The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-25
JAPANESE SERVANTS.
Sometimes They Happen to Be
Princes In Disguise.

In the navy, Japanese servants are priz-
ed above all others, but on land they seem
to have their drawbacks. Jeanette Glider.
writing In the Critic" says: "a lady,
talking to me about servants the ether
day. said that she liked the Japanese let
ter than any other for many reasons nut
that even they had their drawbacks, One
being that they did not like to stay in
the country after October l, and SO many
of them were college undergraduates. 1
| have a Columbia junior in my dining
room said she. and a Harvard divinity
student in my kitchen AT the present time I:
| but that is not all. A short time ago l
| had a chamberlain and waiter who was
| highly recommended to me by fellow
| japanese who had lived with him before.
He was nice-looking little fellow. but
| not a very good servant. for his mind
| seemed to be on other things rather than
his work. And then he would ask me such
| profound questions, l really could not an
| swe- them; and he always had book In
| his hand. even when he was making the
| beds. Finally had 20 tell him that, much
| as liked him in many ways, should be
obliged to let him go. "All right" he said,
and to my surprise he went that very day,
while I was out, without waiting for his
money. AS money is usually the thing
that they work for 1 wondered and waited.
Hearing nothing from him, / wrote TO the
japanese through whom had engaged him,
making a particular point OF the unpaid
wages. The man wrote back not to worry
about that; that my former chamberlain
and waiter was not In need OF money; that
he was a prince who had come to America
TO travel and observe; that he was going
to write book on our manners and Gus
toms. and thought that the best way TO
learn them was to live in an American
household Since then I have been partic-
uiar to ask my Japanese servants whether
they are princes in disguise or only di-
vinity students
THE writer was once on Government
ship where the servants were Japanese,
and noticed that the wardroom boys were
much in awe of the berth deck cook. 1t
developed that the berth deck COOK was
samurai one of the old sword-bearing
class, the knights of Japan, while the
wardroom boys belonged to the merchant
class. The ship berth deck cook had,
few days previously mysteriously disap-
reared; when the cooks absence was COM
mented upon strange Jap stepped up,
with the remark, Me do Tony's
work There was consultation of the
mess. and. as Tony seemed to nave van
ished completely and the strange Jap
seemed a capable servant, 1t was agreed ;
to let him go on and await Developments.
In day or SO n sailor reported that lie
had seen the missing Tony on board an
other ship lying at the yard. The writer
visited the ship indicated, and, sure
enough, there vas Tony.
HE had appeared TO the wardroom mess
of that ship as mysteriously as the stran- |
ger had appeared on board ours. and had |
taken up the duties of the vanished boy, |
who was none other than our stranger. |
No threats or coaxing could get either OF
these Two boys to tell why they had swap ,
ped ships. When they were told that they |
might be carried by force and in irons |
back to the ships where they belonged |
they became suIleniy passive and refused |
to move or stir. Those boys would have /
been cut to pieces with Oriental stOidity |
before they would have told the cause of |
their curious action or returned to their |
ships. AS both were excellent servants |
and Japs were scarce just then, it was |
finally decided to let matters stay as they |
were, and our stranger finished out the |
cruise as Tony while Tony finished out |
his cruise on the other ship under the |
name OF his friend"