davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

is sort of Midway where cne may
buy at little gaudy booths any kind of toy
or brilliantly colored sweetmeat or fan
tastic gewgaw ever manufactured In Japan.
And in this Midway" the tricksters, the
fortune tellers and the owners of trained
animals pitch their little tents to tempt
the unbroken line of worshipers or on
lockers who from morning until late at
night every day of the world clank -clonk
their thousand wooden shoes over the flag
pavement toward the temple. But 1t is
not like anything that anybody ever saw
in any other place. l use the word Mid
way because It has come to have a pc
culiar meaning which more nearly de-
scribes this place than any other that
know 1t is or may be, even a Midway
Plaisance to the Japanese. but this It can
never be TO the foreigner who hurries
along, silently pursued by a crowd Of
staring little orientals to whom he is the
most curious thing to be seen In all the
place. 1 remember one day at the Worlds
fair in Chicago, following down the Mid
way, in company with two or three other
girls my age, poor little japanese maid
who, in her native costume and queer little
wooden shoes was the strangest creature
imaginable to us. We didn't even try to
be respectful. We didn't keep at little
distance and endeavor to veil our curiosity
by pretense of interest in something else
when the girl looked around, we simply
stared at her. that's all, and made re-
msrks which she probably imagined were
anything but friendly. Well, I've often
thought OF that musuem over here in Japan
and the. memory OF her has helped me to
control my resentment against the gaping
crowds that have so many times made
life misery to me. II she lives anywhere
on the beaten tracks in japan, as she
doubtless does, she has had opportunity to
take revenge upon me and l venture she
has done 1T, too. telling her less Travelled
and world-wise neighbors at the same
time about how rude the ''green-eyed bar
barians" are at home in their great cities
and how they follow and laugh at helpless
little foreigners. 1t is a digression, I
know. but just happen TO think of the
exPsrience of little o. Yuki San, the Geisha
girl who became the wife of young Mr..
Morgan OF New York. He took her home
and introduced her to the J. sPierpont Nor
gan strata of American society, where
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
"storminE OF Nanshan..

There is one thing now at Asakusa which
bears some resemblance to a place OF
amusement, and that is a panorama in
foreign style OF the storminR OF Nam
shan. The Japanese feet of In the blue
waters OF Kinchow bay on the east are
sending lurid. wonderful shells through the
air to meet those hurled by the Russian
fleet from Talien Wan on the west, while
on the hills between the two armies are
locked In a struggle that Is simply beauti-
full, Nothing feases the valiant Japanese.
He says to the crlnging Russian Take
that! and that! and there now" and then
strikes an attitude on the highest point IN
the landscape just where the light from
bursting shell may illuminate his noble
mien as he overlooks with sorrow the fear
ful havoc he has wrought. Barbed wire
entanglements. big guns, shrieking shells.
insurmountable obstacles, all difficulties OF
war are mere Incidents. background as
1t were against which this japanese atti-
tude may display itself before the admirinE
eyes OF Japan But the wonderful part OF
It is the fact that II is only for the eyes
OF Japan To the world they turn an en-
urely different face and the world exclaims
How modestr There are absolutely no
limits to japanese genius, but l think the
greatest thing II achieves is this conceal
ment OF itself A mask Is held up before
the world and the woT is told II is Japan.
and only by accidental flashes or revelation
do we recognize the fact that II isn't. We
foreigners are permitted to live In the coun-
try. but We are shut out OF japan as COM
pletely as we ever were In the days before
Commodore Perry came into Yeddo bay with
his gunbOats. They play a little game OF
ju-jitsu with US and win all their points
by yielding, and we know they win but
we cannot help ourselves. We must ad-
mire They are quite isolate. apart from all
other people. selfish, but they are one OF
US and We can only hope that for our own
peace Of mind they may continue to con-
ceal themselves.
ELEANOR FRANKLIN.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

The pineapple industry Is rapidly increas-
ing and the department is making great ef
forts to get the best varieties. The exports
of pines last year were in the neighbor-
hood of three-quarters of million dol
lars, and % per cent of these went to the
United States. The two chief Cuban pines
are the Pima de la TERRA and the Havana
white pine. The latter is the sweeter and
larger, but it does noe keep well. There
are other pines which are smaller and less
Juicy. but more hardy and, bettor for ex-
port. The white pineapples are consumed
in Cuba. They sell from 40 cents to t1.17
a dozen.
Professor Earle tells me that Cuba will
lorgely supply our winter market with
vegetables. He has been experimenting
with lettuces and finds that they grow well.
The choicest varieties thrive and is more
tender and juicy than our lettuces. In
walking thrCH Ugh the garden I saw lettuce
heads as big ss small cabbages, and Mr..
Earle said he lad raised one this year
Lettuces can easily be shipped abroad,
and there is no reason why they should
not go from here to our chief cities.
1t is the same with celery. This plant is
supposed to thrive only In a temperate
climate, but II grows luxurlantly in the
station gardens. The stalks are large Phd
tender, and they can be bleached just as
easily as at home.
The experiments with tomatoes have re-
suited in excellent yields, and a number OF
Americans have begun to raise tomatoes
for export They grow well and the profits
are great. Indeed the stories told are so
rosy that hesitate TO repeat them 1t is
said that tomatoes. cabbages, egg plants,
potatoes and cucumbers II properly
handled, will yield anywhere from $50 to
$500 per acre, according TO soil and ship
ping facilities. and oranges. pineapples and
lemons much more.
The government is making experiments
in stock breeding. 1t has recently i'm
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

lying near which the priests use at in-
tervals to beat a steady ta-ta-ta-tump-
tump-tump accompaniment to their In
toned sutras, The floor is not covered with
mats as most temple floors are, but is
made Of great rough cedar planks which
give forth a continual hollow echo OF
hundreds OF clonking wooden shoes. Over
on one side sits dear old Binzuru the
healer Of all ills. He would be a pitiable
old chap II he were not so much beloved
for he was once an honored Rakkan, or
disciple Of the great Lord Buddha and got
himself turned out of the holy circle for
remarking one spring morning upon the
beauty of a passing woman. Since then
his images are not allowed within the al
tar rails OF the temples and are usually
outside in the porch. 1t seems, however.
that the Buddha had a fellow feeling In
his heart for Binzuru after all, for to COM
pensate In measure for all he had taken
away from him he gave him the power to
heal all suffering and pain and that is
why he is one OF the favorite deities OF
Japan His worshipers keep his naked
wooden body all wrapped up in queer little
red cotton ruffles and his bare head COW
cred with a funny little white cap which
makes him look more like a statue Of a
cook than anything else. At Asakusa the
peOple btdnu IN line DelOIe MIN awaiting
their turn TO rub that of him wherein or
whereon they are themselves afflicted, and
II he weren't such a solemn and such a
useful person he would be very funny, for
he is rubbed into the most fantastic de-
formity. Sufferers from rheumatics have
rubbed HIS knees and elbows until they
are ali rubbed away; those afflicted with
catarrh have quite destroyed his nose.
while multiplied headaches have worn
great hollows in his wooden temples. In
deed BinEuru is never a whole image no
matter where one may find him, and his
popularity seems to always increase with
his increasing dilapidation until some-
times he can hardly be recognized as a man
at ALL fingered near him at Asakusa to
watch the line Of worshipers perform their
odd little ceremonies, but a priest came
along and stirred up some smouldering in
cense nearby where stood and I had to
escape from the sitting odor which arose
in puning sacred clouds to the grimy
rafters.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

ported some choice Durham, Hereford,
Jersey, Polled Angus and other bulls and
cows and many of these are kept at
Santiago de Las Vegas. They will be
shipped, suppose, to the provinces best
fitted for stock. Prof. Earle tells me that
most of the cattle now here come from
native animals crossed by importationS
from South America and Jamaica, Porto
Rico and others of the West Indies. The
common beasts imported are mostly Of
the long-horned. raw-boned variety and so
far the Venezuela stock seem to thrive
best The Agricultural department ex-
poets to take this stock as a basis and
cross 1t with the best of foreign breeds.
The department is also experimenting
in raising beets and the various grasses
for cattle food. 1 am told that one acre
of the best Cuban grass will keep COW
the year around. There is one variety
of pasture known as guinea grass, which
grows so high that 1t is above your head
as you ride through it on horseback.
Leaving the agricultural station 1 drove
about two miles farther on to visit
fruit plantation belonging to Mr.. Adam
Gray, an insurance man of Cincinnati.
Mr. Gray came TO Cuba about five years
ago and bought several hundred acres of
land at Us an acre. He has added to his
purchases since then at higher prices. his
last one costing him more than $50 per
acre, and he has now all told 500 acres
within a half hours ride OF Havana. The
land is near the railroad, and a switch has
been constructed to it. so that his fruit
can be sent to the Havana harbor at the
lowest possible cost AT present he Is
shipping pineapples. 1t costs him only 81
a carload and am told he can put pine
apples. oranges and grape fruit into the
markets of New York and Chicago more
cheaply than they can be sent there from
any orchard in Florida or California. He
has now about 200 acres Of pineapples un-
der cultivation, and his crpp this year will
be worth about $4,000. amounting to in ths
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

to go to Porto Rico to take cnarge of our
experimental station there. The Cuban
salary was a large one--I think $5,0O0-and
as Secretary Wilson had other good men
he allowed Mr.. Earle to come TO Cuba
This was about a year ago. The farm has
been purchased, the buildings equipped and
an agricultural department, with corps
OF scientists from Washington, are now
here at work
The farm itself comprises $50 acres. Its
buildings are great Spanish barracks. rum
ming around a central patio of an acre OF
flowers and plants, and also many cot
tages which have been erected for the
farmers. The barracks are Of one story.
They are of great extent and are well
fitted for government work
spent some time going through the
buildings and afterward took a walk with
Prof. Earle over the farm. The establish
ment is thoroughly systematized, and in
It all sorts of investigations as to plant
breeding. fertilizer testing and plant and
animal diseases are going on. In the bo-
tanical department I was shown about
10000 specimens of Cuban plants and how-
ers. and in the gardens nearby saw many
new vegetables and fruits growing.
New Fruits for Cuba.
In the banana fields there are a score of
varieties which have just been introduced
from Porto Rico. and near by twenty va
rieties OF peaches and fifteen varieties of
japanese persimmons have been planted.
There are figs from California. Japanese
walnuts and all sorts OF grapes which grow
we'll in the southern parts Of the United
States.
Among the most important experiments
are those with citrus fruits. All the best
known lines, lemons and pomelos are now
being planted or budded. More than forty
different varieties Of oranges have been
planted for comparison and study. and also
a large number OF pineapples OF different
kinds.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
Hundreds of Acre. of PineappIes.


wish 1 could show you this farm as 1t
appeared when l rode through It today. II
extends for more than a mile along the
road and at the front and side OF 1t runs
a long row OF magnificent palms, each
from 100 to $50 feet high, with trunk like
q marble column, out OF the top Of which
great fan-like leaves quiver in the wind.
The roads are of a rich red loan, as soft
and as smooth as race track. They are
wide, and in many places shaded by palms
and mango trees. We rode a long distance
through the pineapple fields, the pines ex-
tending out on all sides of US in great
bronze carpet. Near the carriage the fruit
was distinctly seen, the great round balls
OF red and yellow set in long green leaves
tipped with pink. Farther away pines and
leaves blended together. and the whole
under the sun became a gorgeous cloth
more splendid than the dress Of queen.
The pineapples are planted in rows, but
the plants are set close together and they
yield a great number per acre. 1 am told
they bring on the average about cents
apiece when sold, and that each costs the
farmer about l cent to raise. The pine
apples OF Cuba are large, and those which
had on the Gray farm, fresh from the
field, were delicious.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

with few rim to barter for glimpse into
his future state. A seller Of pink sundried
dough cries his wares in strident tones
beside a purveyor OF yellow literature
which shrieks aloud for itself in such
colors as never came from any printing
press but Japanese.
Under the temple steps is the inevitable
old woman with evil eyes and blackened
teeth sitting beside a cage Of wild spar
rows, all futtering piteously against their
prison bars. She sits and grins and rubs
her hands and when some kind soul Is
moved to purchase the freedom Of one or
more of them she bows very low and
chuckles. then she probably sends her boy
of TO watch the night of the little suf-
ferers and to catch them again when they
stop to rest their tired and stifened wings.
One mounts the long, broad temple steps
in the midst of a Gathering throng and
in astonishment turns to look upon the
scene spread below. The great twofold
gateway through which we have come is
painted a brilliant laring red and the
intricate art by which the timbers are
Joined under the deep caves is emphasized
by touches OIL bright blue and white which
lights up the interstices and makes the
whole structure look like huge puzzle
in bright colored building blocks.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
Quaint Features of the Garden.

One had to thread ones way carefully
among the kneeling people before the
screened altar and permit ones self to be
carried along with the crowd out through
the side entrance to the gardens, where
all was holiday merriment. Queer shows OF
all sorts lined the muddy avenue down
one side OF the garden and II one doesn't
mind getting splashed to the knees II is
possible to derive a modicum OF amuse-
ment from the glaring signboards and
the "barkers" who sit at all the entrances
lifting up their voices in mournful invita-
tions to people to come and view the
wonders within. 1t is always muddy in all
such places in Japan. The japanese like
It that way, evidently II the sun begins
to dry the mud up bit a water boy, who
seems intent on overworking himself,
comes along with two pals on the ends
of a stick balanced on one shoulder and
a big bamboo dipper and proceeds to throw
great puddles around ones feet and he calls
It sprinkling OF course, those who wear
leather shoes mind it, and as they are
about one out OF every 500. they don't
count. All the others, men, women and
children. wear wooden geta which stand
up on little stills about FIVE inches or
the ground, so what care they for few
inches Of slush, more or less7
Asakusa is not respectable. Having
prayed their prayers to Kwannon the peo-
pie go out into her temple environs and
revel in joys far from cody. There are
many tea houses" where tea is mere
pretense and where Kirin ''boroo" on
draught is the favorite beverage. "Boroo''
as they call II is, by the way, manufac-
tured in Japan with almost as much sue
cess as has been achieved for II in NIL
waukee, and ''the beer that made Osaka
famous" is an advertisement which is quite
as well known on this side Of the earth
as similar one is upon the other.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

"=0APAN doesn't even play like any
R4 body else. In her pleasurings; in
AkA her ordinary summer holiday
foolishness, she is, as in all things
NAAaS else, quite unique, quite isolate
apart from all other peoples; selfish Re-
sentiment avails us nothing, however. for
she is entirely Indifferent to our approval
In all things save the one in which she
Is able to command 1t. She is a Gargan-
tuan baby defying precedent, and though
we cannot eat with her. we cannot drink
with her, we can not even play with her
we must acknowledge her one OF us. and
not the least OF us, II the great comfy OF
nations, because she M superior in that
thing which has counted for superiority
always in all the history of all the world.
The closer one gets to Japan, the more one
knows about her, sees of her, the less
one is able to understand that thing which
she has done. is doing in Manchuria. The
other day down at Asakusa, the Japanese
Coney Island, TIE conglomerate pleasure
place about which / am going 10 write,
there was a Juggler in an outlandlsh
comic-opera costume sitting in the shadow
Of a sacred Buddhist lantern delighting a
gaping crowd with skillful tricks Of necro-
NANCY. He took from his big kimono
sleeve a bit of brown paper common un-
attractive brown paper, and proceeded,
after carefully showing it to the audience.
to roll 1t up into a little round ball about
the size OF a robins egg. He showed 1t
TO us and smiled foolishly. struggling his
shoulders comically, then he rolled 1t
around time or two again. opened his
hands and presto, IL was gone OF course,
he reached up and produced It from the
back OF his neck with a chlld-like smile
which made the audience laugh as II 1t
had not seen the same trick done a thou
sand times before But this was not all.
Again he began to slowly roll II around
and then he shut II up in one hand and
blew upon 1t knowingly. Pretty soon he
began to pull out from between his fingers
yards upon yards of crepe paper cut in
fine strips. He blew upon his hands again,
gave Il funny little nip and a perfect
cloud of confetti few out over the heads
OF the people. He made believe to shut his
hand UP very tight and then he began to
dig into It with his other fingers and in
moment he pulled out a whole Towering
peony bush OF crepe paper which spread
itself out into perfect gorgeousness. No
body could have expected more than that.
but that was not all. He began to push
one finger vigorously into this wonderful
closed fist and pretty soon long stick
began TO appear which grew and grew
until It became huge umbrella which he
opened with click In answer to the en-
thusiastic plaudits OF the crowd.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

From the pineapple fields went on into
the orange orchard, where l met the man
ager, MIR. Schmidt. and the son OF Adam
Gray, a young man OF 22 who has Just
graduated at Yale college and has come
10 Cuba TO help work this farm. When
/ saw him he was experimenting the
spraying Of the fruit trees. He tells me
that Cuba has nve different varieties Of
scale and that It pays TO spray.
In company with Mr.. Schmidt. walked
through the groves The orange trees are
planted twenty feet apart. They are care
fully plowed and hOed and are watched
like choice orchard at home. The trees
are now about years old and they have
CContinued on PsSe Eight)
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

neighborhood of 5000 crates. He has 2eO
acres of oranges and grape fruit embracing
about 10000 trees; and when he has set
out the full 500 acres which he expects to
plant the orchard should. yield in the
neighborhood of $4,000 boxes of oranges
and grape fruit every year.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
scene for a Drama.

The author of "a Japanese Nightingale
should have copied the interior of the place
for the temple scene in which her poor
little singing girl is maGe an unwilling
vestal virgin, but they, say the author OF
"A Japanese Nightingale" never saw Japan
so one cannot wonder that her temple was
like nothing that ever grew in this coun-
try of temples. The Asakusa shrine would
make an ideal scene in Japanese drama
II it were cleaned up bit and Few OF
the sacred dominick hens chased out OF
It. To describe 1t is quite impossible. The
altar, all gold leaf and gewgaws, is behind
O huge wire net, put up to protect 1t from
the chickens, likely, and outside this net
all is motley madness. Great lanterns, as
much as fifteen feet long and eight feet
in diameter, are suspended in either end
of the high ceiled room and all round them
are smaller ones, each bearing its mes
sage to the Japanese mind in huge black
ideographs splashed upon its yellow sur
face. Goblin shaped drums sit here and
there with little cotton wrapped mallets
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23

politeness and consideration for the feel
ings of others is supposed to have reached
its highest development Everybody re-
members how she was received. She very
sensibly wore her native costume with lit
tie white tabi or ankle socks, and straw
sandals. and she instantly became exhibit
A in New York drawing rooms The young
gentlewomen of the smart set treated her
very much as II she were an oddly dressed
doll brought in for their amusement, to
be looked over and picked to pieces at
their pleasure, and o. Yuki San. they say.
bore 1t most patiently. Society did not
have the excuse. moreover, of knowing that
she was only Geisha girl" and conse-
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
Cuba a BiE Farm.

Before describ1 tSe station, let me say a
word about this islaT a. II is one OF the
biggest farming propositions on earth. IL
has more good soil than the valley OF the
Nile and 1t promises to be the great
winter fruit and vegetable garden OF the
United States. Cuba lies In Uncle Sans
front yard. with a short water road to his
kitchen door. The island Is about as big
as Pennsylvania, and, although 1t is noun
famous in places. the soil is good TO the
tops OF the hills and almost every bit Of It
can be farmed
Japan has a greater area and Il supports
between 100000 and 100000 people; but
only about 10 per cent OF It is tillable. Java
is as big as Cuba. but it is largely taken
up by mountain ranges, with active vol
canoes and arid lands. Nevertheless, Java
supports 25,OOO.OOO
Cuba today has less than 1900 900 and Il
is safe 10 say that 1t will some time rival
Java in its products. though 1t III always
have less population. for Javanese can
live where a Cuban would starve. The two
islands raise about the same crops-sugar,
tobacco and tropical fruits with coffee on
the uplands. Java is now growing tea and
ouinine, but these articles have not been
subject to experiment In Cuba.
SO far less than one-third OF this island
has been laid out In farms, and at the close
OF the war only per cent OF its area was
under cultivation. There is more now. but
1t is safe to say that not one-sixth OF the
island is used. The best cultivation is done
in the provinces of Havana and Matanzas.
and also In the tobacco fields OF Pinar del
Rio. At present sugar is the most impor-
tant crop. being produced in all the prov
inces. Tobacco comes next, raised chiefly
in Pinar del Rio. and away down al the
foot is ooffee, which was once more i'm
portant than sugar. and which now, owing
10 the tarin and other conditions. will
again come 70 the front.
Omaha daily bee., 1905-07-23
ouba's Experimental station.

The agricultural farm at Santiago de Las
Vegas Is the center OF this new agricul-
tural development II Is run by the gov
eminent, which gives IL large appropria-
tions and pushes It's work in every possible
way. The direcor Is Prof. +. s. Earle.
who was for years connected with the
United States Department Of Agriculture,
and who AZ the time the Cuban government
asked FOR q man for this work. was about