The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-12-26
From the Pos.-Inssaageueers Special Cor-
respondent

From the Pos.-IntsaEi geueer's SPECIAL Ccr-
respondent
TOKYO, Nov. ta-Baroa Karada is
dead. AS Tsr.ss6snt q the Nippon Cslako.
she Bank OF japan. ne occugssa enc OF ths
most responsible positions IN tae empire.
aud bis funeral last Friday, November Is
was n keeping with tae dignity % his
Office ard bis rank
Il Is a typtcsl autumn dag in the Eastern
cspzal. A fsw haxy clouds are seating
against ne deep blue SKY. The streets are
thronged with the costumes and tie char
actsrs that look so odd 10 a foreigner.
The husn OF trade IS exerywhere. aud the
chink and Jingle OF coin in the shops seems
90 say hat though death has stayed the
current OF life n the great 1uapcier's
veins. ne cannot stop the flow OF trade
through its great arteries. The ssEhss and
sounds of city life. multspzex and mutt
farious. 10 on as II the dead baron were
not lying N state n hrs nome. and as II
this. the fhlrtsenth day Of the month. and
Friday ar that were not appointed as the
solemn day OF his funeral In the tops Of
trees along the old castle wall. and IN mid
air. ths crows are cawlng nolsily and nas-
ally. The thermometer stands ST s. &C.
srses. IL Is high zoon.
But where are these people golngs And
those. and those, and those? All. Il 10 al
ready noon, and the bsroa's funeral IS see
for o'clock; and when Japanese funeral
procession Is announced 20 move at l
O'Clock II does not mean. as in America.
half-houF or an hour later. And the peo-
pie are evidently getting ready 70 see the
procession In groups and knots al first.
that attract your notice only because they
are going one way Then in larger crowds
and larger.
took my stand just outside the outer
castle wall and ali about me were the re-
mains Of that old feudal civilization OF
which the baron himself had formed
part. and which Japan laid aside only
quarter OF a century ago, stepping al one
stride across the slow progress Of the sew
enteenth and eighteenth centuries, and
into the full life Of the nlnsteenth. The
Wide moat and the stately castle walls OF
medieval times were before me: but within
stones throw lay the Korshikawa arsen-
al, It's tall chimneys "A monument 10 the
spirit OF modern enterprise that has pro-
duced the famous Murata rifles. Around
me on every side. far up and down the
broad, cil~vinS street that skirts the moat.
througed a crowd which volume would
not suffice 20 describe. All types OF Tokyo
life were there.
But had they come TO see funeralg
One would not think il from their de-
occupied down the middle OF the street,
but'that was dhs only visible mark of re-
speci or solemnity. Merry chatter nlled
the air. Friend stood gossiping With
friend. RikshA men wheeled their little
gigs into lire on the outskirts OF the
crowd. readjusted their TUNES aud light
ed their cigarettes Coyeys OF children
sca n1pered about with frolicsome noise.
But the crowd is surging- Neeks are
cranlng Follow the direction OF all eyes.
and far down the street. just turning the
corner of the arsenal you viii see--what2
A funeral procession? Ii looks more like
the cortegs of a conquering hero out for
a gala parade. Great banks OF flowers.
rich and gay with a hundred variant col
ors: bannerets waving, and thousands OF
little streamars. white. red. blue. green,
nuttering in the breeze. Back OF these
an apparently amending line. stin vivid in
coloring broken here and there by the
steely Nash OF muske;ry, long rows OF
men in snowy white. and-out wait; We
shall see IL all presently at closer range.
At the head OF the procession comes
detachment OF police the gilt braid about
their caps and the swords dangling al
their sides giving them decidedly mill
fary appearance. After them The coolies
CT the Nippon 6inko. each blush coat,
sherushi-baaten. looking clean and trim,
and marked with white characters on the
the sAnk OF which the baron had been che
head. Next the officers OF the bank. each
wearing a fus-iength regulation black
Prince Albert and a glossy black SILK nat
Then came the flowers. How can make
an American reader who has not seen ia
pan and her chrysanthemums realize what
they were like? Imagine. please. solid
hank OF chryssnthomums. artisticaAy az
ranged IN the form OF q perfect pyramid
or cone from SIX 10 eight feet high Be
low II Is a stem much like thar OF gigan-
tic bouquet. This stem 10 stuck into e2-
pacsous vase consisting Of "A single Jo!nt
OF green bamboo. which n turn Is sup
ported BY a little square pedestal OF rough
wood Imagine THIS and you have the typ
ical floral piece of the procession, repeated
in a thousand variations OF color and CON-
bination. but always essentially the same.
Most 81 these huge cones were carried n
the procession ~ an upright poslttou.
sometimes on the shoulder OF single
cou!Ie sometimes on horizontal bar OF
bamboo borne by two coolies. The effect
or the flowers was much enhanced by the
fact that most OF the cones were IN pairs.
the two beng as nearly alike "a ART could
make them. Near the bottom Of each OF
these horal pieces was Fixed plain
wooden placars hearing a. an inscription
the name Of she donor. in some instances
a bank or other commercial body had sent
Nlppan husen ksssnA. watch had con-
tributed IN Or r. sxnuisfeiy beautiful IN
cones OF spofie<s white Well, IN the 4rs-
aerat division OF the processlon there
were exactly so marching In pairs. /
may have seen greater numbers or masses
OF flowers but these, with THIS peculiar ar
ranrement. all n motion. with q bright
atfttzon zsfv 70 emphasize each glorious
tfrt. nroduced an effect gorgeous beyono
what / had ever seen. The chTysanSiae-
MUM season IN Japan = inst now IN ats
Story and hers, was the very perfection OF
chrTa4 1IhcEEans.
Al rQuna swinging walk u fook MS
ssa,t8ar Of tng procession just - minutes
- psss Then ar interval Then as ma
t.sasfe vet as slrnP5e 8 Fsece % Sym oci,sn
as fhe Sasneo faath car snow. fur this ~ az
a Shsusa. nos a Bu5dhist. funeral A hnge
cage wrought only as Oriental artisans
can work such th.nEs. airy hui siaosia1-
ttas rsoyn.. on tbe shoulders 81 four coolies.
and ever Is pretty roof mass q Mowers
Iss-ssEe acre A score or more Of spsrrowS
and doves. ts4tsersng Arsl beating against
sn. tasre Of abe cage. ~ Ehe grave ne door
81 the cage VIII De opened and tae BIRDS
w.ll IL out. a type of ghe sp-rl, th&f death
Pas released ffoua tne e4ge 81 as @Srzasy
! hNs2Y.
Ia sh.s seetlsn TIE IoEers are artificial
So ia nssrs woalfsn boxes, they tower 10
even a greater ne-Ea1 thsa those tAas have
ss.sa before Thev sa0~ clever WORK rs2a ~
sa.p Brat tne great nAsay pet AZ ths
lg.ssa ss0k ike fffs sEarchy haEsss ere 81 =
e. a aired gsaauruers tire E9ta and the silver
ara tae caIore3 pap.eF usaCne ara ssst 81
ssl WAN ] bad sSu3tee h1narea OF
Them was tired. sea cans An9}arr
seeffeu - theua, E.a1.s @Encag giants