Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-04-19
JAPANESE LEE
Curios and Flowers as Seen by Ameri-
can Eyes.

can Eyes.
A correspondent writing from Yoko-
hama has much to tell OF the curios Of
Japan. He says: 'Out here there are
little gods, big gods, good gods and bad
gods. They can be had from 80 cents to
$4,000 each. They are made from every
material known to man, from clay to
crystal and gold. Of course, the wood
Buddhas, as they are called, are the Oldest
and most unique. Good old Buddhas can
be had from SIS to S35 Mexican. These
are prices here. 1t is always the best way
to figure that an article costing, say twenty
Mexican here, will cost the purchaser $50
gold landed in the United States.
81 think Japan is the most beautiful
country in the world. The people are
quaint and picturesque; the flowers are
marvellous, At present writing | see be-
fore me two plum trees about twenty-four
inches high, in full bloom, each tree about
ten years old. A few days agowe had a
geraniums, plum and cherry blossoms, all
in full bloom with snow on them. Next
month we will have the camellias, which
are now in bud. They are all out in the
open air, and in April the large cherry
trees, ranging in size from eight feet to
forty, though many Japs assure me that
there are cherry trees eighty feet high. l
have never seen them, but it would not
surprise me if it were true, as | firmly be-
heve Jap gardener can do most anything
with trees and plants. / suppose young
sters will come that way some time in the
future. In August we have the lotus
flowers. These also are worth travelling
thousands of miles to see. October and
November the favorite flower, chrysanthe
mum, for a month. This is the flower
show of the year.
There is little place called Dayozaka
near Toxic, where they have the chrysan
themum shows, and they are, for all tn,
world, the same as old English fairs. TIVE
criers at the door, clapping together tive
pieces of hard wood-this is to call atten
ton to the show within-then you planl
down two cents and get your ticket, which
is piece of wood about two inches wide
six inches long and half an inch thick
they are made this size so as to last a few
years. | never tire visiting these quain
places. | have had several invitations Il
visit the Shibiya (theater) at Toxic wher
the great Danturo acts. This man is called
the Booth of Japan; his pay is $4,000 fol
twenty-one nights.
"The costumes of the company are tht
most lovely things l ever saw; they are
beyond description. l really came ou
here to form another japanese village, to
gether with japanese opera company
composed entirely of japanese ladies anc
gentlemen, with brass and string banc
combined. / am sure of all except the
opera part, although there are sixty grad
yates from the Conservatory of Music (ir
our music, they cannot sing. Ny ides
was to do The Mikado' with a japanese
company and proper costumes; not one O
the companies at home every costumed
the piece properly.
"The brocades one sees out here are per.
feet dreams, particularly old priests robes
We have paid as high as Sl60 for full
suit. If | had come out here ten or fifteer
years ago, | could have attained the fines
collection in the world for my little money
tia. would have been worth half million
at :h,is moment. There are sevefssll mel
who came here twenty-five and thirty year.
ago who bought little odds and ends from
time to time at very small prices, and fine
now their collections to be worth from
$150,000 to 100000. Pieces of gold lac
quer work that cost mere trihe ten t.
twenty years ago are now worth hundred
of dollars each"