The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-11-17


Japan,with Interesting Side Trips
Courtesy of MIR. S. S. Lyon,
U. S. Consul at Osaka, and Mrs.
Lyon.
interesting letters have been received
from Mrs. Samuel Cochran nee Miss
Margie Watts, who with her husband,
DR.. Samuel Cochran and Mr.. and Mrs
James B. Cochran, left Morristown in
August for China, where they are to
engage in mission work
S. S. Empress of Japan.
On the Pacific.
Sept. 2nd
1t is Saturday morning and the most
beautiful day we have had. Our
voyage has been uneventful--though
pleasant on the whole-especiall one
day when the sea was high and
racks were on the tables.
We are now within two days of see
ing Japan and then little later
China-and finally home-how de-
lightful it will be to settle down and
begin work in earnest. We have been
sailing along the coast of Japan since
noon, and have also seen some native
junks.
Yokohama,
Myanoshita, Sept. 6.
Since reaching Japan we have been
having one delight after another.
After seeing about our luggage we
hoped into 'rickshas" and were
speeded through the streets of Yoko-
hama by dusky legged coolies wear
ing scant costumes and crowned with
things resembling wash basins turned
upside down. The narrow streets and
low houses and above all, the fascinat-
ing Japanese women and children
filed us with pleasure.
The men started out on Tues
day and decided to take us on two
days trip to the mountains This
meant another jolly ride in "rick-
shas'' to the station where we took
funny little make-believe train to
Kozu. The journey through the
country was lovely. The native houses
all have thatched roofs and are little
platform affairs of only one story.
The streets were alive with children,
little girls with babies strapped on
their backs for which, they were ap-
parently unconcerned while their
heads bobbed round in an ideal
"Delsarte" state of relaxation.
Arriving at Kozu, we took a train
more villages and rice fields-the rice
itself growing low like the people.
Finally we reached Yumoto from
where we were to ascend the noun
tain for an hour The men tramped--
we ladies took "rickshas - The as
cent was so steep we had to have one
ooolie to pull and another to push
how they did grunt-I realized it was
what they were accustomed to do and
when we asked them to stop and rest,
they were much amused. The journey
up the mountain in the growing
darkness seemed to enhance the
beauty. 1t seemed like a shadow
world with its hiding peaks-visible
only as we came near-and the rush
ing mountain streams far below us.
Here and there all the way up we
passed little tea houses when sud
denly we found ourselves at the end
of our trip, Myanoshita, and greatly
to our surprise an imposing hotel
filled largely with stylish guests.
Yokohama, Sept. 8th.
| Soon after our arrival at Myanoshita
up in the mountains, we started ON
an all day trip, taking in Lake Ha-
kone and Ojigoku (Big Hell). we
ladies rode in chairs, the men walked
The chairs are carried by four coolies
every little while they give grunt
and quick as flash exchange poles
the chairs ride pretty easily except
coming down hill on jog trot, when
one might as we'll be kernel of corn
in pepper. AS we went up hill and
down dale we passed many images
and shrines-one carved in the rock
of Dai Butz-many natives passed us
| in inf iOt11
| can understand how, to a certain
class, living expenses are small. We
reached Hakone in time for lunch
and had a table set out by the lake
which is very beautiful-the hills
sloping down to the waters edge-af-
ter tiffin" lunch) we got some boat
men to ply us the length of the lake
in their queer scow-lize boats-we
simply flow along-they standing cat
a-cornered in the stern welding their
great ungainly paddles. Leaving the
boats we began the homeward trip
and it was then we found ourselves
in the midst of Ojigoku (Big HelD.
1t is said to be a crater. it is such a
barren, bad-smelling place, one can
believe anything about it. We were
glad to get back to the hotel at My
anoshita. Next morning bright and
early we started for visit to the
Island Of Enoshima-where is a cave
of psychological fame. First we had
ride down the mountain in Rick
sha,' then a ten mile ride on
tram, to Kozu, where we took
the train-walking along the station
platform we were suddenly stopped
by guard and looking to see why
for, " discovered that there were
quite number of high class Japanese
occupying that end of the platform
and in front were three chairs, one of
which was occupied by little girl
to her many of these well-dressed men
and women and one venerable looking
old man were paying much attention.
When we stopped at the next station
we saw and heard hundreds of little
girls and boys with bowed heads
screeching at the tops of their voices
the most unholy sounds. Making en-
quires we then learned our little
friend was little princess and these
were school children singing the ma
tional anthem in her honor. | wish
could draw picture of the little
maiden as she popped up in the car
window looking for all the world like
little scared rabbit. Her costume
was of bright cerise crepe. Arrived
at Enoshima we got a funny old