The bee., 1884-04-12
A JAPANESE WRESTLER.
Visit to MatsaIa SOrakichi I'm New
York-His Immense Strength,


A New York correspondent of the Gin
cinnati Enquirer called on Matsala Sorak-
ichi, the brawny japanese wrestler
brought to this country to compete with
the champion wrestlers of America. Says
the correspondent:
There never was countryman of his
who has been so much talked about in
America as this same japanese. He is
not japanese of high caste, but he was
allowed to leave the country because he
came under the same category as actors
and gymnasts, who have the freedom of
the ports. met on Broadway a Japan
eSe merchant whom I know named Chiri
WeItalked for short time about the japan
ese wonder, and finally at my solicitation
Chiri agreed to visit him. Accordingly
we went down to Chatham street, ascend
ed narrow stairway between a
iquor-store and clothing shop, and
were ushered into the boarding house in
which Sorakichi resides. 1t is kept by
an expert japanese workman, who has
charge 'of the repairing department of
one of the Broadway japanese shops. He
married a japanese woman, who now
keeps the boarding house
| have never seen anything to exceed
the homage that this man and his wife
paid to Chiri when he entered the room.
If an emperor had visited them they
could not have been more overwhelmed
and abashed. He spoke to them conde-
scendingly, and asked for Sorakichi.
That individual was hurriedly brought
from the next room. Upon seeing his
visitor-who l believe is noblcman
from Japan--he evinced the same deep
reverence that the others had shown
They talked in cultural manner to each
other few minutes, and then, out of
respect to the only American in the room,
carried on the conversation as much as
possible in English Sorakichi led the
way into the front room, which passed
for the parlor and sitting room. Here he
busted off two chairs and placed them
near the window. l basked in the small
amount of reverence which slipped off
Chris shoulders Sorakichi wore a
gratifed smile. His eyes twinklcd, and
he rubbed his hands gently together. In
appearance, at that moment, he bore an
extraordinary resemblance to an Irish
washerwoman: his high cheek bones.
long black hair and voluptuous smile,
and his bare feet called Ireland to mind.
He was dressed in a garment that looked
a cross between a cast-off Mother Hub
bard wrapper and a South London
Macintosh. Imotioned to him to throw
this garment off, and he seized it by the
neck behind and yanked it over his head
Then he twisted his arms behind his
back and pulled blue Jersey over his
head and tossed it in corner after the
Macintosh. He then stood in his wrest-
ling costume of heavy knit Ieggings and
a canvas trunk He threw his arms above
his head, stretched himself to his full
height, brought his arms down with a re-
sounding whack at his side, and said:
"Jkmyeodsqlybtybr'
This, in japanese, means "Ain't a
daisy e. Then he wheeled around with
his back toward us and slowly raised his
hands with his arms outstretchcd over
his head. | have never seen more per-
fectly developed man in my life. The
muscles stood out in ridges on each side
of his spine, increasing in size near the
shoulder. From the ball of the shoulder
down over the neck the cords stood out
in ridges. As he raised his arms this i'm
mense muscular network rolled upward
like perfectly balanced machine, the
muscles increasing in size until they
reached his shoulder. Then he stretched
his fingers in and out, and the muscles
from his wrists to his shoulders moved up
and down in unison. His neck was set
on his shoulders like that Of Greek god.
Its solidity and rigidity were striking
1t is the most muscular neck that have
ever seen. Then the Jap turned around
toward lis again, thrust out his right leg
and moved the muscles of his calves and
the upper leg up and down as though
they were detached from the leg itself.
Chiri was immensely struck with the
neck
1T is there. he said, 'that his great
strength in butting lies. In Japan fight
ing is really butting, you know. The
boys go at each other like goats there,
and he who butts the hardest is the bully
of the school. 1t is by no means rs diff
cult thing to do as one would imagine
1t develops the neck wonderfully" said
the Chinese merchant, stepping quickly
over to Sorakichi and rubbing the
muscles of his neck daintily, but with
admiration. This ticbled the great
wrestler wonderfully. He straightway
backed off from the wall, lowered his
head and dashed forward head first. He
struck the wall flying, his elbows pressed
to his sides and his feet off the floor. 1t
was asickcning sort of thud. Thought
the man had killed himself in his effort
to show his distinguished countryman
what he could do, but he bounded into
the other wall with even a greater show
of strength. Chiri looked at him gravely
and applauded with his gloved hands.
Sorakichi stood erect and smiled delight
edly. There is not another man in
America who could have done the feat
without fracturing his skull, or at least
injuring himself severely. All this time
Sorakichi was smiling and grinning hap
ply He is the best natured of men. He
saw that his exhibition pleased Chiri,
and, stepping to the door, he called in
the landlord This landlord is the
largest japanese l have ever seen. His
weight is fully 100 pounds, and he is
cumbersome and broad. Sorakichi made
him stand before him with his hands at
his side, and then, stepping behind him,
he leaned over, seized him firmly around
the waist, grasping him on either side
with his hands, lifted him clear off the
floor, and, after bit of an effort, turned
the gigantic landlord completely upside
down, so that some loose articles fell out
of his pockets. Sorakichi held him in
this position with his two hands for
several seconds. The landlords face
looked up appealingly but respectfully at
Chiri, as much as to say that he was very