Evening journal., 1904-06-25
JAPAN AND ITS
NEWSPAPERS
New Magazine Tells of the
Progress OF the War
With Russia
is PRINTED IN GOOD ENGLISH

"The Japan Russia War" is the title
Of a new magazine being published in
Japan. 1t is an illustrated monthly
record Of operations between Japan and
Russia and is printed by and under the
supervision of the Japan Gazette
Works. The book is one of seventy
five pages and is printed in English,
the composition being excellent. 1t is
well illustrated. Some Of the illustra-
tions include portraits of the crown
prince and princess of Japan, officers
of the imperial military headquarters
and foreign officers who are allowed to
follow the army, troops embarking and
in bivouac and battle scenes. In adj
dition to these there are a map of Man
churia, wood cut in colors and a like
ness of Captain Sakurai, l. J. A., who
fell on his sword" on board the trans
port Kinshu Maru.
An article of particular interest is on
Newspaper Extras" 1T was on the
occasion of the Japan-China war that
'evtra selling first made its debut as
profession, properly speaking" says
the article in question. The business
has acquired ten-fold Importance in the
present war though only in Tokyo
] a.
Tokyo alone the regular extra men
must number about 1000. 1t is quite a
lucrative job, requiring only 20 sen as
fund to start with. The scene that it
! presented in front Of the Fiji and other
/ leading newspaper offices when they
are about to issue extras is beyond
description, for the men vie with eacf
other to secure bundles of extras
Sellers in Japan are not boys, but If
nine cases out of ten, grown up men
A glance into the composing room
of one of these japanese dailies, o
which there are twenty in Tokyo alone
would lead to the idea that chaoi
reigned supreme. The mere sight o
the multitudnous and enormous case
of type necessary to hold the thousand
Of characters needed for the columns o
the Japanese newspaper, together will
the scholarly attainments required II
one able to place his hands upon an.
one of them, would strike terror to tn
heart Of the western newspaper maj
absorbed in his one anxiety to get hi
paper out on time.
Pandemonium reigns supreme. Tn
compositors themselves are quie
enough, as they sit at their desks, eac
with a case OF the torty-nlne Kan
: characters. But everyone of them ha
: half dozen long arms in the shape q
agile boys, who do the hunting anon
j the mountains Of type cases containin
the ideographs The rcopy" is cut u
into small sections and distribute
among the boys who start upon the
= quest. each shouting or singing tn
names of the strange characters the
are to trace. In and out among III
cases. piled like bookstocks these boy
. jostle each other, all the time keepin
= up their weird chant.
4 The din made by the army of boys
D \ increased by the men who are singin
e. the copy to the proofreader Yet, OF
of the dire confusion. order and regular
q ity are evolved and the newspap'
' comes forth daily with the same pun'
tuality as may be noted in the issu
of western papers.
Three copies of THE Japan-Russl
War" magazine have been received
b John NJ. Rogers, Of this city. They al
{ sent to him by S. Kondo, of Tokyo, WI
was the guest Of Mr.. Rogers a fe
years ago when he made tour Of tn
country.