The Red Cloud chief., 1895-09-20

Incentive other Experiences OF Ths
Lively American Who Wasn't In Syn
pathy with Everything In Japan.
For the jinrikisha, which is the great
est blessing travellers in tho east enjoy
we have to bless an American sailo
who came here on Commodore Perry
flagship In 1858, and then returne,
seven or eight years later as q mission
ary of the Methodist persuasion. Hi
name was Jonathan Gobel, and he i
mentioned In Commodore Perry's nara
tive as a pious man of rare intelligenc,
who took great interest i'm the spiritua
welfare of the Japanese. Gobel was on,
Of the earliest members of what IL
known as the Newton mission.
The jinrikisha is another illustration
Of the old adage that necessity is the
mother Of invention, for Brother CODE
was afflicted with rheumatism in hi
later years and found IL difficult to navi.
gate. The sedan chair, which was used
by tho nobility, was too close for him,
and the kago, a vehicle in which the
humber classes were in the habit OF
carrying the lame and the lazy, was
very uncomfortable for his long legs, Sc
he took q packing case, painted it black,
MS appropriate to his dignity, and set it
upon a pair Of wheels.
For shelter from tho sun he rugged q
canvas awning that could be raised or
lowered according to his convenience,
and he hired u brawny cody to haul
him about. That was the origin Of the
vehicle which takes tho place Of car
riages and street cars in Japan, Korea,
India and China, for Brother Gobel's
invention has spread all over the coast.
So useful an invention needed q good
name; therefore Brother Gobel called il
u jim (man) ricki (power) sha Gear
riage). But tho swells prefer to term it
n kuruma. 1t looks like an exaggerated
baby carriage and is very comfortable
for riding.
Jonathan Gobel was n muscular Chris
tian. Ho feared God and lived a right
cons life. He desired every one else to
do so, and when moral suasion failed he
often tried force. When he arrived in
Japan, he was a stalwart, powerful fell
low, and usually came out uppermost
when he wrestled with sin. He was liv-
ing in Kanagawa when he e~ndeavored
to impress upon the people Of that place
the propriety of Sabbath observance.
The Japanese have no Sunday. They
have no fixed day of rest. Their holt
days are numerous, and worship contin.
uous without interruption in the tenn
pies. There is no particular time for
preaching, and it is always proper to
pray. Therefore every native works
seven days i'll tho week. Brother Gobel
the people of the sinfulness
OF Sabbath breaking, but he was unable
to convince them, and it grieved his
heart.
Passing from his home to his place of
preaching II Sunday Inc found q dozen
or more engaged in building a
house. He stopped to talk with them
entreated them to cease their sinful
labor. They refused to do so. He order
ed them to stop, and they declined.
Then, seizing a heavy bamboo pole, he
smote them hip and thigh. Several were
laid out senseless, and the next morn
ing Brother Jonathan was a prisoner be-
fore the consul general, charged with
aggravated assault and battery. This
appears as n Of the first in the
of tho United States consulate.
Is set forth with amusing details.
The missionary pleaded guilty, with
strong provocation," and was put under
bonds to keep the peace.
Mr.. Gobel afterward built himself a
modern house VI what is known as the
Bluff, south Of Yokohama, and sur
rounded his grounds with the first fence
that was ever built in this part of the
world. 1t was made Of bamboo palings,
and the boys in the ncighborhood used
TO annoy the good missionary greatly by
sticks against it as they ran
along the street. The British admiral
lived just above him and had q worry
natty Tommy Atkins for an orderly.
wore q little round cap ON the north
corner Of his head and always car
lied a little cane Of rattan in his hand.
One morning, having been sent with a
message, he appeared before the admiral
his face bruised to o jelly and his
uniform tattered and torn and covered
dust.
Mercy OF us!" exclaimed tho nd
niral in establishment at the spectacle.
What has happened to you?"
II beg your pardon, sir" replied
Tommy, "but has I was coming halong
nup the ill, a~-rubbing my stick hagainst
The ~missionary's fence, sir, o came hout
N is pygamas and said as 'ow o 'ad
vowed by the grace of God to lick the
ide hoff the next man who did that,
o as done it, SIR"
The 'rikishas are all made in Japan.
q large number are exported to the
n~eighboring countries. They cost from
Fl7 to $40, according to tho care bestow-
ON their construction, the material
used and tho character Of their decora.
ton, but they could not be made for
more than twice that money in the
United States, Many Of them are owned
by the coolies who draw them, others
companies or priyate individuals xyho