Morris tribune., 1884-01-05
A JAPANESE RAILROAD.
A Ride on Japan's Government Rail.
way, the Toxic. Y okohama.
Some Peculiarities of Management.
A Peep at the Passengers
AbOard--.Japan SmOk-
Ing.

A Peep at the Passengers
Aboard SmOk-
ing.
| boston Transcript letter.
A portion of the Tokaido IA leading high
way is now nearly deserted on account of the
Toxic Yokohama railroad. Close to Yoko-
hama is a small town called Kanagawa, and
from this place the pilgrims now commence
their tramp. Kanagawa is about eighteen
miles from Toxic, and third class passengers
can ride there for about 20 cents, certainly
much cheaper than an eighteen mile walk
with the cost of q lunch.
| The Toxic Yokohama railroad is govern
ment affair, as everything else is here. Al
though it cripples individual enterprises, it
secures the success Of thing to have the
government control it. The railroad and the
telegraph systems are very satisfactory, and
the postal system is just about perfect
| Trains are run between the two stations
every hour and a quarter during the day,
leaving both stations simultaneously. The
| whole equipment is English. The cars are
| divided into three classes. Even the first
class cars are decidedly plain. These are
divided into three compartments. The second
class cars would hardly be used On horse
| railroad in Boston. They are as plain as
plain can be, and made just like horse car,
having two long seats on the sides facing
each other. The seats are upholstered with
the same kind Of mating which the Japanese
use on their floors.
The third class cars have simply plain
benches for seats. The exterior of all three
classes is the same. Third-class passengers
| are bolted into the cars. The engines are
smaller than the shifting engines in the Bos-
ton depots The time required for the
eighteen miles ride is f1fty-seven minutes.
Everything pertaining to the road is kept in
the best condition. The road-bed is like a
| floor; the cars arc clean; the stations are
clean; all the officials are uniformed. never
knew one Of them to be in any way impolite.
Passengers are not allowed to cross the track
except by the bridges overhead. Following
English custom, trains run on the lefthand
track. No baggage is allowed to go free,
save such as one can take in his hand You
can take no living thing into the train, not
even canary, without paying an extra price.
Posted up in the stations is q notice to the
effect that the government does not run the
railroad for the transportation of dogs, but
il dogs must travel provision has been made
for them. So every station is provided with
boxes latticed on top, in which poodle or
mastif can be transported for definite
sum.
Let us start on our eighteen miles ride from
the Toxic station. It is a fine large building,
built Of stone, having two large entrances in
front. The waiting rooms are furnished
with the daily native and foreign papers.
Five minutes before the train starts warning
bell is rung. The ticket Office is styled a
"booking office" AID notice tells you that
you must be Crooked" before you can enter
the train.
just before the train starts the bell is again
rung in the station and the door closed, so
there is no possible chance for belated pas
senger to "rIm for the train," and possibly
get run over by the train. There are no side
doors either through which you can dodge
the official.
Having booked yourself, or purchased your
ticket, you are allowed to pass through very
narrow passageway to the outward bound
train, showing your ticket as you pass. AL
though there is no gold leaf OF bird's-eye
maple on the cars there are other arrange
ments that more than compensate for this
loss of elegance.
No official goes with the train; no brake
man in dulcet tones whispers out the name of
the next station. The only break on the train
is on car made specially for that purpose,
and attached to the rear Of the engine. No
conductor shouts Tickets, please" and when
he has finished his rounds sits down by the
fair miss who goes daily for her music les
sons. Every passenger is expected to enter
the class car for which he holds ticket. If
he doesn't do this and he is found out there is
a penalty for his misdemeanor.
When it is time for the train to start an
official on the platform blows little whistle,
the steam engine blows shrill whistle, which
would be terrific if it were only powerful
enough, and off we CO. And now we see one
advantage over the average American rail-
road-there is not the slightest jerk in start
ing; indeed, you never know when you are
really in motion unless you look at objects
outside the window.
The train glides that just expresses it) not
swiftly to be sure, for if it were swift prob
ably the Japs would condemn it. Nothing
upsets a native like swiftness; time is no OBJ
ject here.
The road follows the Tokaido and the coast
of the Bay most of the distance. It is nearly
q dead level. On both sides are the rice
fields, where, at this time Of the year, the
farmers stand nearly up to their knees in
mud, setting out the rice plants There is
nothing particularly attractiveto see, unless
on bright day you watch the changing
forms Of that noble mountain--Mount Full
the peerless" as it towers up In the distance.
Let us look at our fellow passengers in the
car. As it IS an early train there are various
officials going to Yokohama for their daily
business These men are dressed in foreign
clothes, and many of them understand some
foreign language, English or German. They
are mostly an intelligent looking group of
men.
Besides these somewhat Yoreignized natives
We have the real, genuine native article, with
nothing foreign about him unless it is hat
Hats are very generally worn, except it is a
rainy day, when they are left at home and
the wearer goes bareheaded.
The Japs are peculiar. On cold, rainy
day obey go about with their dress skirts
caught up to their waists, and the water
streaming down their bare legs. Skin does
not cost as much as cloth, you know. In the
car we can see this native dress; loose robe
with no buttons, but folded over the breast
and fashioned by sash. This is the dress of
the rnelieas well as the women. Some of the
dresses are very rich indeed, being made of
beautiful silk. One-haf Is longer than the
other, which allows for pulling up above the
sash, and then hanging down in 'front.' MAX
ing pouch. This is the pocket where
nearly everything is carried. There
are also pockets at the bottom Of the
large square sleeves. Suspended from the
sash is little box and leather wallet.
Sometimes these articles are exquisite and
very costly. The box contains the tobacco
pipe and the wallet contains the tobacco.
The box is frequently made Of ivory or
bronze, finely worked. Japanese tobacco is
very, very mild. The average American
smokey IYal,id dis6ain TO I1sa IL