The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
THE JAPANESE IN HAWAII.
HARD WORKERS WHO STICK To-
GETHER AND CLING TO
THEIR CUSTOMS.

n rev variety OF Tr~aups-Mnitary TraininE
ana DartnG-R anny or the bahorers Learn
tag Enthusiastically hmonE T~heHn-Thcir
Apttude 20 the Annexation Question
WARRINGTON, Nov. 13.-More is likely TO DO
heard soon about tho Japanese in Hawaii. AT
present the attitude Of the Mikado's Govern
mont 10 pacific, but that does 10. mean indif.
ference to lite subjects. Tho protest hled
against annexation viii fail, yet tho Japanese
Ministry hopes TO gain concessions from the
United States which will give the Japanese q
favored position as compared with tho chi
Nose. They arc In Hawaii to stay q good many
years, no matter whit the legislation OF this
country may be. Their national traits may BIO
seen to disadvantage in Honolulu and to adj
vantage on tho big island of Hawaii.
The umbrella habit ia q striking characters
tic OF the Japanese. Along the coast where tho
rainfall averages twelve inches a month, and
where the umbrella Is Of as much use as q parasol
in q cyclone. he is never found without 1t. But
over on tho dry side of the island, where dust
and sand take the place of rain, he clings TO IL
with tho samo affection. And crossing the
lava desert tho umbrella is invariably his chief
belonging, next to tho wator bottle. Tho Pc
culiar thing, too. Is that most of the umbrellas
sro Of American make. While the Japanese
in Hawaii is intensely national, his patriotism
does not go so far as to exclude everything
tDub CUmN " III ShitOu ths0o-
Tho wandering habit is also pronounced.
The Japanese tramp is to be met everywhere
on tho island, but no Is not q tramp In tho
ordinary meaning Of the word. He is always
supplied with enough to insure him a lodging
and meals and sake, or drink. At old man Gallo
ways Half. Way House, in the midst of tho lava
desert, tho patronage OF Japanese tramps en-.
ables tho place to BIO kept open. Otherwise 1t
would BIO closed, for old mar Galloway does
-. - ..s,.s.., ,-1 ,,1,,~b 20 Gnpn nm INN
without somebody coming along to eat his
chickens and sweet potatoes and honey. He
has q Japanese cook, who is tho man Of all
work about the place and divides the good
things of old man G%alloway's larder impartially
between his own countrymen and the few
white people who once in q great while come
that way.
This tramping habit OF the Japanese seems
to be ingrained. They move from the sugar
plantations to the coffee lands. from the coffee
lands to tho sections Of the country where tho
Government is building roads. Apparently,
their movements arc aimless. They greet
each other as they pass, tell what the prospect
Of work Is. and go along contentod. Latterly
they have been showing moro disposition to
leave tho sugar plantations. They prefer to
work in "huis." or companies, on the roads
where they can get employment, or in clearing
the coffee lands. These ''huis" are joint stock
. concerns, in which tho drone shares the
profits equally with the industrious laborer.
The coftee planters bargain with tho head
man and that is tho end Of it on their part. Tho
road contractors do tho same. After tho bar
gain Is made the pay is distributed among the
members of tho 'hui'' by tho man they have
selected to act for them They are agrees
eiyo and united. The overseers on the plan
tations found long ago that II one Jap was to
BIO disciplined by physical punishment 1t was
necessary to whip tho whole gang. Under
those circumstances few complaints are heard
of tho maltreatment Of Japanese laborers.
1t 10 hard to determine how many of these
Japanese have seen actual war. but the major
fly Of them have tho military instinct strongly
developed. All, Of course, have performed tho
compulsory military service which their Gov
eminent exacts from its subjects. Some of
them have clearly had further experience.
One may meet scores of Japanese tramps cross
Ing the lava beds and along the trails through
i tine fSTssts :rm m9o %o sIs Z enovii Instead I't n tho M ssssss
{ bottle Of tho ordinary wayfarer; Many Of
them, too, swing along with a mil military ,Hy stride
n ness e@rp : nsqs' T TsrP parsid aIssa " %ere s otRer
iS ocaIi trsdsrs 81 Fee %e of them were rosd 1sS;or aas
or hired plantation hands. The feast consist
which were eaton with chopsticks. Sake was
the favored drink, but the greatest moderation
After toasts had been drunk to Yamataga, the
giver of the feast, m~errymaking, followed.
s miFisnss d G9Rss that Wsf SroRP IaSStsd out but th It w srsst ths
All tho motions Of the new recruits drill. show.
ing tho fresh soldiers awkwardncss as com.
Seeomp @ni" mt with ~fts'f his f h Piay to his 'H lips,
sponded to by the whole company. AEuba,
the 9ve posU on ~ ppe;iSg a : Ed pdIaSn dsa On,a wa.
in The war with China. Not quite. under.
standing the question; he said with animation
t txeH ~S Wien %s0 L . ~as explained Gi so9 hat Rsl' ait that si
was sought was information about former sol
diSrs ,no Aku SS,srt face f dol +. H Hs,n ssid n there y w e.
island; probably not more than onoin a hundred
hid taken part in that struggle. Never
The Japanese in .Hawaii are noted for theil
recklessness; Nothing is too big or too dan
coffee plantations their indifference to human
life gives the owners much anxiety; Wher'
possible to make them take ordinary precau
lions, A tho same time they they, clear Ia, land L:ly w 4
iongshoreman. At Hilo u Japanese hui want
ed 70 set the contract for unloading a scho9ne
with lumber. Tho men agreed to do the worl
for half OF what the native Hawaiians were re
lilo. The lumber has to be unloaded in tn,
breakers end towed ashore by longshoremer
were forced 10 give up the job, 1t was the on
thing they could not do. Another thing ,whicl
the Japanese have not learned Is to saddle tn
horse. They ride badly when they ride at al
while tho natives take to the horse as NATURAL
as n Western cowboy.
Nevertheless tho Japanese will not hesitat
for Il moment about saddling the animal. Ant
the result is certain TO be disaster to the rider
Their confidence in their own ability, to d
anything. is in some. instances laughable.,
visitor at a mountain settlement remarke
that his watch was out of order. His hos
esked IL he cared to havo 1t repaired by
blacksmith, and took him to the wayside shOI
where a field hand was shooting u horse. Whe
the host told the blacksmith that the waite
needed mending tho workman took 1t u
without the least hesitation, pried open tn
case, and perhaps would have placed II on III
anvil had the visitor not interfcred. 1t nevt
occurred to him that If he could shoe a hors
he could not mend n watch.
The Japanese field hands almost without @!
ception read and write their own tongul
Many Of them pore over English books in the
camps NJ night. 1t Is not an unusual sight
find them with a grammar. a dictionary, an