Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-31

an air I00L WOulO nave &IACoO lue
finest turnout in Hyde park. But al
the top of his boots the betto ceased
to be a model, and the rest of him
looked as If he had suddenly fallen
heir to the position and the livery Of
a man five sizes larger than himself
and as we drove merrily along the
narrow streets the brass buttons that
should have fitted snugly into the
small of his back Topped disconsolate
ly against the low top of the driver Z
seat upon which he was perched with
dignity enough for two like him.
All this is merely by the way, but
it serves to illustrate the Japanese
idea of western magnif1cence since
this coachman and his accessories
were designated municipal equip
age"
How Men Were Dressed.
We first drove to a local govern.
ment building, in which the Yokohama
Shoheigikai "the society for the as.
sistance of soldiers and sailors ana
their families" has its Office. Here
was a huge room crowded with nat
ton desks, at each of which couple
of men were busily engaged examin'
ing applications and making out for
midable looking documents. Beside
each desk sat a little wooden box, IN
which glowed handful of charcoals
in a bed of ashes. and these were all
the heating apparatus that the room
could evidently boast, although 1t was
March and very cold. The men were
mostly dressed in hakama and kimo-
no and wore straw sandals on their
feet. and if it hadn't been for the
modern office furniture I could have
imagined that I had been suddenly
dropped into century gone. was
introduced to the general manager.
who bowed Japanese fashion two or
three times and drew his breath
sharply through his teeth in token OF
his pleasure in making my acquain.
lance. We then all sat down around
a charcoal box and, with Japanese
deliberation, went over many facts OF
large interest. With all its unassum.
ing air this society through this office
provided for the support of 598 fami.
lies throughout the entire winter, and
the number is increasing daily, with
the daily increase Of casualties at the
front.
This Sociological is, l think, a un'
ique institution. 1t has no Immediate
connection with the government, but
it receives instructions from the home
and war departments in regard TO
cases in the territory under its imme'
date supervision, and it has from
time to time received large funds from
the pension office in the war depart
ment, because that august body
thought such funds would be more
judiciously spent by this perfectly or
ganized philanthropic society than by
their own officials. The society, now
ever, was far from needing such as
sistance, since it is peoples organ
ization that has it's foundation upon
the principle of girininjo, which means
to do good unto others without 8
thought of what others may 90 unto
you.
Dozens Of Them.
It is a local institution in Yokoha
ma. but it was shown to us just be
cause it is one of dozens like !,
throughout the country. 1t has 5O,45
male members, who pay annual dues
of | yen rs sen each, or 62h cents II
our money. Then there Is a woman
branch, which maintains itself ant
does a noble work. The women mem
bers are sscd only sen or IN
cents, a year, but they are privileged
to give whatever they wish, with I'M
consequence that their department Il
on quite as solid footing as the mali
| society, since it pleases most wome'
| to make large sacrifices that they ma
give literally to this great cause.
In considering all this, it is well t
remember that this is society whlcl
confers no benefits upon its members
a society which has no pay roll eA
cent a few clerks, whose entire tim
| is required in it's service. Ever
member gives a part OF MS or ne
| time each week to visiting or con-
mittee work of some sort, and uens
as the population Of this province Is
there is not a woman or child IN
whose exact condition is not know
to the society, and there is not a so
der in the army who does not ow
to it or to one of it's kind thanks TO
some little personal courtesy.
Cheers for the Soldiers.
Whenever soldiers are to pas
| through Yokohama station ON thei
way to the front or to military post
in the south, the Shoheigkihai appoint
a committee to meet them with bar
ners and music and the consequell
crowd of we'll wishers and shouters
"Banzai," "a thousand lives!" An
very often this committee carries
each soldier some small present OF u
bacco or Japanese dainty to gladde
his boyish heart. For they are
boys, all these little Japanese soldiers
or at least they look so. And the I'm
women whom saw working IN tn
industrial home were like children
MANY of them, too, and should nav
been making dolls kimonos instead
: those thousands of grim looking un
form shirts that were to go TO hu
bands and fathers and brothers on tn
firing line in Manchuria. 1t Is an Il
teresting l,lace that industrial HON
It looks as if it had been put up We
terday in a great hurry and promise
a finishing touch later on. when tlm'
are not so pressing. 1t is a low rar
bling building, without a vestige
, | paint on it, but it is put together VII
/ an eye to perfect sanitation and pie
4 tv of sunlight. In long wing at OF
side dozens of women were sitting u
d on their feet, Japanese fashion, befo
e long sewing machines that were Q
n Grated by hand, making up mountain
: of coarse linen into soldiers shirt
J. One hour in such position won
l. put my feet so tight asleep tn.
S would never wake up, but since u
l. same length of time on a chair be1o
y a sewing machine run by foot MOTIF