The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-11-12
Japanese erect all theirs with a view to
destroying or vacating them. Mr.. Hearn

thus describes the erection OF a house:
What is the story OF common Japa-
nesc dwelling? Leaving my nome III the
morning, l observe as pass the corner
OF the next street crossing mine some
men setting up bamboo poles on a va.
absence. | find on the same lot the skele-
ton Of a two-story house. Next forenoon
] see that the walls are nearly finished
already-mud and wattles. by sundown
the roof has been completely tiled. On
the following morning / observe that the
mattDgs have been put down ana the
inside plastering has been finished. IN
five days the house has been completed.
There are no great buildings In Japan.
except a few colossal fortresses erected
by the mobiles while feudalism prevailed.
The modern factories In Japan, however
extensive their business or however beau
f.ful and costly their products. are Dut
long-drawn out shanties. and the tenn
pies even must. by immemoriai CUSTOM
be cut into little pieces every TWEEN y
years and distributed among the pilgrims.
Our workmen want their boots 10 wear,
bu, a japanese wishes his straw shces
TO protect his feet only one @tase or
long tourney. and ne unstitches mis- gar
ments to wash them. sewing them togeth-
er again. We quote further:
Nothing is fixed except the Throne.
Perpetual change Is Identical win state
policy. Ministers. governors. snPeIlh,,
i.ndenis. inspectors. all high civil ana
military officials. are shifted at irres mar
and surprisingly short intervals ana
hosts OF smaller officials scatter each time
with the whirl. The province In wnicn
! passed the first ,twelve.month OF ny
residence IN japan has had four different
Governors in five years. during my say
az Kumamoto. and before the war had
begun. the military command or thds I'M
pcrtant post was three times Cha,Een.
The Government College Ia n ihrce
years three directors. In educaiional CIR
cles especially the rapidity of such
changes has been phenomenal There
have been five different Ministers 81 tdu-
FIVE different educational policies. The
body of the people. and especially re ar
tisans. keep themselves, like the admin's-
tration. in state OF nudity Japa-
wishes to root himself: II ne as any
reason for changing his province he
changes II at once. dismantiing MS
house the paper and mud hut which IS
80 picturesque and cleanly. packing his
belongings on his shoulder telling his
wife and family TO follow. and trudSlng
off with a light step and a lighter hedTi
miles off, where he arrives after an eH-
penditure OF perhaps. at the outside. IS,
Immediately builds him a house, which
costs few shilings more, ana is at
once a respectable and responsible citizen
again. All Japan is always on the move
in this way, and change is the genius or
Japanese civilization. as II is the sDc-
cialty of the islands. where from volcanic
action The mountains alter the rivers
change their courses, the coasts lose theif
outline. the lakes appear and disappear.
and the very scenery, with us the most
stable of conc eivable things, which IN our
historic period has altered only by hui
man action, cannot be relied on TO re-
main.
The western artisan. Mr.. Hearn very
truly says, must have the ordinary com
forts of life. but he thus describes Tie
artisans of japan:
"The Japanese man of the people-the
skilled iaDorer able TO underbid without
effort any western artisan IN the same
line of ndustry-remains naDp ~ incf-
pendent OF both shOemakers an tailors.
His feet are good TO look at, MS BODY is
healthy, and his heart is free If ne de-
sires to travel thousand miles he caD
get ready for his journey IN i've minutes.
five cents. and all his baggage can be
put into a handkerchief. ON I'm dollar
he can travel for a year wlthOn, wo-k,
or he can travel simply on 'ts ability TO
work or he can travel as a pilgrim. You
may reply that any savage can 10 the
same thing Yes. but any civilized man
cannot. and the Japanese has leep a
highly civilized man for at inast tLcu-
sand years Hence his present Capac 'ty TO
threaten western manufacturers
And he adds regarding him:
-" Distance has no significance for
him. Nature has given him perfect feet
that can spring him over nifty miles
day without pain: stomach whose chem
istry can extract ample nourishment from
food on which no European could live
and a constitution that scorns heat, cold;
and damp alike. because still unimDaired
by unhealthy clothing, by SuDcrfiuOuS
comforts. by the habit of seeking warmth
from CRATES and stoves. and by the habit
of wearing leather shoes
ma. IA
the fact that the Japanese turns his hand
most readily to any work requiring Skill
and that his whole training and education
nurturcs him to obedience and to patient
endurance.
Mr.. Hearn thinks the European and the
American workman will be unable 10
contend against the japanese workman
and that now that Japan is marching out
into the worlds commercial contests. very
serious changes are ahead of us.
1t is a very formidable appartion that
Mr.. Hearn has coniured up. it must be
admitted. but we do not look upon us
terrors with as much alarm as he does.
The japanese is the man that he is be-
cause of the environments OF his ances-
tors through many ages. But II he goes
out into the world TO compete for its re-
wards he must also expect TO fall under
the seductive influences of the world.
He will by degrees learn that there is
far greater comfort in permanent nome
and in shoes that will protect his feet
from the snow, than in bamboo shanties
chinked with mud and straw shoes that
admit the rain, and as lie spreads MS
wares he will covet the comforts OF
those who buy them. Japan. therefore, Is
not going 10 overthrow the CIVILIZATION
of Europe and America, but Europe ana
America are going 10 WOO Japan and win
her from the semi-civlized habits That
past life. chiefly Of darkness mas ielt
her.
So we say TO Japan. come on with your
cheap wares We will buy them whie
they are cheap but you are soon gong 10
asl, for them as much as the most CIVIL
lied ueople now ask for them.
LEFT WIN COUNTY FUNDS.