The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1897-11-02
JAPANESE SPEED
Rushed Down a Mountain in a
DTiZZlilg Rain.
EFFICACY ON A TEN CENT TIP
Disiguring Signs Along
the Railroad.
Ninety-Nine Per Cent of Locomo-
tives Are of English
Manufacture.
Especial Correspondence.

EDITOR P. c. A:
We waited in vain for fair weather
during our stay at Myanoshita. A
trip to Hakone Lake to be taken in
bamboo cages, called Kago by the jap
anese, was on our programme, but it
rained too hard to make the trip either
pleasant or safe. Four coolies carry
the Kago, which is a bamboo seat,
with an awning, suspended from a
bamboo pole, carried by two men in
front and two behind AS the Kago is
usually made for the Japanese, much
smaller than foreigners, and one has
to sit with his feet doubled up, it is
usually very uncomfortable vehicle.
The roads, mere goat paths in some
places, were slippery from the long
continued rain. Indeed, we have hap
pened on very rainy season even for
rainy Japan.
1t was with many misgivings, there
fore, that we decided to leave Myano-
shita, on the Wednesday, September
29. and made arrangements according
ly the night before. We were routed
out of bed at a. m, our breakfast was
served on the verandah, the jinrikis-
has were ready at 5:45 and we started
in drizzling rain. We found these
conyeyances, however, quite comfort
able even in a rain storm. The calech
tops shut down so low as to keep out
the storm, and a blanket and water
proof apron in front protect one from
the dripping wet Our coolies tore
down the mountain without a halt, and
brought US to the tramway station just
as the cars were leaving. But our
coolies with the baggage came on more
deliberately and were some six min
utes behind time.
No persuasion could induce the car
drivers to wait a few moments till our
trunks should come. Here was a fix.
As no one at the station spoke Eng
lish. by much use of sign language we
learned that the next cars would not
go for one hour. That meant our ar
rival at Korzu. if we waited that length
of time, too late for the train to Kyoto,
where the train we expected to take
would arrive at $3.50 p m, and two
hours later train would involve too
late an arrival for the comfort of
friends who were expecting to meet
us. Yankee pluck and push, however,
would not give in TO japanese inactive
" under such circumstances. Their
common proverbs are scattering fog
with a fan" building bridges to the
clouds" dipping up the ocean," as
illustrations of attempting the impos-
sible. There was nothing for us to do
but to attempt to hustle the East F"
An empty car was standing on the
track. by signs manual and by push
manual. a car driver was made to COM
prehend that money would be forth
coming if horses were put to that car
and ourselves and our baggage taken
out of hours to KodZn. So after a
quarter of an hour only had elapsed
we were started on our way. We had
gone but a short distance before we
came to a turnout. There We waited
till the up cars had come along. Then
the driver tried the sign manual, and
making motions as if to whip his horses
then looking back to us and holding
up his hand as if drinking, waited for
a nod of assent Thereupon down
came the whip and away went the
horses on a full gallop, spinning
around curves, jolting over switches,
splashing through the mud, while pro-
longed toots from wooden horn warned
everybody to get out of the way of the
husjlers from the West.
We reached the halfway station just
as the previous cars were about to
leave, and the smile of satisfaction on
that drivers face was worth the ten
cent gratuity bestowed on him for his
share in the programme. We could
not get checks for our baggage, even
though travelling on first-class ticket,
as our baggage when carefully weigh
ed proved to be in excess of the num-
Der of pounds allowed on each ticket
We were given a duplicate receipt,
each piece and its weight being speci-
fed. and were soon on the train speed
ing to Kyoto at the rate of twenty
miles an hour.
We were fortunate in securing two
opposite corners for ourselves and our
hand baggage but not so fortunate in
having for fellow passengers Japanese
who smoked cigars and cigarettes, as
did a young German also who was
travelling. with all the appurtenances
that wealth affords. We had rail-
road ride eleven hours, with no re-
freshment stations en- route. But at
the hotel luncheon had been put up
for us in neat wooden boxes. Boiled
rice and japanese relishes, put up in
similar style, were sold at different
stations; also, fruits, cakes, and con-
fictitious. beer and aerated waters. We
bought at one station a pot of tea and
a cup for three sen, a cent and half,
and found it palatable and refreshing
A paternal government, like the Jap
anese, has surely missed great OPP
portunity in not protecting its public