The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-07-21
Mr.. BRYAN SPROTEGE
JAPANESE BOY CROSSES OCEAN TO
LEARN HOW TO REFORM
THINGS
REACHED LINCOLN PENNILEss
IL Now Going to School and Writing
Articles for Japanese Papers
That Are Making
a Stir.

Something over two years ago w. ].
Bryan, among his other mail at his home
in Lincoln, Neb., found a letter with a
foreign postmark. His foreign mail was
not heavy in those days, and this par
ticular Oriental looking missive attracted
his attention, and ne put aside the other
mail TO open and peruse it, says the Gin
cinnau Enquirer. It was from an eigh-
teen-year-old Japanese boy, who sad in
his letter that he could read and write
English, and, having read some OF Mr..
Bryan's speeches that had been trans
lated into the Japanese language, he was
Very much impressed with. tnem and
wanted TO study the laws, customs and
government Of the United States. He
said also that many of the Japanese
laws needed reforming, and he wanted to
inform himself so as to be able to secure
these needed reforms.
He thought our laws, in many respects
superior TO the Japanese, and it was his
desire 10 become thoroughly familiar
with ours and make the japanese laws
like them.
But the most astounding thing in the
letter was the following plain, straight
forward statement Of the little Jap:
adopt you as my father and am
coming TO your home"
This manner Of adoption seems to be
usual in Japan, and it appears that II
never occurred to the would-be reformer
that Mr.. Bryan might not care to in
crease his already by no means small and
growing family. The boy seemed SO much
IN earnest that Mr.. Bryan turned the let
ter over TO his wife, with the request thai
she answer it and say to the young man
mat MS ambition to study our laws and
reform his own was a very laudable one
but that it would be best for him not
TO come to America unless ne had sufic-
1ent means to support himself during
the studies.
in other words he wanted a damper
thrown on the boys proposition to be-
come a member Of the Bryan family. ana
mrs. Bryan wrote as requested.
1t was supposed that this would settle
the matter, but it didn't, for II was not
dong until another letter came from the
Jap, who seemed to have been eucour-
aged That his letter had been answered.
ana ne expressed himself as more derer
mined than ever to come to America.
several letters we're written discourage
ing the boy, but he came hack each time
win a reply, saying that he was coming
10 MI. Bryan's home, and reiterating
Sach time his burning desire to reform
the laws of Japan
FlhalIy a letter came saying that he
had arrived IN San Francisco. but nearly
a year passed and nothing further had
Deen heard from him. One day. how
ever WnlIe MT Bryan was at work in
dlls study, there came ring at the door
bell, which was answered by Mrs. Bry-
an. In moment she returned to the
study and announced to Mr.. BRYAN:
Your new son has arrived from ia
pan"
sure enough, 1t was the little jap. and
Mr.. Bryan received him kindly, and there
was nothing else to do except to install
him as enc OF the household. While he
could read and write English. he could
not talk intelligibly. and Mr.. Bryan COM
municated with him by writing
He put him in school, however, and it
was not long before he could talk Eng
fish as glibly as he could his native
tongue. The family soon became at
$ached to him and he Is still with them
and is receiving every educational advan-
tage and every opportunity to Study our
laws, customs and government.
lie told Mr.. Bryan after his arrival
at Lincoln that his father was farm
er IN Japan and owned a farm of foar
acres, but sod two acres OF 1t in order
to get funds to pay his boys way to
America. He reached San Francisco pen
niess. but went to work and finally laid
up enough to pay for his transporta-