The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-12-08
JAPANESE ACROBATS.
Manager Sugimonto Chats Very In
terestingIy About Them.

"whnt. sweet little feliow!"


These are some OF the expressions
heard from the ladies who visit Keith's
New theatre this week; and 1T is very
evident that the matinee idor' isn't IN
IL" any more and that his place in the
hearts of the ladies has been captured
by the bright little Japanese boys In
the Okabe troupe of equilibrists and
acrobats.
There are four Of these bright little
lads from the Land of the Rising sun,
ranging from TO IA years OF age ahu
one equally pleasing girl Oh ~, pue
from the difference I'm the cofnPa'a
stature of Japanese and American chil-
dren the outside ages appear TO De not
over 3 and 10. They are undoupteuly
the most wonderful child performers
ever seen in this country, iar surPass-
ing any who have preceded then III
the ease and grace OF their moNemehtS
and i'm their charms OF manner, as Wen
as i'm the remarkable nature or their
acts: and the confidence they display
I'm the steadiness of nerve OF their par
ents Is touching indeed.
Thomas Sugimoto the manager or the
troupe, is a most intelligent Japanese
gentleman, formerly silk merchant III
his native land, who first came TO TINS
/ country IA years ago; and he speaks
English with fuency, elegance ana
| correctness, with just touch OF proheh
| accent. that is delight to listen 10,
while his manners have the poiish oi
| a Chesterfield, and he adapts himseh
! with the utmost readiness 10 the re-
ouirements of any position in when ne
is placed. .,,. ,,i,b every
Japanese troupe that has visited Amer
ica," said Mr.. Sugimoto and TINS one
| is without any exception. the best OF
1 ,,.at,nhpr nf III Ia "a star, as
Won call them. something you have not
| found i'm other troupes; and the chii-
dren are by far the most accomplished
and remarkable juvenile performers
that ever left our land. They nave
been here only since last July; anu
| Though this Is their first engagement IN
| a theatre. everywhere they have peeh
they have aroused an amount or en-
thusiasm and excited interest that are
surprising TO me. in view or the num-
Der of Japanese troupes that nave come
! over here Their acts, however, are
yerv largely new and different from
those before presented here, and tney
are very much more difficult and Won
werful.
"The costumes are all new. also. and
the most costly ever worn py such
troupe. They are all hand embroiaereu co,
and YOU could not duplicate them toi
ss5 900 Several individual costumes
cost $500 each, and the embroidery ol
n single design on one or them requireo
a months time, at an expense ot slZo
: while FIVE men were employed foui
months i'm making the entire outht' Al
the apparatus Is new also
I Little Kiyoshi the contortionist
t over whom your ladies rave, as yo'
= call II. is but years old, and has Deei
t only eight months acquiring his pres
4 ent proficiency. Toki. his brother, j
> but 10; Ume is II, and his brother, Rehe
i hs. OriF
4 forms on the ladder balanced on ne
= fathers shoulder, Is II. They are al
= very bright and intelligent children
n but that is what we japanese intend a.
our children shall be. for. you kno"
v they are all required now TO aftend a
d English school under Japanese teach
Il ers three years so that we hope tina
|. in n few years English will be spoke
q | almost as generally and as nuently
d ali our people as is their own tongue
"a We have great admiration Tor TN
l. country, and regard ii very much as
O child regards it's father; and, thoug
= we never lose our veneration Tor IN
" Flowery Kingdom, you VIII hnd Una
20 all the Japanese now in this repuDl
are reluctant to return home, unless
10 be TO lend their efforts to spreading III
10 benign influences and enlightenment
pr of American CIVILIZATION aiiohs w
III own people,
"Why do we have japanese teache
to I'm our English schools, you ask. SIN
"a | ply because we are very kind ana ~
a. tient with our children. your mi
sionary teachers. while very excehe'
and worthy men ana women, are ~
able TO appreciate the difficulties IN
e. confront our children in studying En-
l. | Itch and often are impatient WI
" them: and we find that our childr'
he make very much better progress una
n our own teachers who are graduates
t. English schools, as am.
he 1--WE carry the same KINDNESS az
as natience into our treatment of the en-
do dren in these performances, aiso'
on know. this kind OF performances is
a garded quite differently In our cou
ch | try and in yours. At home II IS
about the same plane as your lootoa
he | baseball. cricket, golf and other spol
n ~sonoethiny into which the childr
n ontar naturally and in which they
"a with each other without being in q
he wav urged to 1t. As result. IN
never come to regard IL. even thou
to they come TO this country III suCh
81 troi,ne as work. but rather as p;
led | time which they enjoy thoroughly, a
ia from which ! have never known
ted | INJURIOUS results TO follow, whlch
to | can hardly say of some OF your Anne
to can pastifnes. - A,
nat "No. we don't begin to train TN
uld | when they are paples, hpsoIu. h
,el nothing is done to cultivate SUPP
ness or agility from their birth up.
MANY Americans suppose. They 81
IN iust like other children. and al
they are 4 or years OF age they
permitted to begin the simplest OF IN
- pastimes: but they do II. underst'
dnu me. only from the natural inclina'
all 10 pastimes not With view TO max
w II i'm any sense an employment. L
lew are not deliberately trained and ur
Dad through a course Of preparation
irg public performances. They are. lef'
follow their own inclinations and pie
ah' ure. care being taken that they s.
at not overtax or strain themselves
avs emulation of other children, just
- american parents would look a
their children when they begin 10
yed ticipate in athletic diversions or
u III times. -.
These whom we have brought
,an- this country. therefore. are not prof
as iorally trained performers. as YOU !
ian: nose. hut simply children selected Z
Kit | hundreds OF others as being the !
Ry- nroficient to be found in the
sey, search throughout Japan-undouDt
4 brought