Milford chronicle., 1895-10-18
THE JINRIKISHA.
STANDARD ORIENTAL CARRIAGE IN
VENTED BY A YANKEE.

Incentive other Experiences "a ina
LIVELY American Who Wasn't In Sym
pathy with Everything In Japan.
For the jinrilisha. which is the great
est blessing travellers in the east enjoy,
we have to bless an American sailor
who came here ON Commodore Perry'E
flagship in 1868, and then returned
seven or eight years later as a mission
ary Of the Methodist persuasion. His
name was Jonathan Gobel, and he is
mentioned in Commodore Perry s nara
tive as a pious man of rare intelligence
who took great interest in the spiritual
welfare of the Japanese. Gobel was one
Of the earliest members Of what is
known as the Newton mission.
The jinrikisha is another illustration
Of the old adage that necessity is the
mother Of invention, for Brother Gobel
was afflicted with rheumatism in his
later years and found 1t difficult to navi-
gate. The sedan chair, which was used
by the nobility. was too close for him,
and the kago, vehicle in which the
humber classes were in the habit of
carrying the lame and the lazy, was
very uncomfortable for his long legs, so
be took a packing case, painted it black,
as appropriate to his dignity, and set it
upon pair Of wheels.
For shelter from the sun he rugged a
canvas awning that could be raised or
lowered according to his convenience,
and he hired a brawny cody to haul
him about. That was the origin Of the
vehicle which takes the place Of car
riaqes 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 a good
name therefore Brother Gobel called it
q jim (man) ricki (power) sha (car-
riaRe). But the swells prefer to term it
a kuruma. It looks like an exaggerated
baby carriage and is very comfortable
for riding.
Jonathan Gobel was a muscular Chris
tian. He feared God and lived right
eous 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 underworld
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 holi-
DAYS are numerous, and worship contin.
nous 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 in the week Brother Gobel
admonished the people Of the sinfulness
Of Sabbath breaking, but he was unable
to convince them, and 1t grieYed his
heart.
Passing from his home to his place Of
preaching one Sunday he found a dozen
men or more engaged in building a
house. He stopped to talk with them
and 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 prisoner be-
fore the consul general, charged with
aggravated assault and battery. This |
case appears as one Of the first in the |
records Of the United States consulate, |
and 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 q
modern house ON 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. It was made Of bamboo palings, |
and the boys in the neighborhood used
10 annoy the good missionary greatly by
rattling sticks against it as they ran
along the street. The British admiral /
lived Just above him and had a very /
natty Tommy Atkins for an orderly
BE wore little round cap on tho north
sast corner Of his head and always car
ried little cane Of rattan in his hand.
One morning, having been sent with a
he appeared before the admiral
with his face bruised to jelly and his
Uniform tattered and torn and covered
with dust
Mercy on usl" exclaimed the ad-
niral in establishment at the spectacle.
What has happened to your"
II beg your pardon, sir, " replied
Tommy, "but has l was coming halong
lup the ill, a-rubbing my stick hagainst
he missionary's fence, sir, e came hout
n is pygamas and said as 'ow e 'ad
7owed by the grace of God to lick the
ide hoff the next man who did that,
md o as done it. sir.
The 'rilishas are all made in Japan
md large number are exported to the
countries They cost from
~ to $40, according to the care bestow-
d ON their construction, the material
lsed and the character of their decora-
ion, but they could not be made for
more than twice that money in the
United States. Many of them are owned
" the coolies who draw them, others
" companies or private individuals who
ct them to the coolies for a share Of the
money they make. You can hire them
y the week for yen ($2. 50), by the
az for rs sen (S716 cents), 10 sen %
onlby AL uOuf 4OE ANAS3f "a I
0 sen for a trip Of two miles.
The system Of operating them is very
luch like that In use by our hackmen
{ home. Each 'rikisha man has his
anne and number upon his hat and his
antern. He is registered at police head
uarters and pays small tax to the
overnment Those that are attached to
be tourists hotels are required to pay
small percentage for the privilege, as
hey get more patronage and many fees
nat donot fall to the lot Of the ordinary
ian on the street. Tokyo Letter in
Ihicago Record.
An Inhoapitabis Small Boy.
The death Of the venerable Simon Lam
Irell recalls an old Marblehead story. Once
lpon tins q native Of Marblehead and
New Yorker WBnt from Boston to call