The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-12-16
A CHRISTMAS SHOPPING TRAGEDY

week, not a few were struck with the
bright looking young Japanese, whose
name was given on the programme as
Sachiro Oida 1t is a safe guess that
none who saw him in the insignificant
part he played imagined for a moment
that he was a scion of an old and we'll
known family in his native country, ana
that he is in receipt of large income
from the parental purse.
Yet such is the case, ana the story of
his life, as told the G 0 b reporter
during the stay of the company in this
city. proves that he is possessed of a
goCSy share of the grit and deternina-
ton which made his ancestors famous
in the days of the Shotgun wars.
His father is a patrician Of the old
school a samurai who holds sacred the
traditions Of old Japan. He regards with
distrust the encroachments of modern
civilization upon the customs IF the times
when HideyOsh and l[ato KyOmasa We're
the idolZGd statesmen and warriors of
the nation. To his thoroughly Oriental
temperament the whir and hustle charac-
terizing the Introduction Of modern meth
DDS are distasteful and to such an ex-
tent did he cherish his dislike for every
thing modern that he would not allow
his sons to attend school where English
was taught.
SachlTo, however, read the newspapers
and was gifted with sufficient penetration
TO see that if he would succeed even
in Japan. he must drink deeply of the
founts of Western knowledge Though
compelled 10 con pOnderOus volumes of
Chinese philosophy and acquaint him
sell with the nicetieS of an antiquated
code of etiquette. accomplishments es:A,n-
tial to The education Of every sa:nurai
in the old days, the lad never relin-
pushed the idea of coming to the United
states Tor the purpose of gaining a lib
eral education, according to American
standards The old-fashioned mansion
IN which his father and several genera
lions Of his ancestors had lived was
situated some thirty miles from the port
OF Kobe, whittier young Oida made pc
l1odlcaI Journeys on visits to his uncle
There he saw ocean liners and railroad
trains.
When he reached the age of twenty,
and his education. according to the no
lions OF his father. was complete, he DC
parted on tip to Toxic, the capital. He
was plentIfully supplied with money. aud
instead OF terminating his journey at the
nau0hal metropolis, he bought a ticket
TOT san francisco. where he landed just
TWO weeks from ehc time he left home.
lie understood nothing OF the Ianeua o.
or the strange country to which he naJ
come and but for the providential faCt
~ InCelinS compariot on the dock, he
be directed to Il hotel
with the assistance of his new found
friend he was socn settled in comfortable
lCuSln2S, and then he sat down and ur0PT
ms parent Il long letter telling every
thlng. The aStOniShment and wrath Of thc
Sslralt-laced old Samural must have heeI,
SIeat, put with the stOicism for which
me japanese are famous he swallowed
his anger and his pride. and sent his how
enough money TO last him a cons;dcra hle
1lme; lie could not bear the Idea Of ~ =
cue Gni pe@IIIg ms name being compelled to
seek menial labor for a living he said.
ana promised to be generous in the mat
ter Of future allowances
,o oacnIro was an apt pupil. He soon
learned enough English to be able tn Oft
along IN sort OF way. and then he ief+
me coast city for New York At Gotham
ne entered preparatory college. and nv
nm I'm r 81 marc work succeeded in passing
llIe HLatllculauon examination into Yale
university, IN a little over four wears.
ms was last summer, and he then pro-
posed attending college this fall One daS
however, While gjancing over a New YoI:l,
paper his eyes happened to catch The
following: 'ile
WANTED a smart Japanese boy r.
take a small part with a theatrical
This was his chance to perfect himself
IN the Nernacu.ar. He would fraJe
everywhere, 'un into all sorts and con.
dltons of mortals. and thus be enabled IN
acquire f1uency Of speech. Hitherto his
purely academic training had given birr
q somewhat sulted and altogether tor
formal vocabulary.
tie lost no time in looking up the adj
dress mentioned in the advertisement
and before the Gay was over he was one
ct the regular members of the con The
quiet company. The part he had "a
take and the fact that he had TO sli!I-
mt 10 being the butt OF the humorous
s3llics Of the hero in the play, did not
please him. Neither did ne like the wav
in which certain young ladies in The
company refused to take him seriously
He was by some regarded in the light If
SrotesqUe, undcr-sized freak. and bI,
others as an Interesting little boy
everything was endured and even when
made the victim of coarse practical
jokes. he wou,d smile good naturediy.
and never bctraY by look or word thai
he would like to fly at their throats
His scheme has been complete. sue
cess. Those who conVersed with him in
this city. know that he has ready COM
mand of English ''as she is spoke" and
he has also found time to master some
of TIE richest gems of current slang.
His ambition, though. burns as fiercelv
as when be first left home and he will
not pursue his course in colloquial Eng
fish NeryN much longer This summer he
intends toNmaster shorthand, typewrting
and fencing: then he thinks he will be
ready to tackle Yale. -Four years at COL