The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-03-05

ance OF a carving tool. and prison at Tho
same time.
After the carvers came the paper-mak-
crs. then the weavers. weaving ana dye
ing the prison clothing. then the sandal
makers, then the Lawmakers. then the
lantCrn-makers. then marvellous basket
work and mastnets. then an extensive
printing shop. whore tie groof-roaceT
was a prisoner, who had formerly been
secretary Of legation in France, had at
seconded with one hundred Thousand
francs. leaving his shoes on the banks OF
the Seine az evidence Of suicide. ana
eventually been arrested with his mis-
tress at a scene Of high jinks In Germany.
Then We visited a workshop where JIM
;;ishas were being made. then ore where
umbrcila-handles We're being elaborately
carved. and then one where every kind or
pottery. from the rough porous bottle
aud Jar to the egg-shell teacup was roll
ing from a dozen Dotters' wheels, and
then came the great surprise.
Two days previous I had visited the
house OF the most famous maker IN ia
par of the exquisite cloisone ware. tie
enamel I'm inlaid metal work upon con
pcr-who rivals IN everlasting metals the
brush of Turner with his pigments. end
the pencil Of Alma Tadema with his strips
% metal And I had stood for an hour
behind him and his pupils. marvellir.
that human eye could become so accr-
rate and the human hand so steady, and
tho human heart 50 patient. Yet l give
nv word that there IN the prison at
Ishisiawa sat not six but sixty men.
common thieves and burglars and 2eace-
breakers. who knew no more about ciols-
one before they were sentenced than
Tindoo knows about skates. doing just
the same thing-cuttine by eve measure
ments only the tiny strips or copper 10
make the outline OF a birds beak, or the
shading Of his wing. or the art.culat'ons
Of his toe. sticking these upon the round
ed surface Of the copper vase, filing Nd
the interst'ces With pigment. coat rnon
coat. and firing and filing and polishing
II until the finished work was so true
and 80 delicate and so beautiful TT
nothing except an occasional greater dig
nifty and breadth Of design marked the
art OF the freeman from that of the CON
Wet one simply stood and refused 10
believe ones eyes Fancy the ATTEMPT
10 teach such thing az Pentonville or
Dartmoor or Sing Sing.
When our criminal reaches his prison
home in Tokyo. he is taught TO do mat al
which the limit Of his natural facilities Is
reached. II he can make cloisone, well
and good: II not. perhaps carve wood or
make pottery: n not these, then he can
make fans or umbrellas or hasket-work,
il he f. not uD to any Of these. then ne
can make paper or set type. or cast brass
or do carpentering: II the limit ia 100 hish
for him. down he goes 10 the rice-mill
and see-saws all day long upon balanc-
ed beam. first raising the stone-we'shted
end. and then letting II down WIN
great flop into mortar or rice. ana u
he cannot even accomplish this poor task
regularly. he IS given a hammer ana ielt
10 break stone under shed. with TWEEN
tv-nine other men out of thousand VINO
could not learn anything else.
Prisoners employed at the higher classes
Of labor are credited with one-tenth OF
the sum received for their handiwork.
But. as the work was so good. and the
running expenses seemed so light | was
much surprised 10 learn that the prison
was not yet self-supporting, only one
seventeenth of the total cost being real
lied from the sale of prisoners work.
Another TACT is that every adult prisoner
Is detained for six months after his SEN
tence expires II he is not claimed In the
meantime by his friends; and until he is
Of adult age If he has not reached II.
and IS unclaimed. These prisoners wear
blue instead of red when their sentences
have expired.
The womans quarters al ichagawa ia
separated from the mems BY a high wood
en- fence. and gateway guarded by sem
tinei, and consists Of two or three dor
mitories. ana one large comfortable
workshop. where all are employed to-
cether at labor let out by contract
when was there they We're all hem
ming silk handkerchiefs. each seated
upon a matted floor before a little table
and very neat they all Looked. and very
pretty some of them. with their loose
red gowns and simple twisted hair.