The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1905-06-18
Yokohama. May %.


right and be good If one turns 10
books. the contradictions multiply One
writer is positive that japanese am
hilton is a menace to Yankee inter ~.
in the Orient while another IS equdliS
certain that their one aim in life Is 10
preserve friendship with the AmeIi-
cans There seems TO be d wire cross u
somewhere
Inasmuch ar I have just arrived IN
Japan. and this Is my first time mere
shall carefully reconnoitre before / JON
the multitude which is so freely del1N-
ering itself of opinions and prophecies
.JaUan'S exact status as d power the
scope of its future influence. and the
significance of the whole situation de-
serve more than passing consideration
Leaving these points for future dis
CUssiOn, let's take a day OFF and look
around. concerning ourselves merely
with surface indications. 1 want my
readers to take a jaunt with me
through YOkohama-jUst a sightseeing
trip, in which we viii look at whatever
there is to see and gossip about 1t as
We go
The Fast Express of Japn.
The jinrikisha is the fast express of
Japan OF course you know that
jinrikisha is d funny little twO-wheeled
cart, which is pulled by a man. 1t
seems like a dirty trick for a man 10
beat a horse out of his job, but there
Is no scruDle about that sort of thing
here. How can a self-respecting horse
hope TO earn an honest living in a
country where d cOOlie Will work all
day for the price of a peck of OATS
Well. here comes our twO-legged pony
between the shafts of his tiny sulky,
so we will make a start.
The jinrikisha man places the shafts
lis
bare legs are knOtted with muscles and
he can run mile after mile with me-
chanical ease. He always runs. If
you want him to walk he demands
more pay. His wage by the hour is 10
cents. No wonder the poor horse can't
make his feed, While the jinrikisha
men seem to easily stand their eXeT-
tiOn. the strain upon them is great and
their average life, after they begin the
work. is said to be seven years 1t
is not unusual for one of the poor souls
TO run until he falls dead in his tracks
You can see something of the spirit
that took Port Arthur in the jinrikisha
man, who will die rather than quit the
task he has undertaken.
Under the Cherry Blossoms.
The cherry blossoms are out, so we
viii go to the park and have a look at
the Towering trees whose fame has
spread to every land. The appearance
of these delicate blossoms IS such IN
event that the newspapers issue bull
IetinS announcing the condition of the
buds and all classes eagerly await
their opening. The cherry blossom
season is festival period in japan.
The people are ardent lovers OF flow
erS. They inherit their passion for color
from genera tiOnS OF ancestors who
wOrshipped trees and plants The beg
gar i'm his JatterS and the prIlce IN his
silks are equally susceptible 10 the
charm of tie wide spreading cherry
when It Uufclds its mass Of brilliant
bloom.
old men Groom under its sna dow and
write odes 10 It's IOVCliueSS- The kim
ono EiTl-the same COY. Sld1U-eyed
creature You have always known in
book and pictures never 50 happy OF
picturesque as when she takes Eer tea
under its leafy bower or clank5 along
on ncr wooden clogs beneath the avn
iUE made ny the eUtwninE of its
branches. The OmuiDTesent Jap baby,
fat. tOddhnE, and COod-natured. Is ever
ready for his rOmp in the cherry grove
It IS here that he shows off to the best
advantage with his gay fineTy and his
shaver crown. The babies are almost
as numerous as the blossoms and they
go we'll together. The flaming lanes
of the park fairly swarm with happy
people. Ii Il a pretty spectacle to see
youth and old age enjoying together
their mirth and rapture under the
canopy of the cherry boughs. One
writer aptly says that cars and kaisers
may well envy this oriental ruler.
whose subjects gather by thousands,
not to throw bombs and riot for bread,
or clamor for the division of property,
but to fail in love with flowers and
write poems IN their praise.
At the Temple Shrine.
Rising above the clouds Of pink bios
SONS Is the outline of an old temple
The stone steps leading 10 it resOund
with the ClatteT of many clogs aS the
pilgrims ascend to offer their devotions.
The mellow tones of "A monster bell is
booming its summons for the faithful
TO come TO prayer Although we are
heretics we will follow the worshippers
and see what it is they do to appease
the wrath Of their gods and how they
petition them for favor. What
motley crowd II is that presses around
Us, In il are EentlefOlk and common
ers, maids and merchants. toothless
hays and~toddling babes. On its fringes
the artfUl fakiT plies his vocation. and
the begging leper exhibits his ugly
ulcers in a disgusting plea for aims. In
asmUch as each wOrShipper losses A
coin in the cash box it Is evident that
all are expected to pay their way The
cash box has Stats across the top and
although the bottom is out of sight.
the constant jingle Of falling money
indicates that business is good. Some
times a thousand dollars Is collected in
one of these boxes in a day.
After he has made his donation the
wOrShipper ClaDS his hands to attract
The attention of the particular god he
wants to petition, then bows his head
as he mUrmUrs his supplicatiOn. Some
pray briefly and others at great length.
/ suppose the time it takes to ask de-
ponds altogether upon what one wants.
One fellow merely ducks his head and
makes off at Once-he got his money S
worth in "A hurry, while another settles
down to II in earnest and wrestleS with
the spirit in a true fashion. If he gets
all he asks for il will take the god the
most of the afternoon TO MI his order.
All the wOrShippers seem to be devout
Both the barefooted coolie and the gen
tleman in frock coat and high hat go at
it like they thought there was some
thing in il. There is a whole lot in
having faith in anything no matter
whether it amounts TO much or not.
Flirting With the Gods.
The japanese manner of Offering
prayer resembles a game of chance
One way to test your strength with the
god is to buy prayer paper. chew il
into a wad. then throw il against the
wire screen If the wad sticks YOU have
made good with the deity, but if it falls
off you are to consider yourself refused
Another way TO get a forecast on your
prospects Is to pitch a pebble onto ia
bic. If il rolls off there is nothing do
ing. but If ii remains the god viii think