The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1904-07-12
SAMURAI ON
The BOYS FIELD

For centuries the part of the Jap
anese people which did the thinking
and the ruling for the nation cherish
ed as its dearest motto the saying
ascrfbed to one of its most famous
men The sword is the living soul of
the Samurai." With such a proverb
to furnish the Inspiration it is no Won
der that Japan produced swords SUI
perior even to the blades of Damascus.
A good sword must cut through a pile
of copper coins without nicking and at
the same time must be capable of TAX
ing so keen an edge that silken
thread few inches in length laid
gently across the blade near the hilt
and propelled toward the joint by
breath blown from the mouth would
be severed in two. Famous. sword.
makers We're given titles by the EN-
peror. Handed down from generation
to generation as sacred heirlooms good
swords were priced above all other
possessions in thousands of Samurai
homes.
About these swords various pastimes,
sports and tricks of legerdemain We're
gradually developed, some of which
are sure to be forgotten in the rush
of modern life But there are yet many
lovers of .'Old Japan" who believe that
much of the nations military prowess
| is due to the spirit of reverence for
warlike achievement which conferred
| about this sentiment for the sword.
| These men still 4Aeep alive these excit-
| ing sports
| For instance. one of the most inter-
esting contests is that between oppo-
| nents, one of whom is armed with a
| halberd twelve feet long possessing a
| wickedIy ugly blade while the other
has only his trusty sword. A second
| remarkable display of skill consists in
the attempt of the swordsman to meet
| and vanquish foe who brandishes a
heavy ball attached by a chain eight
feet long to a sharp bladed sickle. One
blow from this ball on the head of the
| swordsman is enough to put him out
of commission.
Still third novel procedure is the
fight between the two and one sworded
men. By an ingenious contrivance it
is possible to practice these and other
sword plays without danger to the per-
son, by the use of boils, the body be-
ing protected, vulnerable parts being
covered with baked clay guards. When
these are struck they break without
injury to the part beneath and show
by the crash who the victor is. Full of
dash and vim and carried on with the
enthusiasm peculiar 10 the Japanese
they are remarkably exciting and
abound in spectacular features.
Besides this, tricks of attack and de-
Tense. of sudden sword drawing quite
in keeping with the getting a draw
on ones antagonist of our own pistol
loving cowboys and other feats OF
agility and strength in which the
sword figures make good Japan's claim
to the most unique culture of the pos
sibilities of this weapon.
To exhibit all these features of old
time Samurai life in realistic man
ner and devoid of mere technicality is
the purpose of our Japanese friends in
| the representation of "Old Japan" to
be given by moonlight and electric
| light at the Boys Field July p. De-
voices of athletic sports will find these
sword plays revelation, while every-
! one who loves feats of skill and excit-
| ing contests Astounding in novel feat
ures will note them among the most
| enjoyable treats ever experienced.