The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-29

!, -,,ss~ .s.v s,v business. and / spent il
mainly IN studying people and places The
city IS II many respects rezsa2Tkaose
che srd as il IS more E-s~te1 ~ foreign
ers than any other city z Japan, even the
rnsawe~ sketch Of is wien appears in the
- ~r,,Isa ,ooks cannot fail % De Of in
tAr-sf In lsss. Is the result OF Cot-1nao-'
dore Pe-ryss visit SIX years before, Kama
xawz was first thrown open 10 foreign
trade. Yokohama was 3. that tine an M
trr,nareaut esn.rx village across the bay
f.er, E3uagawa The Japanese them
selves constructed czuseways connect
Ing Yokohama Nth the Tckaido and N
building piers and landing places 20 greet
TIE foreign trade. AT first tae Foreign
,-oass;s we're actually stationed az Kama
gswa. but although rhe authorities were
inclined 10 f-own ~ what seemed 10 De an
EVASION CT the treaty Still lokohaESaa soon
became the real home OF the foreigners
Al the end OF three years the foreign COM
rnunity numbered Id. The city now con-
rzfns approximately 100 Europeans and
Americans and SEQ Chinese. the total
population being upwards OF leo.sa-
Yokohama mas some striking points OF
resemblance 20 Seattle. Notice the geo
graphical situation, Yokohama bay. an
sgArng roughly 10 Puget sound lie set
Element. or foreign part OF the city, Was
rnuch Ike the present tide rats OF STAT
lie and il has been sled ii with dirt from
he neigaboring hills very much as the
Bowers Dredging Company now proposes
10 do for the tide fats with dirt from Bea-
con Hill. The bluff" here rises abruptly
from behind the Ieyel portion OF the city.
much after the pattern or tAe steep
Seattle slopes The proportion OF Euro
r,eans and Americans here Is nearly the
sane as that OF the As.atics IN Seattle
Finally, far inland towers Mount faJi-
yau1A with a marked resemblance 10
Mount Rainier. The view of the noun
tain from Yokohama bay is SO closely Ike
some OF the pictures OF Rainier from Lake
Washington that one might almost be
mistaken for the other.
With these few points, which are after
all superficial. all resemblance between
the Two cites ends. Territorially the city
consists of three distinct parts. the Set
tlement. the Bluff and the Native. AS
might be supposed, the Settlement IS the
center OF the business LIE OF the city, a.
mosg all the commercial establishments
which give IL its importance beng situated
between the Hamura road on the south
and the bund or bay front on the north.
Concerning these commercial Interests
shall have something 70 say later
Tie Bluff was al first resorted 10 by for
eigners only for shooting or pedestrian
exercise. Since that tine houses have
A-lL
dences by the foreigners dong business IN
the settlement The hospitals and three
of the consulates are also located here
In former times attachments OF English
and French soldiers we're posted on this
hill, for the protection of their country
men; but owing 10 the progress OF civil
cation they were no longer found neces-
sary and have been long ago Withdrawn.
Inc Bluff residences are IN most cases
very pleasantly located. and surrounded
with their tastefully laid out gardens.
present a very cheerful appearance. Be
You'd the populated portion Of the Bluff
the race course and rifle range are located.
On a clear morning visitor 10 the Bluff
Will not only obtain an unsurpassed View
Of the settlement, bay and surrounding
country. but he viii see Fuji. the sacred
mountain Of Japan, in all its grandeur.
The dividing line between the settlement
and the native town is the wide avenue
extending from the English hatoba 10 the
public gardens. This avenue and the
Bund are the only two pretty streets in
the city, the avenue enjoying the advan-
tage OF spacious lawns and plats on each
side OF It and sidewalks of generous
width. The sidewalks in Yokohama are
not pa,ronized literally. They are as
rule narrow and irregular. and most peo-
pie walk right along lin the middle OF
the road"
The native town is simply indescr.bable.
Not even d long series of pictures could
give a person ar a distance an adequate
idea OF the odd sigh1s and sounds which
greet the visitor there. To one who has
been here, as l have. only a few days.
Japanese life is not only indescr- liable but
incomprehensibie, and when such writer's
as Sir Edwin Arnold and Basil Hall Cham
berlain despair of foreigners being able
70, . he Of Iaaaa NO
and lfe. / for one am not going 10 be
fool enough 10 rush in where angels fear
10 tread" As I get better acquainted
with Japan / may set down some facts,
but am not going 10 indulge in theories.
The truth Is that the world at large would
perhaps have a more accurate idea or
Japan and the Japanese II a good many
things that have been written could be
unwritten.
II am glad" said Consul General Me-
Ivor TO me yesterday, that the Post-In-
telligencer has had the enterprise and
good sense to send a man here who can
write from the field. We have had great
many absurd and misleading things writ
ten about Japan"
So many people have 'trotted" through
the country and then given 10 the world
their sixty-m.les-an-hour impressions
that people here positively shudder when
they see tourist with a gu!aebook in one
hand and a notebook ia the other.
TIE antique and antiquated modes OF
life. such as are still 10 be seen In the
Native quarters, and doubtless still more
In the interior OF the country. IL one
which. according TO Basil Hail Chamber
lain, the progressive japanese do not care
TO see emphasized. Whatever you do. !"
ne advises the ''giobe-trottiug' reader of
his book Things japanese" don't ex-
go.
new school on those old. quaint and beau
tiful things Japanese which rouse
your most genuine admiration. When Sir
Edwin Arnold came 10 Tokyo he was en-
tertained al a banquet by a distinguished
company including officials. journalists
and professors. In fact. representative
modern japanese OF the best class. IN
returning thanks for this hospitality Sir
Edwin made speech in which he iauded
Jaysan to the skies-and Landed Il Justly
as the nearest earthly approach 20 Para
disc or 20 Lotusland-so fairy-like. said
he IS its scenery so exquisite sts art. so
much more lovely stiM that almost divine
sweetness OF disposition. that charm OF
dcneauor. that politsnsSs humble with
ont servility and elaborate afTectatton.
which place Japan high above all other
countries in nearly all those things which
make Hfs worth living. Now. do you
think the japanese we're satisfied with
this need Of praise Not BIT % a. Out
comes an article next morning in the chief
raper which rad been represented 81 the
hanquet-an article acknowledging indeed
the truth az SIR Edwin's description. but
pointing cat that It conveyed not praise.
but blame Of the heaviest sovT.
''Art forscoth; scenery. sweetness OF dis
poSiticn'f cries this editor. WHY dia rot
Sir Edwin praise Us for huge Industrial
enterprises for commercial talent FOR