoyed the experience of
 being in 8 strange city in 8 strange land,
 where you could not say 8 word to single
 person because you did not know the Ian
 guage, and where no one knew your Ian
 Ruage either, then you have not known what
 misery is. When I left the seaports and
 moved into the interior of Japan, of course left English-speaking people behind me,
 since foreigners are not allowed to settle out
 side of the treaty limits. I did not care to go to the expense involved in carrying an in terpreter for two weeks journey, and so
 went alone. I knew this was a rash step,
 but did not then appreciate how rash
 Leaving Yokohama one noon I proceeded to Tokiyo, the capital of the empire, by rail way. The distance, eighteen miles, IS con- passed in one hours time. The railway, al- though built by the government so far as capital is concerned, was constructed by Eng fish skill, and cars, engines and all apparatus are essentially English in style. The road Is a double tracked, we'll -ballasted one, and pays the government well, 1t Is said. Ar rived in Tokiyo I swarmed into jinrikisha with my baggage and proceeded post haste to the cream colored headquarters of MT. Bingham, the American minister to Japan, where made application for pretty gene ral passport. was pleasantly received and entertained by MT. Bingham for an hour. As matter of course he halls from Ohio, and it was mutually interesting to chat about Buckeye politics. Mir. Bingham had studied the situation this campaign with especial in terest, and was inclined to believe that 1t would be Governor Foraker instead of Gov ernor HoadIy. Having secured my eppli"s- l ton, proceeded by jinrikisha to the Japa nese offices situated in large handsome ! compound about mile distant. The build ! ing was pretentious one, fitted up in real l civilized style with such accessions as Brus- l sells carpets, lambrequins, chandeliers and | other needed furniture. There was nothing l in the line of exclusive ornamentatlon. i Here was provided with mysterious docu- l ment printed in Chinese characters, which l for all knew might have been general or | der for my arrest and execution. I next | summoned 8 sinister looking jinrikisha man, | and by means of 8 government interpreter | conveyed to him the idea that wanted to be l taken to Asakusa, one of the myriad towns l making up the great city of Tokiyo. I had | been told that here was the southern terni- | nus of 8 nice stage line running to Nikko, 1 and that would find interpreters and every | thing calculated to facilitate my movements. l
 Riding through the streets of Tokyo by | jinrikisha is bewildering and exciting expe rience. The city is popularly supposed to | have had 100000 inhabitants at one time the largest population ever attained by any | city in the world. To-day, by reason of war, fire, earthquakes and pestiIence, 1t only con tains about one-sixth as many inhabitants | There are acres and acres of burned ground i in it's limits. But it goes without saying that for crowds upon the streets the city more than equals the metropolis of any other It is simply appalling to be bowled l along in the midst of the throngs of moving | vehicles of every description. Whenever I take ride my hair literally stands on end until I safely returned to my headquar- ters; aud yet never but once was the vic tim of collision, and then anticipated the | event and leaped into the front ''parIor" Of Japanese house.
 Nothing could be more incongruous than the sight of modern street cars in the city of Tokiyo; yet they are to be seen on large number of streets there. The cars have six wheels, but in other points are duplicates of those used in the United States. The Japa- nese driver has fish horn which he keeps blowing day and night while on duty, as the streets are so narrow and the paths taken so devious There are both open and closed cars, all bearing Chinese letters the out side. These oars seem as much out of place l in q native Japanese city as apple blossoms ! And yet do not feel sure but that they will seem appropriate enough after l have seen more of the people.
 When reached the depot of the stage ! line my troubles fairly began. Instead of an imposing structure I found low, wretched tenement, which I could not for some time believe to be the place in question. The fa- 1 were they? The interpreter was there, but he became the curse of my l ife,-my evil angel, in fact. About the only | thing he could say was, 'Give me money," and he had that down to a fine point.
 As for my own command of the Japanese, it was not at all extensive. 1 had cultivated l the word "Ohaio" (good morp1ng) because it reminded me of America. I had wrestled with the word ''Saionara" (farewelD because 1t was so useful to hurl at the ubiquitous jim cikisha men when they persisted in following ns. But these words would not help me in for ticket. I did everything I ,ould think of to convey to those people the dea that l wanted to go to Nikko. I ex- 1austed the art of gesturing. Finally the gnoramus who was called an interpreter Weg seized with bright idea. Motioning me to 'ollow, he proceeded up the street half nile or SO, and mechanically dogged his I 'teps. Judge of my pleasurable surprise f lpon being led to Mir. Amerman, eminent | ohilologist in the Japanese language, who | lad sailed on the same steamer with me from America. He strengthened out the tangles Or me and left me quite happy.
 But the end of misery had not yet come i lo,-not as long that interpreter lived. He followed me about, exaoting fees in the , most cold -blooded way, though maintaining Y Ill the while an obsequiously polite exterior. | 9e inveigled me into yadoya, for which | . m sure I can never forgive him. It seemed [ very pleasant place and I was persuaded to ! Inter. To my surprise I encountered real ! hairs, knives, forks and spoons. First I 1 7 7as served with 8 piece of genuine toasted C bread that was quite satisfactory in taste, I ollowed by bowl of soup, in the center Of which was nearly raw floating egs. This vas in turn followed by some fried snakes { nd potato. have since been informed that he dish was doubtless kind of fish, but I | i ID ready to swear that it was fried snake. Then came course of unfethomable vegeta. 'les with thick meat that was also an un- ;nown quality to me; and coffee and con- finished the repast.
 signifed by tapping my no longer pletho- ic pocketbook that ws9 ready to foot the jill, and the alleged interpreter made some eply that sounded like seven sen. Having lesrd good deal about the proverhial cheap less of Japanese tea houseG, and not giving much thought to the unusual quality of the I supposed this WAS. of i E curse. the figure, and handed over the re- I Luired sum; but To, there was 8 great com l notion in that yadoya. After some difficult 7 learned that it was seventy sen, and not even sen, that was wanted. I expostuIated D English with the people, and tried to con- ince them that they were not supposed to