The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-16
PRICE FIVE CENTS.

t$1.75) per day. The Grand Hotel at
Yokohama is regular American cara
vansery; the highest price for room
and board is $3.50 per day. This Fu-
jiya Hotel is as satisfactory as any we
have found. The table is we'll served.
the cooking Is in dainty French style.
and indeed the cooks at all the hotels
claim to be French cooks. Afternoon
tea at 4 o'clock is served in the rooms;
and If the Royal Hawaiian Hotel Is to
cater to Oriental travel this must be
one Of the customary things to be done.
The ride in the tram car past the
open fronts of stores and houses was
interesting as giving glimpses into
japanese home life and work. Wash
ing was done In the open streamlet
that runs by the side of every Japanese
street in the country towns. Instead Of
ironing, however, the wet clothes were
spread fat on smooth boards, and left
to dry, very much as handkerchiefs
are washed and spread on window
panes by some of our knowing women
folk at home. The rude loom in which
the blue hOmespun of Japan Is woven
was to be seen in some dwellings. Jap
anese tailors in sewing seams held the
CLOlu LduI Wy a CUi uOOhcu lutO lU0
steam and held fast by the toes. Grain
and meal stores displayed on trays
different kinds and qualities, and the
dealers were busy sitting their stock
and picking out specks. All sorts Of
wares were to be seen In the long street
through which we passed, the stores
for fish, or dry goods, or crockery. or
ironware adjoining each other in
strange confusion.
We find this hotel adorned with
carvings in wood on the gable of the
entrance and along the caves. In fact,
this district of Hakene makes a spec
ialty of inlaid w0odenware, boxes. ta-
bles, chess-boards, and an endless va
riety Of smaller articles to tempt the
tourist to invest his superfluous silver
or paper money. After various trials,
the Government and capitalists OF
Japan have succeeded in giving the
people reliable currency. That fur
nishing paper money is profitable is
evident from the statement in Satur-
days paper that 4 banks declared over
20 per cent dividends for the first half
year, over so, 8 over 40, IL over 80,
81 over 20. Japan is the country for
cheap money; yet it does not make 1t
the paradise for the laborer that some
of our American demagogues assert
that cheap money will for the poor peo-
pie of the United States. One cannot
but notice how many boys and how
many old men are hard at work earn
ing the merest pittance.
We are in mountain region cleft
into deep alleys-chasms they might
more properly be called-in every d.
rection. The mountain sides are not
wooded, as a general thing, but are
green with verdure that seems of lit
tie use for any other purpose. Warm
springs, carrying various saline ingred-
tents, sulphur springs. iron springs,
are numerous. In this particular local.
ity, Immediately IN the rear of the ho-
tel, are warm springs that give the
place it's special attraction. The water
is conducted into bath rooms, having
foundation walls of stone, but all else,
tubs, floors, partition, of unpainted
wood. The tub is filled full, and as
you step in and lie down, the water
Overfows on all sides. You can in
crease the heat by adding hot water,
or cool it off by turning on cold water
AS chemical analysis shows a little
salt and soda, it is difficult to say what
medicinal value there is. But Japanese
have great faith in these hot springs.
They cannot imagine why merely pure
mountain air and mountain scenery
should induce so many foreigners to
go every year to Karuizawa instead of
flocking to strong-smelling, parboiling
sulphur springs. 1t has proved pleas
ant sojourn to myself here at Myano-
shita. / have got rid of troublesome
cough, and found abundant time to
rest and do nothing. H.
Myanoshita, September 26, 1897.