Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-01-26
PovERTTs LOWEST EBB.
Folks In Tokyo 90 Poor They Hire
BedcIothes From Night to Night.


Folks In Tokyo 90 Poor They Hire
BedeIothes From Night to Night.
Deeper than ever plummet sounded
in the ocean Of poverty and human woe
have descended here In the metropo-
lis Of the far east, and found the
worlds poorest poor. Besides these
starved subjects Of the Son Of Heaven.
who cover outside his palace walls, the
submerged tenth of London are bons
vivants, and the grovelling Russians
Of Gorky's night refugees t..c spoiled
children Of fortune.
Summing in Tokyo Is for the regula-
ton traveller the same as II In London
he went to Soho without exploring the
east. None but regions Of comparative
prosperity are shown, because the ia
panese are proud Of their universal
reputation for cleanliness, for artistic
surroundings and for poverty that IL
always smiling, well-washed, and safe.
ly removed from actual want
In Tokyo not fewer than 100000 peo-
pie seldom, II ever, know Of certainty
where the necessities of the next day
will come from, and throughout the
land the great majority are too poor
to eat rice. The high grade rice
grown in the islands is exported, almost
to last sack, and inferior rice i'm
ported for those who can AFFORD 1t.
Rice is not in every bowl. as the tour
lists fondly imagine.
Tokyo Is so vast, 1t is such an i'm
mense sea of sheds, that from the
highest point on the clearest day one
can see but fraction Of It's area-but
here are fifteen districts Of mean
streets. The crazy structures called
houses, which are in reality sheds, are
strung along in series Of dilapidated
and filthy compartments. To folk az
poor as those who live here, cleanli-
ness; so dear to the average Japanese
that It is above godliness. Is out OF the
question.
The most tumble-down Of these
abodes may be rented at twenty
to twenty-five pence per month, but
there are houses 50 fine that they cost
as high as a penny, or even three half
pence, a day. To afford one OF these
expensive residences several families
club together, not alone for economy
but also for warmth; in winter all
hands crowding together on the mats.
Charcoal is not always to be afforded
and heat Is great luxury these colo
days. A whole block will sometimes
take turns in warming hands at hiba-
chi wherein few chunks OF charcoal
shoulder in a bed Of ashes.
Suppose a pipe-cleaner has had Q
good day and returns to his home with.
say, sixpence. He will expend this IN
farthing purchases Of misc. kind OF
soup stock; oil, fuel, tobacco. and per-
haps q little fish, which. II he feels
reckless, he will eat raw with horse
radish. He buys in driblets, and like
the very poor In all the cities OF the
world pays enormous prices.
Had our pipe-cleaner returned emp
ty handed he would have hurried to the
pawnbroker, always near at hand, and
raised a few farthings on his precious
brass pipe, his hibachi, or his few poor
garments not in actual use.
The pawnbrokers fatten on these
wretches as in no other land. It is I'M
possible to escape them, and they new
er relent. Anything worth above hve-
pence can be pawned.
Until this time Of the year, or even
until midwinter, one can exist without
bedclothing, but when the nights get
cold, with the fearful frost Of Japan
ese winter, some covering must be had.
Now appears another plunderer OF the
poor in the guise Of the capitalist, who
rents quilts by the night. He charges,
and invariably collects. from one farth-
ing for a shred Of dirty, patched old
rag to a penny or even two pence Tor
foul, but heavy covering. Then, too,
there are frayed silk quilts for bridal
couples, but these are too costly to be
rented by many bridegrooms. Rent
must be paid in advance, and before the
family 60 to sleep the collector comes
and gets either the money or the quilt.
With the refinement Of cruelty he does
not appear until the lessee has turned
in, and the loss Of his covering will be
doubly felt. There are heartrending
scenes when penniless mothers strive
to hold the quilt to protect their babies
from the chill and damp. Like the
pawnbroker and the money lender. the
quiltlender Is flinty hearted.
Few of the inhabitants ever get
enough money ahead to buy bed cloth
ing, and the ghastly tragedy OF renting
is re-enacted again and again, for win
ter after winter. Where there are 80
many children having but few cotton
rags, the winter means acute misery
London Daily Mail.