Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-09-26
EMPORAR WIVES
SUPPLIED.

Washington Post: 1.-The marvellous prog
ress of Japan during the last quarter of IA
century reminds me of the time when /
frSt saw that country when il was first
beginning to open it's eyes to the outside
world"
The speaker was a guest at one of the
Washington hotels. and as he had a record
as a globe trotter he had been asked to
tell a few of his experiences.
THE stransest chapter in my life was
written i'll Japan he continued. Most of
you who have known me for % years never
thought that l had been married. Well, I
was once. or thought | was, and the worst
part Of the whole thing is that l loved the
woman. 1t wouldn't have been so bad if I
hadn't. No, l am not going to get senti-
mental. and tell YOU my troubles. You can
go if you want to, but l warn you that if
you do you will miss one of the rarest tales
you ever heard of.
1t was in the early sixties. Good old
Commodore Perry had brought about the
quasi treaty with the United States several
years before. The Shogunate still held the
reins over the destiny Of the empire, for it
was not until the revolution of 1868 that
the Shotgun was defeated, and the Mikado
placed flrmly on the throne. Foreigners
were not especially well received, and
strange as 1t may seem. Americans and
tnsllshmen were the least liked of all, in
spite OF the fact that the treaties had been
f1rst concluded with them. But Yokohama
was open to us, and it was there that l
Went. | was looking around for invest
ments OF some sort. l did not know what.
| had plenty of money, enough to seem a
real fortune to the inhabitants of the
island of Nippon. or whatever you care to
eau IT, Yokohama was a c~osmopo!itan
place.. The sailors and tradesmen of all
the world were there, and at the time it
looked like a gigantic trading booth. In
the course of time we made the inhabitants
understand that we had come to stay, and
then We got along famously.
LEASE ON A WIFE.
"They We're especially kind to us poor
homeless foreigners in one respect. They
We're willing to provide us with wives.
Talk about your maria ges of convenience.
Ihey don't compare with the ones solemn
lzed IN those lays between the transient
foreigners and the japanese girls. There
was an institution at that time known as
temporary marriages. When a sailor came
into port. or any other man for that mat
ter, all he had to do was to go to the mar
riage brokers and tell them that he wanted
a wife. They would fit him out in short
the foreigner leaving the place. The mar
rage broker was somewhat the same sort
or individual who advertises his business
in this country. He charges a commission
from the foreigner, which was always pay
able on delivery of the goods and the SOL
emnization of the rites.
THE girls who contracted these mar
riages We're from the middle classes of
Yokohama, and belonged to parents in va
rious vocations. They by no means lost
caste through having formed one of these
them married men in their own station in
life after their European lovers had left
them. Tn Japs seemed to think that it
was not good for man to be alone, and
they supported the custom by the most
hearty recognition. All that a man was
expected to do was to take care of his
temporary wife, clothe her and see that
her wants We're supplied. He was not COM
PEELED to give her any money, although he
usually did. The parents were thus relieved
of the burden of the girls care, and
well off.
-! had heard of the custom. but I paid
little attention to the talk concerning it.
barely %. l had travelled all over the
world. and nationality had begun to cut
very, little figure with me. l had about
concluded to settle down in Yokohama and
establish myself as a broker. for l saw
that the future opportunities We're great.
FELL IN LOVE-.
zone day l was walking along the streets
of the city and l noticed the prettiest little
Japanese girl ever saw. Don't blame me
than a third of d century ago. | could see
from her attire that she was from the
middle class, and | followed her into one
of the tea stores. l found out that she
was employed there, and that she was not
married. l saw her again on the street,
but she did not appear to notice me. To
make a long story short, ! decided that 7
was in love with her, and that | would
marry her. if such a thing We're possible.
The proprietor of the tea store could not
speak English, but l understood from what
little japanese | knew that, in spite of her
apparent coyness, the young lady returned
my esteem.
Il was in a pickle, and decided to go to
one of the marriage brokers. l made my
business known and he said that he u,nI1I
help ME out. He discovered that my mann
orata's name was Sakichi, and that she
would be most happy to become my wife.
/ told him to fix the matter up for me. as
| was afraid that | would bungle it. I
had a good deal of trouble with the bro
ker. He talked execrable English, and I