The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-02-06
ALMOND EYED YANKEES
olJR JAPANESE BUSINESS MEN AND
THEIR THRIFTY WAYS.
AmericaDized Japs and Their oce"Pa-
tIou,-FssentiaIly Home Loving Peo-
pIe-Japanese Business Houses I'm This
Couptry--In Wholesale store

,,o--r.n.nese Business Houses i'm This
Country-In "A Wholesale store.
"Has il occurred - you said gentleman
70 n reporter. as a couple of japanese gen
tlemen walked up Broadway with their
characteristic rapid stride, that among all
tho nations represented on American soil 1t
NAV lie exceptionally recorded OF the Jap
anese that not one has been convicted Oi
great criminal offense IN all American court!
The reporter was unable 10 state 10 Tue
contrary, and a curs0ry examination SHOWS
that save an occasional misdemeanor result
ing from undue familiarity with John bar
leycoru. and confined chiefly 10 the japanese
sailor; who now and then visit the Pacific
coast. the page is clean wherein may be
written any transgreSsiOn Of the law IL Is
true that there are comparatively few IA The
country. probably not more than 500 or NJ,
bur these stand out in such sharp contrast
with the Chinese as TO command unquahned
respect
Since the expedition of Commodore Perry
in 1858. undertaken for the purpose Of estab-
fishing friendly and commercial relations
with a hitherto comparatively unknown en-
pire. the japanese have been remarkable III
their eagerness to break down all the ancient
barriers by which they were restrained at
homo and adapt themselves 20 the manners
and customs Of western civilization. In New
Yorl. they constitute a little colony OF their
own. bat they live ia elegantly furnished
houses. dress with taste indicative 81 the
utmost refinement, are enterpr5ing IN busi-
ness and in every respect model American
citizens. Thcy are either merchants engaged
IN the importation and sale Ot law rlki tea,
| LACQUER work and japanese brlc-a-brac, or
are students in some Of our colleges prepar-
inc To introduce our arts and sciences at
home. or they occupy official government po-
| sitions. in imitation OF American customs.
| They have a coy club room, where they as
semble after the cares OF the day to inter
change views, and there IS not a moro exclu-
| sivo body OF gentlemen IN the city.
JAPANEsE PLCULIARITIEs.
Keonne,s OF observation is one OF the pecu-
| liarities Of the japanese. Having started ia
the race. 1t Is their ambition t. keep abreast
Of the progresi OF civilization, AID hence YOU
viii Gsd thom patrons ot the best literary
mechanical. railway and agricultural maSa-
| zines. and eager T. learn everything but
| American politics Ca practical subjects
they are better posted than the majority Of
our own people Another peculiarly Is that
| the nation j. more homogeneous than even
| the Germans, ana hence yOu ind a KIND oI
| patenal supervision exercised over them BY
| the cousuls who represent their government
| Each member Of the little family IA the
| United State is known az official headquar-
tiers. ana by glance az a carefully keP. rec
ord OF addresses one may learn the where
abouts Of any OF tho permanently located
Japanes. in the country. For instance one
IS in Cornell studying physic'. another IN
| Harvard in the law class, third Ia Chicago
| wondering over the iEtricacie5 VI the railway
system. a fourth la Iowa studying the sci
| ence " agriculture, and 80 on. Nor do these
energetic people come here Gnprepared. BE
| fore leaving Japan they had already CO.
| CURED the rudlments OF education and !ald
the foundation Tor the higher knowledge
| which they intend 70 mako available in their
own country
A reporter in making inquiries, learned of
a japanese gentleman that II was much
easier for an American 10 learn the japanese
| tongue than for japanese 20 master the
English Although he continued, 'our
alphabet is not unlike the English in sound.
| 1t contains forty-eight lettcra, aud these en-
able Us 70 pronounce with more OF less &C
curacy any Of the languages Of civilization.
| From ancient times, however, having used
the Chinese character, the two languages
having become somewhat nt3rmiXed, but wo
are irving 10 remove tho Chinese character
istics, and in the hope u have a form Of writ
ten and spoken speech that VIII be distinc-
lively our own"
why is it, - continued the reporter, that
We sec 50 few OF the working poople-thc
laborlng classes from your country
Il presume" was the reply, lit is because
they lind abundant employment at home
Besides, 1t Is contrary 10 oar public policy %
foster promiscuous legislation such a. you
have in America Our people are essentially
home loving Although there are q number
OF japanese sailors who come to san Fran
cisco and other ports-and am proud to say
they are regarded as the most efficient sailors
in the world-they seem 20 prefer their own
country, and it certainly Is beautiful and at
tractive. because IL is ancient. highly cult
waited rich in scenery and works u archl-
lecture that are the wonder OF travellers, and,
more than all productive Of everything that
supports life and gives content"
BUSINESS HOUSES.
How many business houses are there in
this country asked the reporter
Il cannot accurately tell, but in this city
there are two or three establishments,
branches Of the Doshin silk company and
the Nipon Mercantile company and several
firms engaged ia the importation OF por-
celain, lacquer work, fancy goods, toys and
other articles OF japanese manufacture
There are also japanese houses in Boston,
Philadelphia, San Francisco and many
places where our merchandise Is sold by
Americans or foreigners who have their
representative in Japan"
An hour spent in a japanese wholesale
store is as interesting rs visit 10 a museum.
The clerks ia Attendance are young men,
usually under 20 years Of age, and with
rare politeness AMI almost womanly gentle
ness seem to take pleasure II describing the
various articles OF use or yirtu an the estab-
lishment. They never press anything upon