The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-12

The Japanese cabman is his own
cab horse. In this he differs from the
American rikshaman; nor could the
latter be called smiling.
The rikshaboy has a smile that out
christians Christianity. Like the sun
he smiles on the just and the unjust,
including those who put justice before
generosity.
1 have read in a Japanese book that
there are jinriksha men who have
fallen so low in their calling that they
seem to have lost all feeling of loyalty
to their employer, and only care self
ishly for the pittance they gain. Such
men are often found in the Treaty
Ports, eagerly seeking for the rich
foreigner from whom they can get an
extra fee" The writer is Mortified.
But as the rikshaboy is only entitled
to Is sen, i. e., Is cents, per hour, if
he is moving, and only cents if he
is waiting, and may have to do any
thlng up to thirty miles in any kind of
weather. there is some excuse for his
selnshness; even that pittance may be
reduced to lump sum of so sen per
halliday and 20 sen per day.
The rkshaboys are the sons of peas
ants who come into the cities to bet
ter themselves, and see life. They are,
therefore, accused of all the drink
ing and gambling and dissipation that
thelr means allow, and, of course, can
not have any manners.
The Rikshaboy's Ingenuity.
This is not the rikshaboy foreigners
Know He is more than your guide,
philosopher and friend, if there is no
ponceman by. If any boy hustles or
insults you, he charges into him with
MS rlksha, or drops the shafts and
goes Tor him, and no Jap but a police
man or wrestler, is a match for the
HHshaboy who must be in training,
ana have strength and endurance. 1
uoI know whether the Midako made
illuch use of these unmounted cavalry
III the Chinese war, but they can run
as Iar in day as Beers ride, and
would be ready to do it again the
next morning.
II you want to enjoy Japan, win the
appreclat1on of some rikshaboy. He is
noI e&acung in the choice of his en-
teioyer' and he takes you in and does
tor you as you have never been done
ioL before. He is your horse, your
oo alr your interpreter, and will turn
oToA Or waiter. If you tear your
b,olnes he will drop the shafts. You
mave 10 get off before he can get his
S T;sruro6e' the place where he puts
nc n needle and tea strings, his LACQUER
pox Of boiled rice and his lantern dur
,os the daytime, and his clothing down
M ms drawers, if he is hot and beyond
axe eve OF tn. city Ioll, em4r.
u ndu such a rikshabcy at Kyoto.
orr could even read. We took him for
H kan expedition to Nara, where they
i kss tne treasure collected by the Mi
ISL IN a thousand years, and have
bis soggle-eyed Buddha, seventy-feet
laeeti' ana old parks full of great stone
d. IN rms which cannot be lighted, and
scsr,o mat walk up to be fed, and wild
as 80 azaleas by The acre, as thick
dra, d !ir in the north. Rikshaboys
to so,,o me line at luggage: you have
scon 4ut zee your belongings into tele-
but n easKet. pleaded for my bag,
W. o-oan was inexorable.
rkss. race off in great style; each
i fror,t with human tandem. The
hin5 nor, horse is taken off to push be-
Rice,s Wheh you go uphill. The God of
pboani.se fnple' with its stone foxes. the
voo5aIA temple at Biodoin, with it's
the dia. walls five centuries older than
Of IG 1iiSooVery of America; the Gardens
whic5 eWhere they grow the tea
behind Ietches a guinea a pound flew
Selves US and we congratulated our
hapnv y. the prospect of long and
n the rai al'ernoon at Nara. But it was
gan. ny season, and the deluge be-
81 over ~. ne riksha hoods were drawn
\ stearnss noses. The human horses
even like IKE meat taken out of the
only m. ne hotel-a native one-had
one wo orT room between three men and
aud a J., who was not their sister,
Npanese policeman made his