The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-16
Fun in a Japanese college.

gentleman who has enjoyed a long res
idence IN Japan as a professor in the imperial
college at Toxic related some interesting stories
OF his experience with the young Japanese stu
dents 20 a Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
reporter recently. The narrator was Prof. T
=. Msnoenhall, the American commissioner on
the Alaska fisheries. "a more disappointed per
son than was. )" said he THE morning first en-
tered the class room never lived l was how
ever. a most happily disappointed person. and
so you see got along with il very nicely. When
was given call by the imperial authorities
had very little idea about the class OF students 1
was 70 come in contact with. But brighter
ana more earnest and intelligent body of stu
dents than faced me on that morning have
never seen, not even in an American college and
an eastern Institution at that. This is pa TALLY
accounted for in the first place BY the fact that
every student in that institution is selected in
about the manner that the cadets to West Point
are selected. 1t is not a military institution
tnough, oy any means. but was founded chiefly
70 give scientific institution. Several of the pro-
Iessors at the start were American, and perhaps
tnat accounted in part for the effort on the part
OF the students to cultivate American customs
ana manners as much as possible, even to the
matter OF dress. IL was by reason OF this latter
EFFORT tnat most amusing thing happened in
my experience
Zone evening made arrangements 20 give a
quiet reception TO about twenty young students
OF my favorite class. The evening came, and
out OF difference to myself and wife the young
men wore their American hats, which thew sell
dom wore except on state occasions. When
my visitors arrived my little Japanese servant
received them, and, taking their hats, placed
them upon my American hat-rack. The even
ing passed most pleasantly to me at least and
after had entertained them as best could
with stories of American student life and my
wife had served them with some light refresh
ments characteristic Of student recep-
ton in this country, goodnight was
said. On the little Jap who had
shown them in devolved the duty of showing
them out. so that not until next morning when
entered the hall on my way to college did
realize what my guests had done. Imagine my
surprise, when on entering the hall | beheld the
hats of nv guests of the night before. had
good laugh on my way TO college and there
had another one when l discovered that the
young men had not even discovered that thew
had gone away without their headgear When
| informed them of their mistake they seemed
TO enjoy the joke as we'll as had DONE
II had anticipa ed having a great deal of
trouble In making the young men understand
my lectures, which were of course to be given
in English. soon discovered that when stuck
10 pure English there was not the least trouble.
1t was when l forgot myself and threw in a
word of slang or some catch phrase that they
we're puzzled. funny instance of this hap
pened one day in the laboratory. | had been
trying an experiment. and there was half a
dozen young men helping me. AS is
are being tried before q class it
did not work satisfactorily. / wasted a good
deal of time on it and then becoming some
what impatient l thoughtlessly exclaimed
There is a screw loose somewhere. The words
were not out OF my mouth before every last
jap began to busy himself with looking under
the tables, around instruments and in boxes
AT nrst did not know what to make of their
actions. did not realize what had said |
began to make inquiry, and then it was that
realized that they had taken me literally and
that every last one of them was looking for the
loose screw"