The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1904-04-15

In Japan and China They Are Of Much
Importance Because Of Pic y
lures They Bear.

III lures Vney Bear.
you want FAM" echoed the smil-
ing japanese merchant. what kind?"
The man looked around hopelessly,
says the New York Sun.
20. any old kind that's big and gives
lots Of wind. l want to get half
dozen for the Office while l happen to
think about it."
The japanese gave him six big fans
and came back to the reporter. There
was certain mild pity in his unfading
smile.
you are SO queer about fans, you
Americans" he said, in his soft. pre-
else little fashion. "You want them
only to make you COOL"
why not?" asked the reporter.
20, it is all right; 1t is all right.
You do not understand. A fan is moth
ing to you, but to us-why, in Japan
and China fan is thing of impor-
lance.
To cool one-yes. that is one use,
but only one use. A fan talks with US.
1t tells many things.
you look at a japanese fan. 1t
means inothing to you. You think the
color, the picture are pretty, perhaps.
That is all; but to us who know, the
color, the shape, the decorations hold
the meaning.
"Fujiyama is just a mountain to you.
It is sacred to us. You don't know our
flowers and birds and their symbolism.
II could give you this little paper
fan with white storks flying over it and
you'd never know that was wishing
you long life, and you wouldn't under
stand that this cobweb design is for
mourning.
Il can't look at Japanese fan in
anyone's hand without having a whole
swarm of associations and fancy and
sentiment spring up and buzz in my
head, and sometimes wonder why you
foreigners don't feel enough interest to
wonder what your Japanese fan says
and look up the meaning. I should
think it would be an interesting fad,
and you love fads.
"You see, there are so many kinds
of fans in Japan, and each kind has it's
own use. Even the dolls have their
own fans, and the children have theirs
There's a tea fan, used only at the
solemn tea feast The little cakes are
handled with it, but one doesn't use it
to fan with.
"Our dancers and geisha girls have
their own type of fan, decorated appro-
priately, and our jugglers carry fans
that suit their trade. There is kitch-
en- fan, to be used for bellows, and
bamboo water fan that is dipped in
water often while being used, so that
it makes the air it stirs cooler.
almost every political event of i'm
portance in japan has been pictured
on fans, and often the rulers have had
to forbid the carrying of certain fans
because they spread trouble and sedi-
ton. You could have whole history
of Japan on fans If you could find the
right fans.
Some of the old fans are not used
now. The ancient court fans were
folding fans of wood, decorated with
silk artificial flowers, and each noble
family had its own flower that no one
else dared use.
1.-THE war fan is of iron, covered with
lacquer, and the generals have SILK
fans with iron sticks. Have you ever
seen a dagger fan? The mobsmen In
Japan carry them, but it is against the
law to take them into China. China
men have them, all the same.
Everybody carries a fan in China.
1t is even more general there than IN
Japan, and there's so much fan eti-
ouette among the Chinese that l don't
see how they have time to learn any
thing else.
you know what the fan stands for
in Japan, don't you? No? Why, 1t is
the emblem of life, and the rivet in the
sword Of the god Kashima.
"He received orders to subdue the
world. so he ran his sword through
the earth and left it there. The world
would fall to pieces if the sword rlvet
were pulled out.
'That story suggested the making OF
the folding fans, but there's an old
legend that says the widow OF famous
Japanese patriot invented the folding
fan. She went into convent in k1to
after her husbands death, and when
a great saint was dying of fever she
cured him by folding a piece of paper
and tanning him night and day. The
nuns copied the paper fan,-and the or
dor is famous for it's fans even now"
Unhealthy Palaces.
The recent illness Of the czarina has
been attributed to the unsanitary con-
dition of many royal palaces in Russia.
It may be so, but there are cases where