The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1897-10-16
Prices Very Reasonable
for Service.
Picturesque and Familiar Scenes
in the Shops Along the
Streets.
Especial Correspondence ]

lopCSiol
EDITOR P. c. Awe left Yoko-
hama September %, having finished
our touring to the north Of that city,
and planning now to visit Myanoshita,
Kyoto and Osaka before taking the
steamship Gaelic at Kobe for the In
land Sea, Shanghae and Hong Kong.
AS the competition of various steamer
lines between Yokohama and Hong
Kong is greater than the amount of
travel, the additional cost of a round
trip ticket to Hong Kong beyond the
cost to Yokohama is ridiculously small
in consequence.
1t was one of the few pleasant days
we have had during our stay in Japan,
and one of the many festival days of
the Japanese. Yokohama streets were
gay with flags, every store displaying
the red circle on a white ground, flut-
tering from bamboo pole, surmounted
by gilt ball. Many passengers on our
train seemed to be leaving Yokohama
for days outing in some of the sea-
side resorts. We wound our way
around the city, going slowly at first,
as men were at work on the track,
doubling it's capacity. The sides of the
hills, newly cut away, were being sod
ded, men on bamboo ladders, pegging
long strips of sod on the slOping cut.
The railroads in Japan are very SUBJ
stantially built The stations are of
uniform design. A graveled platform
on each side OF the road, elevated
about three feet above the track,
which nobody is allowed to cross from
side to side, but must ascend tall stair
cases and so cross by bridges over the
tracks. Equal care is taken with the
telegraphs. Every pole is capped with
a conical piece of tin, and has wire
for lightning conductor.
We left the main road at Kodzu, aft
er a two-hours' ride. We transferred
ourselves and our baggage to tram
cars, and after half an hours waiting,
started off for an hours ride along the
village street, and then along the bank
of the Hay Kawa, "Hurrying
Stream" to Yamoto, where the ascent
to Myanoshita begins For the remain
der of the II miles from KodZu, we
rode in jinrikishas over such a noun
tain road as one finds in making
trip to the White Mountains. But
three coolies to each jinrikisha rushed
us up to the Fujiya Hotel in an hour.
The vehicles pitched and rolled as bad
l. ~ Ia 1o1y y; 10
mel, but we were welcomed on arrival
by the host and his family, whom we
left to settle with the coolies, while
we sought the comfort of pleasant
corner room in the second story. The
coolies were inclined to be impudent,
asking money to buy sake. 1t is get
ting to be more common than it used
to be for these men to disregard the
amenities of life, and make travel dis
agreeable by their demands outside OF
the regular tariff laid down by law.
We have been fortunate in the rooms
we have had in the different hotels.
Corner rooms, with plenty Of light,
make life much more endurable than
in dark inner rooms during the many
cloudy days we have experienced on
this tour In fact, every one says that
this is an exceptionally rainy season
But with the thermometer at 81 degrees
in the house, a sea-coal fire in the room
il; necessity as much as luxury
Travelling is not expensive in Japan
Railroad fares are not high, 60 sen (3C
cents) for first-class passengers Is
miles from Yokohama to Tokyo; los
miles to Nikko for 3.23 Cor S1.62), 81
miles to Kyoto for 9.33 (s461). Sec.
ond-class fares are two-thirds of these
rates, and third-class only one-third
as much. Even in first-class cars smok.
ing is allowed, except in a few, where
there are three compartments and the
middle one bears the sign, mo Smok.
ing
We found at Karuizawa the Manpe
Hotel very much like country tav-
ern in the States, yet we paid $50