The sun., 1900-07-22
PRAYER SYMBOLS ~ NEW YORK.
A Pulling Discovery Msde by . Japanese
Traveller in This CITY.

Some of the travellers who wander over tho
face OF the earth and return TO America to write
their impressions of foreign countries from II
point Of view peculiarly their own turn out In
formation about those countries that must 81 cm
70 the residents thereof weird and unwhole-
soms If il ever meets their eyes. On the other
hand the foreign press sometimes gels even by
printing impressions Of America from its trav-
elled CORRESPONDENTS. New York IA. OF course.
the Mecca OF these gentlemen and their obser-
vations OF the metropolis. which occasionally
drift back here, make interesting reading. On
this order is an excerpt from a japanese news
paper, a translation Of which was recently sent
to gentleman in this city In letter from an
American resident 10 Japan. The writer Of
the newspaper article in describing the relx-
ious ceTemonials OF the AInoricans wrote thus:
"One OF the strange things which noted in
New York and saw In no other part OF the coul-
try was the prevalence Of the paper or card
board pray ers hung upon tho doors and windows
Of dwellings,. These are all 10 one form and are
not unornamenta. They seem to be- used by
all classes, but are more common In the crowded
districts where the poor live hundreds under a
einyls roof. than in the higher class streets. l
have even seen them on store frontS. some
somstimes' % ' for days. There appears TO bs ~ no (,
rule regulating the time OF display. Each OF
the prayers Is crimson square with sing ulsr.
made up OF curves, in the middle Of the card
This character is OF pure white. From what
could learn 1t has somo deep Religious and lnys-
tica sig nihcance. Its presence however. has
no resu aiming ehec. on those 10 its yioinlty. /
have often observed crowd OF drunken brawl-
ers shouting and scuniins about the entrance
dcoT. wager ~aSh sgnSo ed
less was much imIressed by the widespr cad
religious feeling evihoed By The number Of these
the 4meiicans and New YoTters IN pasticulaa sSS %
were inclined 10 be OF an rrellgious tendency,
When l questioned people about the natureof
specifically. This set down TO the char acter-
istic vetioence of the American upon all spiritual
matters. believe. however, that the placards
are prayers for exemption from disease and Ill
The American in Japan. who is something
Of "a Japanese scholar. sat down. when he en-
tcla. read 1t through carefully twice and
thought deeply and powerfully without coming
TO any satisfactory, conclusion. He had him
and he remembered nothing that answered
the description OF the japanese traveller.
Some time later he CHANGED to be at a public
dinner where one Of the guests was distin-
guished traveller who. he WAS informed, was
about to prepare book on America. There
was his man. the American decided at once
and when he fell into conversation with him
he found the surmise was correct.
As soon as got an orening. the American
writes In his letter, Il opened up on him and
told him how his article in the paper had brought
back the true New York atmosphere to me.
Then | asked him about tho paper prayers,
told him that they were n now development
since I'd been back, and II the saloons Lad got
religion l wanted TO know what the brand was
We'll, he tried to explain just what the things
looked like but couldn't get clue Finally,
asked him II he couldn't draw pattern Of
the thing At that he remembered that he
had copy Of the design III his note book at
Ids home and sad he'd be very glad to repro
duce II and send II TO me. In n couple Of days
II came, and 1t didn't take me but one short
glimpse to recognize II.
What do you think that Intelligent jap Ind
run Gloul Of? Why. on Of those \. X. slgns
In ilOuriShy monogram style that the house
oN nnrs hang ont uf the windows at home 10
notify Tie authorities WHEN they have paper
and refuse to ha removed! Prayer symbols
widespread religious feeling. Wouldn't that
Jar you or your kopie' Yet. you know. when
mystic and symbolic enough 70 be taken for
slmost anything. ! didn't tell his travelling
hope that he makes chapter Of the thing In |
his book and puts In an Illustration N oolnsA