The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-05-10
FROM JAPAN.
Very Interesting Letter From
Prof E. H Vickefs.

the casnfry aid Inc ireainient he
/ HISS RECEIVED Dascsns tiirls are
i,eftvhtfai ',tnsr very piea~iig Ex-
tsri4.nrss avE hs hasa -isniEei N
/ soaFt > to -srsng s.. Wee yir-
/ giui ireare'i s'sF si-s''d IN that
far OF sos.
A hitter AIS r. ,is,sl "a lew days
ago fsasn 10 + H. Nickcr- AT To-
ki0. ial,af. eltieii has made Il record
/ 10 crossing tie aeean The letter
was written on tin. 18th of April aud
mailed at Toxic on the next day
reaching Morgantown seventeen
DAYS afterward To do this it crossed
the Pacific Ocean and the North
American continent. Alter this feat
jules Verne with his eighty day trip
around the world will have TO take
hack seat The letter which is
most interesting one is as follows;
1t has been difficult for me to inn
agine that have spent a winter
here There has been no intense cold,
and the weather has, for the most
part, been little more hard than it
ordinarily is Ia April in your climate.
1 There have been green trees and
blossoming flowers through It all,
verdure in real profusion. Market
gardening has continued without In
terruption in the vicinity, very like
in June at home. Plum blossoms
were out month ago, and the cherry
blossom season is at its very climax
at this writing. You cannot conceive
the real beauty OF the cherry blossoms
OF Japan. They have variety, a
density, profusion Of blossoms that
are scarcely conceivable TO one who
has not seen them. 1t is for japanese,
who love nature, the joyous season.
They wander out to the popular cherry
groves, stroll about, or Toll around
drinking In the quiet joys to which
even the foreigner who beholds them
seems to remain In great measure
insensible. You must think Of them
not as of other people whom you have
seen, but as gentle, amiable, rather
timid people, small Of stature, tawny
skinned, and clad in very queer gar
ments. The women and children
have peculiar grace and timid charm
and they are rather fond of bright
colored garments, particularly at this
| season.
| have been very kindly received by
| the japanese They have special
faculty for doing things to make a
guest comfortable and contented.
| The President, of the University,
some six weeks ago, gave me Jap
anese dinner at the Maple Club, the
finest restaurant in Toxic, where l
met some fifteen or twenty prominent
japanese. Two weeks ago Mr..
Fukuzawa, son Of the founder of the
Keogijuku, and joint proprietor with
his brother of the leading japanese
daily paper, 1.-THE Jill Shimpo," gave
me an elegant dinner at the 'sTok iyia"
restaurant. / met there Baron Tos-
aki, the wealthiest japanese, worth
near ole hundred millions Mr..
Obura, wealthy philanthropist, who
founded a commercial school and re-
Gently gave it half million-Presi-
dent Tomanoto of the Bank of Japan,
Mr. Takahoshi, Vice President of
same, and other persons OF high posi-
tion. Last week | attended Cherry
Blossom Party and dinner at the sub
urban villa of Mt Obura. There
were nearly one hundred guests, all
rather distinguished. Among them
were Marquis Ito, the greatest of
Japanese statesmen, Gen Viscount
Aeyama, hero of Port Arthur, Wis
count Enomots, Viscount Watanabe.
My left hand neighbor at dinner was
Mr.. Soyeda, Vice Minister of Finance,
who speaks English well and was my
interpreter
The character of one of these din
ners is Uncomfortable to Westerner
The chief guest of honor always my
self except at Mr.. Obura's is seated at
the head of the hall, other guests
ranging around the room to right and
left according to rank, the host at the
end. All are seated on cushions on
the soft mats either Japanese of Gypsy
fashion being permissible. A small
box filed with ashes and with char
coal embers in the middle, charcoal
stove is placed between each two
guests. The service is performed by
"Geisha,n trained girls. The food is
brought from the front on a large tray
and nlaced in front of Won. The
Geisha kneels-Japanese fashion-im-
mediately in front of you and remains
there throughout the meal, serving
you and anticipating your least want
lin the most graceful and charming
wav. They are trained entertainers
ind know how to amuse one who
cannot even understand the language
at least to some extent. The dinner
begins with cnp of tea. no sugar nor
milk. There are SOUP, raw fish of
different varieties. cooked fish. pickles.
neculiar cakes. sometimes more soun
and sort, of norridpe and rice with
fruit. It is all literally seasoned
with ssbetween drinks USUALLY nv
exchange of Guns between pnests.
which IS here a nolite custom.
The dinner lasts four to six hours
and is enliyened nv music which Won
cannot understand and NAV not an
nreciate and most wonderful dancing
by the Geisha. This dancing consists
/ in graceful movements manvo of which
reveal an amazing command and
skillful use of the human muscles.
Ttwas the most novel and neculiarlv
delicious sensation I ever eynerienced
tn dine Jananese fashion for the first
time forget RI saw that. eating is
|