The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-11-11
CORRESPONDENCE.
Our Japan Letter
TorroR1, Oct. 10, 1892


TorToRI, Oct. 10, 1892.
Editor Bennington Banner, Bennington,
Vt.-DEAR SIR,-Hitherto commuDica-
tiOns have been sent you from this city,
in which supposed my residence might
continue ten or twenty years. By vote
of the Japan Mission of the American
Board, at their last annual meeting in
Kobe, Mrs. Severance and myself have
been transferred to the province of Use,
and the city of TSU.
Recently very interesting experience
with physician gave me bit of infor-
nation which had never heard. In
making out bill charge is made for
medicine and for the first visit only of
the doctor, no matter how many days he
comes. The patient pays tue physicians
kurmma man-whO draws him-eveTy
day. After the patient RECEIVERS, besides
paying the bill, he goes to the doctors
home and thanks him formally for the
services, carrying some present as a
thank-offering. The whole bill presented
me was but l.32 yeu, or about one dollar
at current exchange. The doctor had
called ten times and charged but q sen
100 sen-l yeu). for his first visit. l gave
him four yeu and shall perhaps send him
a Xmas gift in addition. He is a gifted
physician and speaks English and Ger
man. 1t is fortunate for missionaries in
interior cities that skilled men are being
graduated from the Medical College in
Tokyo now.
In leaving Tottori there are sincere re-
grets, for many family visited have not
yet been led to see the good of Christian
ity. 1t was my great pleasure to be able
to baptize three young people at the last
Communion service. These were the
first people | ever baptized in my life, for
l came to Japan almost Immediately af-
ter ordination and have not been here
long enough to get the language we'll
not yet having been here two years. 1t
is an impressive thing TO witness the
baptism of others, but it is far more i'm
pressive to administer baptism, and far
more still when the applicants have come
out from homes in which for generations
the effects of Buddhism, Confuclanism
and Shinto have been felt. This baptiz-
ing two young girls from the Christian
school and one young boy, has given me
a new impetus to work more earnestly
for the rest of the Japanese.
In sending goods recently to Tsu, l
came upon competition of the American
stamp almost, there being two compan-
les in the city. Going to the ship firm
first they said they would take goods
from my house in Tottori to the house in
TSU for 1.25 y. per JlKKWAMME (be-
tween so and 80 pounds), but came down
to 1.15 y. after some consultation. l then
went to the overland firm and their first
figure was 1.30 yeu, but upon hearing the
other rates they came down to the same
without undertaking. Upon going back
to the ship firm / found them ready to
come down to Ito y. The overlanders
came down to that price. Another visit
to the ship firm was rewarded by re-
ductlon to LOO y. which the other COM
pany met. Another visit reduced the
rate to so sen, and under this rate neither
firm cared to bid. For the sake of paci-
flying both firms divided the goods so
that each received about the same
amount. men lion this to show how a
missionary can save S. S. penny collec-
lions contributed to the foreign field, by
utilizing the forces at work in the cOun-
try-a saving of 10 y. happening in this
caSe-and also to show that competition
is as lively in some lines here as in Amer
lea. About year ago l rode twenty
miles, first-class fare, three sen, and
could have gone third-class for one sen
on the same steamer. Floods this year
have damaged the rice in wide sections
and carried away hundreds of bridges.
This is probably the greatest bridge
building nation in the world, simply in
the majority of cases for the reason that
they build temporary structures, expect
ing floods and earthquakes to destroy
them in a year or two. If a bridge falls
they ferry and raise money for new one
by toll. Iron bridges on railroads are
better and remind one of Western coun-
tries.
One of the gentlemen 1 call on here,
/ learn, has $4,000 yeu worth of small
rice fields. You can easily imagine the
influence of such man, for hundreds of
people rent those.
Mrs. Severance and 1 regret leaving
Tottori but expect to fond TSU fine
field. We hope the readers of the BAN
NER will remember us in the new field.
Very sincerely, G. NJ, SEVERANCE.