The Portland daily press., 1894-12-17
A HERO OF PORT ARTHUR.
Count Oyma, is the Napoleon of
Japan.
He Married Girl Who Graduated at Vas
sar-Their Home Is a DreamIand of
Beauty and Hospitality.

Beauty and Hospitality
| Count Oyama, the Napoleonic general
| who is making the eyerIas i g Chinese dy-
| nasty tremble, is welded to VassaI girl.
| The countess, who is the mistress OF the
| dl INLAND palace at Toxic, studied eight
| years at Vassar college and then sailed
| to her native land for the curious nuptial
| ceremonies, Which united two of the oldest
| families in all the kingdom. The great
warrior was quick 10 appreciate the dainty
girls accomplishments and progressiveness
and with the usual oriental easiness exer-
cised in such emergencies told the mother
of his children he was about to take new
bride. This mother quietly abdicated her
household, remembering the good woman
she had succeeded and thus was introduced
into the Japanese war couDsels the ideas
of woman, all American ave her birth.
The people fortunate enough to know the
count have expected victories no less bril-
liant than he has won. He is a giant,
man of stature, high above his countryInen
a knight in bearing and front. He looks
fighter, comes from a race of canlpaigners
and his bravery knows no limit. He went
into the field to take Port Arth a., and in
the taking he seized the key TO d capital,
and the brilliant coup became the marvel
of military men second only to The fall of
Sebastapol. 1t made Oyama the peer of
all living commanders and added his name
to the galaxy of the really great generals.
There has not been fortress strong
enough to meet his tactics. No wall has
stood the cannonading of his engines and
no stratagem has trapped his cohorts.
He has faced thousands with handfuls.
and from the snowhound tripsof the home
land to the region OF perpetual bloom and
fragrance the great Oyama is sung in poems
lit for the memory of Sahinto saint.
HOME OF THE COUNTESS.
Countess Oyama, who went from the clas-
sic halls on the Hudson to the imperial min
lister of war, WIN was to be her new hus-
band, received as part of her inheritance
five children and the mistresship of the
Mito Yashiki, the show gardens about the
arsenal-building. This grand park which
surrounds the arsenal-house is bewildering
in dimensions and has $50 years of history.
The story of it's beauty, according to Mrs.
Frederick s.. Winston, who was recently
entertained by the countess, is like tale
of Arabian glory. 1t is the landscape of a
province narrowed into acres. the lakes,
TO Kioto cond ensed within the walls. The
trees have been growing for nearly three
centuries in all the fascination of a native
wilderness. There are no stinted lines in
the gardening, no rigid rules for scientific
and mathematical symmetry, which make
the English and French lawns as regular
as an engineers triangle. The grounds
surpass in every detail the beauties Of the
xrl,o 10
perpetual insistence that nature shall be
made beautiful. The Briton's idea, with
the heavy, stiff outlining with box hedges
of every wandering path, has fortunately
not been transferred from the ruined
beauties of Hampton court gardens. the
right angular flower beds of Europe have
no. passed the Bosphorus and away east
in the last capital in the earth's circuit is
found this magnificent palace and fairy
spot. with moss dimly outlining the paths
and little steps leading to little mountains,
with the bridges OF one huge block of stone
crossing the little river and a second dainty
bridge slightly bowed TO the island, and
then a beautiful Chinese bridge, stolen
from pattern learned across the sea TWO
centuries ago. and right and left and every
where the most gorgeous foliage of :bamboo
fantastic shapes and to grow as dwarfs,
with the roots strangled by silver cords.
This spot which is more like a tabled
grotto in some elf country, is the home of
the countess, now watching with eager
heart the progress of the count in the
march to Pekin. 1t is here that she re-
ceives her guests, spreading the tables for
titin in a scene that has no fit representa-
~ ,jo IF 4 he wild in
fancy. The count and the countess, one as
roughly picturesque as the rugged person
of Morse Goliath and the other as dainty
as June cherry blossom, make an ideal
pic ure for priceless tapestry or gold
wrought screen in the gracious functions
or private feets.
THE GENERALS PRIVATE FETES.
General Oyama, with feudaI courtesy,
meets the guest of honor at the outer gate
and with bows and smiles as courtly as the
customs of Louis time he leads the marc
to the palace. The ladies and doll-children
of the household follow in bright crimson
robes, and the procession is too bewitching
TO seem real. 1t passes over lichen-covered
bridges, up little hill to an old temple, down
ID valley to cataract, up again to sec
ond shrine of wooden gods on an altar, be-
hind an ancient table inlaid with mother of
pearl. rare gem holding its own in this
messy shadow against the cold of 200 win
tiers and the heat of as many summers
Twisting and winding like the trail of a
tribe in a mountain, the way leads to the
luncheon spot and here again is abundant
evidence of the extreme polish of the Japa-
nese court.
Count Oyama is at the head of the table.
dressed in the garb of an American. The
countess is a queen. She is kept busy, not
only with the converse ton of her own but
with swift translations of all sorts of Ian
guagcs for her lord who has acquired the
western continental habits in all things
save diversity of tongue. The imperial
military band plays on the veranda, dressed
in the natty uniforms of the battle front.
Each programme begins with the national
hymn of patriotism, waltz song which is
as much on the lips of the peasants as is
the ''Marseillaise" in the Threats of the Par
isians. Each passing fancy of the dinner
is gratified. the mere symptoms of delight