The Savannah morning news., 1902-10-19
AMERICANS IN OLD JAPAN.

Modern japanese Begin the Process
of Civilization by Buying a Tall
Hat-Then Comes Carpets and
Handsome Books.
When a Japanese of the lower order
decides to become highly civilized, the
first outward and visible sign of this
praiseworthy aim is the desire to pos
sess a foreign hat. AS to its vintage
he is not particular, being still in
blissful ignorance of the changes of
fashion. Neither does he mind much if
the honorable civilized head covering
has been worn more than once pre-
viously in the land of its manufacture,
is very much secondhand in fact. 1t
is sufficient for him to begin with, if
he is the proud owner of foreign tall
hat, as he then feels he has set his
face firmly toward a higher plane of
moral and material civilization.
After the hat his next ambition is
to discard his straw sandals for pair
of congressional side spring shoes; to
be followed, garment by garment, as
his means will permit, until he owns a
complete foreign outfit.
That he really ever feels comforta-
BILE in his civilized costume seems open
mind of an American recently when
travelling on a railroad in the interior
of Japan.
At one of the way stations q Japa-
nese in uniform entered the compart-
ment carrying a small valise. When
he had selected his seat he opened the
valise and drew forth a kimono. Then
he calmly proceeded to divest himself
of his coat, vest, and-well. he finally
kiTDnOn ri a IN "a a
had not transgressed a rule of polite
Japanese, or any other society. After
this he carefully folded up his foreign
clothes and laid them on a vacant seat
beside him. Then, as if a troublesome
matter had been removed from his
mind, and he was now quite comfort
able, he smoked until toward the end
of the journey, when he exchanged
the kimono for the foreign uniform In
the same manner.
After foreign clothes, it is the aim
of the civilized Japanese to build a
foreign house in his compound. or at
leSst fix up foreign, room in which to
entertain visitors from Occidental
lands. Then it is that the German
American dealer lends valuable assist
ance. 1t is by his advice that the
beautiful carpet of a staggeringlye WV
id pattern is selected. To this is eau
tiously added curtains which, perhaps,
happily refuse to match. A set of
stiff backed chairs and a table for
the center of the room. Ornaments,
of course. come next, and an exceed
ingly curious trophy of wax fruit I'M
der a glass shade, or a rare piece of
foreign porcelain bearing the quaint
inscription around the neck, Plotted
Yarmouth Bloaters." may be obtained.
Foreign books, too, for the table are
recommended: and thus a volume of
| Herbert Spencer may repose beneath
| the handsomely bound and illustrated
catalogue of an American sewing ma
| chine.
But the foreign room is not regard
| ed as completely furnished now with
out at least one portrait of an Ameri-
can Emperor" For preference lith-
ographic representation of Gen. Grant
is chosen; price about 81: a fine gold
frame included That Gen. Grant
should be the favorite is not Remark-
| able, as he made himself exceedingly
| popular during his tour of the ORR
emit; but why Grover Cleveland and
| Gen. Harrison should come next is
perhaps not so easy to explain, unless
| there happens to be a large surplus
| stock of their Autograph portraits in
| the United States. But thus it comes
about that portraits of the American
Presidents aid in the civilization OF
| old Japan.