Morning journal and courier., 1884-01-12

{ this Japanese metropolis does not have them oftener than once in 2 few weeks. It is difficult to check the flames on account Of the oombustible nature ef the houses and their proximity to each other. It would b. supposed that in such a city es Tokiyo, a city which has been terribly devastated by conhagrations time after time, the people would have awaked to the necessity of per fecting their apparatus for checking the spread of such disastrous fires. But no The Japanese have not outgrown the most
 primitive apparatus. They go to work at
 things in different way. The government
 has given it's gems darmes full authority to
 shoot any incendiary dead on the spot who
 may be discovered in the act of committing arson, This has proved 8 wholesome meas
 ure, it is said. Sometimes when fires have
 come close together, and been specially
 disastrous, the people have dug caves under
 their houses and every night upon retiring
 have gathered together their simple house
 hold goods and placed them there as safe guard The most ridiculous feature of the
 fire departments is the fact that the city fire
 men have been as B rule selected from the
 ranks of the carpenters, and have according
 ly been directly interested in the success of condagzatlon. Indeed, custom has grown
 up whereby the fireman who first plants his flag upon the site of building which has
 been consumed has the first chance at the job of rebuilding the structure. had ths quail fed pleasure of wit casing quite a confagra- tion at Yokohama little over two weeks ago, in which about sixteen hundred houses were consumed in one Of the native suburbs. Here
 the facilities for extinguishing fire are the best in the island, and yet it was actually distressing to wit ness the puny efforts put forth
 feel confident that there were several times
 when well-directed stream from an Ameri- can free engine would have checked the spread of kao at a m lack nf oaEi
 ity. Japanese thron9ed every approach, and chattered as though the flames might be stayed by their much speaking. Each man carried paper lantern, and this, together
 with the illumination which the fire itself
 made, rendered the locality exceedingly fes- tive in appearance. There were some inferior hand engines at work drawing water from neighboring canal, but the principal method of attack was by means of the water bucket process. The people did not seem much agi
 tated at the prospect of losing their homes. I suppose they get hardened to 1t.
 AS 8 rule I found the native barber shops to be the most attractive and conveniently fit ted up buildings in the Japanese districts. Even the poorest of them now boast of the dignity of cushioned chairs end larga mirrors, and at night they are conspicuous from distance by reason of their superior illumination. These barbers are as rule competent to do European business, and in the interior where the facilities are the most inferior they have to be patrouizsd by the shaving tourists who would be relieved Of the burden themselves. An amusing experience occurred in town some seven5y-hva miles north of this city where I was stopping to- gether with a companion. He had occasion to patronize the barber and proceeded to clean looking establishment for native busi- ness. Producing his razor and cup, he in- quired the price of shave. The barber indicated that the regular price vas three sen, but that for foreigner he would have to charge five. AS Japanese sen nre at discount of fully twenty-five cent. from American money my companion thought he could stand the tax But now arose somewhat serious difficulty. The chair used by native patrons possessed no head rest and being accustomed to something ot the sort the gentleman iu question wRs ln doubt as to the capacity of his neck to en- dure the required strain. But the Japanese are qnick aud ingenious st deyisipg substitutes for foreign Improvements, and this one, solved the question by improving head-rest in the following manner: Taking common chair he placed it behind the chair occupied by his foreign patron and then standing on his left leg, placed his right upon. this chair in such way that his naked knee formed c not uncomfortable head rest.
 The street signs proved es ever a most in- teresting study to me. Such painful attempts ha1 Rever before witnessed anJ where. The handsomest signs would emboay tho boldest mistakes EMILE.