The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1898-09-03
JAPANESE IN NEW YORK.
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They Arc Prosperous and Adhere
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Three hundred Japanese reside In
New York city. They do not live to-
gether in . colony like many other for
eigners. because they are divided by
their interests into distinct classes,
and, in addition, they are wealthy
enough to b able to live wherever they
please.
OF the different classes, says the New
York Herald, the most reserved il COM
posed Of the japanese officials and .
few men most intimately associated
with them. This class naturally cen-
ters, to considerable degree, around
the consul, Naoyemon Hashiguchi The
second class Ia made up largely Of the
students, mostly young men who have
come to this country to learn ito ways
and many Of whom are doing excellent
work in colleges. Then there are the
merchants, representatives Of large
Japanese business houses. Below these
classes is q sort Of fourth estate, made
up Of carpenters, cooks and Wallets,
some Of whom make themselves indis-
pensable on steam yachts.
The Japanese living here are very
American in their ways, and they
eagerly ad opt American customs and
dress. This Is particularly true of the
students, who dress with great elegance
and wish to appear as swell a. the
swellest Of their American college asso-
ciates. Though 30 few in numbers,
they are exceedingly active and ener-
getic. They study all sorts Of business
enterprises and search for ideas to take
back to their own country. In the
business lines in which they have al
ready established themselves they have
cut into the trade of American mer-
chants. An illustration OF this is the
importing Of silk hsudkerchiefs. It
was not many years ago that most Of
these handkerchiefs were made in this
country. Last year there were inn
ported from Japan 1,34s,74s dozen silk
handkerchiefs, valued 1T 8, ,soo, GAG, and
at present nearly all Of these articles
come from Japan. The statistics of the
silk association show that last year
there was imported from Japan Ii, ,7oa
bales of raw silk, valued at g, 0,524, sac,
large proportion Of which entered the
port of New York. In addition In the
same year there we re imported from
Japan 12s, 900 pieces Of silk goods, valued
at $4,074, ,oo3.
Most of the silk imported by the
Japanese is raw silk, on which there 10
no duty. This comes in packages about
three feet long, two feet wide and .
foot and half thick, which are known
rs pickle bales. The bales are encased
in . coarse kind Of Chinese mating.
They weigh 1s3h pounds each. Raw
silk consists Of the long silk threads
twisted into hanks similar to hanks of
yarn. The japanese merchants, most
of whom do business in Greene, Mercer
and Howard streets, and in the whole
sale section Of Broadway, sell the raw
silk 70 the American manufacturers,
who wind It on spindles and dye It, and
then manufacture 1t in their mills,
most Of which are In Paterson and
along the upper west side Of this city.
The japanese merchants also import
large quantities Of tea. Along Broad
way are several importing houses
which bring in all sorts Of japanese
bric-a-brac, Thousands Of delicately
fashioned fans and pieces Of cloth
goods, and vases and urns and what
not. Young men who like to get neck
scarfs little bit different from those
usually found in shops discover some
queer and pleasing ones in these Japa-
nese stores The Japanese are fond
Of putting flower designs into these
scarfs. Some Of them are entirely COW
cred with, tiny chrysanthemums, and
others have little flowers that look like
the four-leaf clover. In one Of the
stores are to be found sets Of very
quaint Japanese fairy stories which
correspond in character to the Mother
Goose and the Tar Baby class. They are
profusely illustrated with highly fanci-
full and grotesque pictures Of dragons
and animal pets. They are printed on
very soft paper, the surface OF which
feels to the fingers very much like the
soft fuzz inside chestnut burr. The
covers are decorated with small illus
trations, and the books are bound with
delicately colored ribbons There are
no American ehildren's books like
them.
The japanese are now trying to form
= - - vuhinh chon sro1u6o all
classes Of their people in this city and
Brooklyn. The idea is to have club
house and courses of lectures on social
and domestic subjects, and in other
ways to carry ont the main ideas Of an
American club. They have now very
small and select club, called the jap
anese union, which is housed at 227
West Twenty-fifth street. About twen-
ty japanese are members OF the club.
The house is fitted with billiard ta-
BILE and other features of typical New
York club. Whenever the japanese
in the city wish to give m official din
ner they give it at this club house.
There they celebrate with grand dim
ner yearly the emperor's birthday, which
comes on November 3. This is the only
holiday they celebrate in their adopted
country.
There ere only about twenty Japan
ese ladies in the city. Tho reason Of
this small number II that most Of the
men are young bachelors who are here
for business purposes, and also that
few Of the married men caks 10 bring
their families over with them. Several