The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-05-23
remember Ii Hung Chang came .te
make peace.
STORIES OF ITo,s BoYHooD.

Marquis Ito is now going to London
as a special ambassador from his en-
peror. I wonder If he will take time
during his stay at the English capital
to go down to the wharves on the
Thames and recall his adventures when
he landed there as a boy, now more
than a generation ago. I have told
the story, but it will bear repetition in
view Of Ito's presence here. Ito landed
in London with just one silver dollar in
his pocket. Count Inouye, aro her great
man of Japan, then a boy, was with
him. The two had come round the
Cape Of Good Hope in a sailing vessel.
In some way or other they had lost
what money they had had, and when
they landed in London this silver dol
lar made up their total assets. The
moment the ship arrived the rest of
the sailors had left, the cook had gone
and there was nothing to eat. The two
young japanese knew no English, and
they started out, hoping by signs to
make themselves understood and thus
be able to get their breakfast. They
wandered up one street and down an
other, and finally came to stall where
some loaves of bread were lying on the
counter Ito laid down his dollar and
picked up loaf Of bread, looking ques-
tioningly toward the proprietor and
waiting for the change. The baker
picked up the dollar and, put it in his
pocket as much as to say that the
price was right. Ito knew he had been
cheated, but he could not help himself,
and so he had to submit.
But why did Ito go to London?
The story gives you some idea Of the
character of the man. He was born of
a good family, his father belonging to
the Samurai, or military class. The
Samurai were far above the common
people. They were sort Of feudal re-
tainers of the princes and Daimios, or
mobiles. They did not work, but travel
ed about Japan with two swords at
their Sides ready to fight on the slight
est proVocation, and devoted them
selves. to. fighting the feuds of their
lord About the time that Ito was a
young man the foreigners began to
come to Japan. Our Commodore Perry
had made the treaty opening up GER
tain of the seaports, and our gupboats
were on the ground ready to enforce
submission. There was at the time anti
foreign and foreign parties in Japan.
Young Ito was against the foreigners,
and he conceived the idea Of going to
England and learning how these for
eign barbarians did things. He wanted
to see whether they had as many sold
iers and as much wealth as was re-
ported and to stay among them until
he could learn to conquer them. With
this in view he got q load Of young
fellows together and went to his prince.
The prince said the idea was good
one and supplied Ito and Innouye with
money to carry it out It was then
against the law for any one to leave
Japan without the permission Of the
Shotgun, who was the commander-in-
chief of the armies and who was
practically the ruler The shotgun was
opposed to the clan to which Ito and
Innouye belonged, and they realized
that he would not let them go. So they
ran away without asking. They took a
boat one rainy night and rowed out to
an English ship in the harbor Of Yo
kohama. The ship was just ready to
sail for Shanghai, where they were to
get steamer for London. When they
arrived at Shanghai it was found that
none Of the party could speak English.
Ito, however, knew two words. One of
these was navigation and the other
one London" Their prince had sent
some money to a firm Of English mer-.
chants at Shanghai, with instructions
that the boys be given passage to
London by steamer. But when Ito
over and over again said the words
navigation" and London" pointing
to his friend Innouye az he did 30. the