Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1904-06-10

Inasmuch as three years elapsed, that
could hardly have been possible, but
when this fact Is pointed out to the
Japanese jinriksha man who tells the
foreigner the legend, he smiles pleas
antly and says that 1t Is only another
proof Of the mira .lous powers Of jim
go Kogo. Dad she not make the fishes
and the waves do her bidding? Would
she be likely to be troubled by little
thing like that?
After this story the traveller in ia
pan hears without gasp that lingo
overcame a hundred Koreans single
handed, and slew the Great Korean
champion whom none Of her warriers
could tackle. He had killed a dozen Of
them, one after the other, in single
combat. lingo cut off his head at the
first onslaught with her mighty two
handed sword.
In the feud days Of Japan, up to the
restoration era, the wives and daugh-
ters Of the "samurai" were regularly
trained in the aristocratic science OF
arms, and fought as readily and brave
ly as the men. But they were not as
rule, allowed to fight unless 1t was OBJ
solutely necessary for the protection
of life or honor. The "samuraf" were
not chivalrous according to the ideas
of Occidental knighthood; they did not
deem it disgraceful to their manhood
to allow women to fight; but. to their
minds, fighting was such an honorable
luxury, such an august privilege, that
they wanted all of 1t for themselves,
and thought 1t altogether too good for
an inferior creature like woman. Thus
1t was that the Amazons Of Japan gen.
orally performed their achievements
when their lord was away from home
at the war. and his enemies or band
of robbers attacked the house In his
absence.
Method of Fighting.
They did not fight with the famous
sword Of the samurai, except on the
rare occasions when they masqueraded
as one in order to fight by the side Of
a lover or a husband. The long, dou-
ble-hilted sword and the short sword
for the happy dispatch" were the sa-
cred property Of the male warrior, and
it was crime for anyone except sa-
mural to carry them. Women, when
acting as the home guard" were sup
posed to be content with a medium
length sword, between the two, and
frightful looking halbert, much like a
short scythe lashed to the end Of
long pole. The Japanese artists OF
past generations were fond of depict
ing them doing wonderful things with
this awkward weapon.
Only the samurai class were allowed
to carry arms in old Japan, and this
rule applied to the women as we'll as to
the men. Nevertheless. many stories
are told of the heroism Of women OF
the peasant and "heiwin" (trading)
classes, who resisted at the swords
point the dishonorable advances OF
their "daimio" (feudal lord) or even OF
the Shotgun himself.
Story of the Belle of kioto.
An old Toyokuni color print shows a
woman named Bentenkozo Kanenosuke
putting to route a small army of po-
licemen sent by the Shotgun to seize
her for one of his concubines. She was
doubly famous as being the prettiest
girl in Japan in her day and the most
virtuous.
She lived in Kioto and was the idol
Of the town. The greatest Of the "dai-
mios" woed her in vain, and when one
of them threatened her with violence
she challenged him to fight and easily
overcame him, although he was one OF
the most noted swordsmen Of the day
in Japan.
At last the Shotgun saw her one day
when riding through the streets of XII
OTTO. He straightway fell in love, but
she repelled his advances in spite OF
his despotic power and great prestige.
Knowing little Of her prowess In arms,
the Shotgun did not trouble to send
soldiers to seize her. He sent Instead
squad Of policemen-or the functiona-
ries who answered to policemen in that
day. They were armed with short iron
clubs, which were Of little use against
the heroine's sword. The chroniclers
record with horrible glee the manner
in which she carved those poor police
men, putting at least a dozen Of them
off the strength Of the force. The Sho-
gun admired her bravery and did not
trouble her Misunderstanding Star.