The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-01-04
WANTED AN INTERPRETER.
The Experiences of n Young American VIII
Ventnred into the Interior Without
Knowing the Language.
Life at the Native Hotel, Where the Stranger
is Regarded as 3 Live Curiosity
a japanese Fire.
N,Kko, Japan. Special correspondence, No,

5-If you never enjoyed the experience o.
being in D strange city in q strange land, wher,
you could not say o single word TO . persot
because you did not know the language, anc
where no one knew your language either. then
you have not known what misery is. When
left tho seaports and moved into the interior o
Japan, ], of course, lett English-speak,ng PEG
lple behind me-, since foreigners are not alIo wee
to settle outside OF the treaty Units. did no
care to go to the expense in~volved.in carrying
An interpreter for a two Wet ks Journey ant
80 went alone. 1 knew this was, o rasi
step, but i did not then aprreeist,
how rash. Leaving Yokohoma on,
noon | proceeded tie Tokyo, the apital of til,
empire, by railway. The distance, eighteen
miles, is compassed N one hours time. TIL,
railway, although built by the government 81
far as capital was concerned, was constructed
by English skill, and cars, engines aud allap
lparatus are essentially English in Style. Til,
road is a double-tracked, we'll ballasted one
and pays the government well, it is said. Az
rived in Tokyo I proceeded to the cream.
eolored headquarters of Mr.. Bingham, til.
American minister to Japan, where l made APP
lplication for g pretty general passport.
Having secured my application, l proceeded
by Jinribisha to the Japanese offices
Here / was provided with o mysterious docu
ment. printed in Chinese characters, which. fol
oil l knew, nigh. have been q general ordnl
tor my arrest AID execution.
ToKIYo.
Riding through the streets Of Tokyo by jim.
rikisha is a bowilderirg and exciting expert.
snce. The city is popularity supposed to hav,
bad 1000, 900 inhabitants at ono time-th,
largest popIla ton ever attained by any city il
the world. To-day, by reason of war, fire
earthquakes and pestilence, it only contains
about one-sixth rs many inhabitants. There art
acres and acres of burned ground in its limits
But it goes without saying That for crowd;
upon tho streets the city more than equals thu
metropolis of most any other country. 1t j:
simply appalling 10 he bowled along in the
midst of the throng Of moving vehicles of ever,
description. Whenever / take a ride my hail
literally stands on end until | am safely re.
turned to my headquarters; and yet, never bu'
once was I the victim of a collision, and then
anticipated the event, and !eaped into the from
"parlor" of a Japanese house. Moth
ing conld be more incongruous than tho sight
of modern street cars in the city of Tokyo
yet they are to be seen on r large number of
streets there. The cars bavo six wheels, but
in other points are duplicates of those used in
the United States, The japanese driver has a
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
ere both open and closed cars-all bearing
Chinese letters on the outside.
When ! reached the depot Of the stage line
my trouble fairly began. Tho Interpreter was
there, but he became the curse of my life-Iny
evil angel, i'll fact. About the only thing he
conld cay was Give me money! and
he had that down to a fine point.
I did everything / could think of 70 convey to
these people the idea that | wished to go
to hippo. L exhausted the art of gesturing.
Finally the iSnoramus who was called an in-
terpreter was seizad with II bright idea. Mo-
tioning me to follow. he proceeded up the.
street half a mile or so. and i mechanically
docged his steps, Judge of my pleasurabIe
eminent phi,ologist in the Japanese language,
who had sailed on tho same steamer with me
from America. He Strengthened out the
tanglea for me, and left mo quite happy.
For my ticket to Utsonomia, or Otsonomia, or
Wutaunumia, or whatever it is, l gavo the sup,
of = yen and 80 sen. have q din but tor
iible suspicion that l was cheated. Iknow
that | ought to have been maid a princely sum
myself FOR taking suci, a ride as that which
followed. The ticket purchased, it was nv
next care to find lodgings for the night. For
once tho obnoxious Interpreter proved himself
useful by escortipg me to a japanese hotel
near by. 1t was evidently a tony hotel-for
native patrons-but l am not anxious to renew
its acquaintance.
HOTEL LIFE.
Sitting down on the highly polished floor,
with my feet still resting on the dirt court, al
ways found in the front part of public and
private houses alike, / removed my shoes. and
wearily proceeded to negotiate by the gesticu.
!atory process for recommendations. had no
idea before of tho immensely of the task OF
communicating the sinp1nat ida srhan tive
tongue is dumb. My tongue was absolutely
dumb, for did not Know six words of the
Japanese language. AT length, by experiment
ing, l hit upon the sum of fifty sen, which e1-
tracted an eager affirmative nod from nv ma
tive host, who was still rubbing the floor with
his nose in token of abject hospitality. Then.
a ''moo-mie" Japanese sirl) led the way up y
polished step-ladder into the second
story. Like most upper rooms in
and enclosed on three SIDES SIMPLY by Tempo
rarv screens plentifully supplied with PAPER
windows about eight inches square that failed
to communicate any light to the apartment.
On one side was a chart covered with Chinese
characters, which served to worry my curiosity
during my whole stay. The customary tobecco
bin aud tea were promptly served. Then the
landlord appeared, and after u long series OF
genutiections conveyed to my mind the idea
that he wanted to inspect my passport. All,
this was the modus operandi of registering
at q Japanese hotel. he was absent a
short time COPYING the document, and
then returned it intact. Then another
moosmie appeared with my supper eggs, rice,
tea and some nnsavory-smel!ing soups, served
on . pretty, lacouered tray. Ihad eaten heartily
At the yadcya, and did not care for the things,
but could not for o time get the puzzled
moosmie to understand why l declined Them.
Finally made The simplest possible gesture to
indicate an already distanded stomach, and she
metaphoricaliy tumbled. Laughing immoder-
Ately, she descended to the room below and re-
lated the affair 10 all the other moosmies tnore.
WHO in turn set up such = chorus of good
natured laughter as made my teeth
chatter. Il you long for notoriety,
ratronize . native hotel. Twas an object Of
the greatest interest TO. those in the house from
the very first. Japanese etiquette is hardly
Identical with that of America. and these bloom
ing moosmies could NOT satisfy their curiosity
to see me. Time and again they drew aside
the screens, courtesied with the usual remark
'Ohaio," and then fenstsd their eyes upon my
form. So popular did i become IS q piece Of
hotel furniture, that q Japanese woman, who
was making her toilet in the .eAr pant Of the
connecting the front and the rear.
and gazed and eazed, the while che
effected . complete change Of ont
ht. Across the hall was q Bathroom Of . rude,
orally patroniz-d. but which WAS nnprovided
with screens. Ny chamber did net contain .
picture. mirror. or single article u furniture,
until about z O'Clock, whom the andon was
brought in The andon is = Japanese insiitu
ton. in tho way Of an illuminatos. 1t ~coneists
OF . wooden framework aboas: eight inchea
square and three feet high. in the center 81
the paper top Of which il q ssaeer OF grease.
A tiny wick leads up out of the oil, and THE az
forde tho national illumination. Coal oil Tampa
are bcing extensively introduced in The aoast
districts, and gas is found in most Of tho treaty
pors. The Japanese always have an Ando0
burning beside them all night
TO THE 1xYERIo
At @ O'Clock the following morRiug Nc
s'erted Imagine one Of the most rasE,iy om-