The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1891-07-18
FunnY Tor. OF Iapan.

mere are no people so fOnd Of toys
as the Japanese. About one day out
OF three is n holiday in their country
and even their pilgrimayes TO temples
OF worship are performed in gala cos
tune, with dancing and sport by the
wayside. Play is, from their point OF
view. the object OF existence, work
being the means To the end, because
II Is necessary To earn pleasure In
orderto find il enjoyable. Americans,
OF course. know better than this, hav-
ing ascertained that the purpose OF
life Is labor and that fun Ia any shape
is a waste OF time.
The japanese have the most per-
feet kindergarten system in the world.
In fact. they originated this method
OF instructing by entertainment In
stead OF by punishment inflicted.
Their play apparatus for such purpose
l. elaborate. but all OF IL is adapted 20
the infant mind, which il il designed
at once 10 amuse and TO inform The
little ones OF that nation even become
somewhat interested in mathematics
By seeing and feeling what pretty
thing cone. sphere or cylinder
is when cut out OF wood wi n lathe.
They make outlines OF solid figures
out OF strlws. with green peasc dried
20 hold the joints together and for
the instruction OF the blind Hat blocks
are provided, with the Japanese char
acters raised upon them.
Even the boys OF Japan give in
siruction to those who play with them.
One sort OF playing cards has printed
upon them 100 scraps OF classical
poetry by which the rudiments OF the
art OF verslfcation are expected TO be
inculcatcd. Another set embodies
collection OF old Japanese parallels
by which the syllabary OF the Ian
guage and moral maxims at the same
time are 10 be taught Another set
is OF natural history cards. To give i'm
struclion In the names aud forms OF
animals. and still another set. especi-
ally intended for girls affords exam
pies Of women who have been cele-
brated for their virtue and noble
qualities
All these things can be seen in the
museum OF the bureau OF education at
Eighth and G. streets, OF the existence
OF which few people in Washington
are aware. In the collection there,
which includes all the educational APP
pliances OF civilized countries. Is "A
most interesting assemblage OF Japan
ese toys. Many OF them are types OF
playthngs which tho youth OF Western
civilization has adopted from the East.
For example there are kites. but no
Yankee boy can fly such kites. in the
shape of birds and monsters. as can
the urchin OF japan. There are tops
also. but the American school boy has
never got farther In this play art than
peg-in-a-ring. whereas his Japan
csc contemporary Is acquainted
with the science OF spinning many
tops together, OF whistling tops.
and so on. So far as
both tops and kites are concerned the
young Caucasian is an ignoramus com
pared with his oriental rival
Among the babies toys from japan
at the museum Is mouse that feeds
from "A bowl when little bamboo
spring Is touched, lowering his head
and long tail In quite life. like man
ner. Another Is "a small cylinder,
into which one blows through two
smaller reed tubes. three balls OF
plth being kept bobbing in bit
OF cage over the cylinder
by the breath. while cut in
one Of the tubes produces IA shrill
whistle. Another Is n little man that
is made TO jump up a long stick by a
bamboo spring. and still another is u
wooden gentleman who rides along
between two wheels, being attached
to the axle with heavy base. A toy
iinricKsha 10 one OF the more exDen-