Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1906-01-27

SIDE or sits on stool provided for
that purpose. There are few bazaars
which are really unique. They are
very large buildings in which space is
rented to shop keepers who bring
their wares and display them in
manner somewhat similar to our West
|ern markets.
They have hotels both European andp
Japanese. The former appear to be-
expensive limitations OF the real thing
experience in the latter is thrilling.
Two OF my friends insisted that i'd
would never do for me to visit Japan
without this experience. AS ii was ~
case Of two against one. l yielded,
and we went for dinner la Japanese.
felt perfectly safe for was in the
hands OF men who spoke the language.
Upon approaching the hotel we found
the proprietor sitting upon the floor
by the street The leader of our party
arranged terms and presently we took
off our shoes. left them outside and
followed a guide through a long pas
sage into good sized room. unfur.
nished, except with mating upon the
floor. Within a few minutes an atten.
dant brought MS kimona and q towel
! then learned that dinner iE preceded
by bath. A few more minutes, and
onr party, each robed in kimona and
fnxunI a IN f.t ~.
room on lower story of the house
where we found tile floor, tub like
a wooden watering trough about thirty
inches deep, few buckets, three
walls, a ceiling and an open side
which entered into somewhat small
Ter room. The wooden tub was full
of water heated dangerously near the
boiling point. | demurred. but was
told that none of the other guests Ut
the hotel had suffered from bathing
in the same water, and, following the
example OF my friends, plunged in
II was at this point of time that be.
came painfully aware OF the fact that
an audience consisting apparently OF
the proprietor and the entire forca at
the hotel had assembled before the
open side OF The bath room, ost6nsi-
| bly, for the purpose of ascartaining
whether Americans are white any :
where else than their hands and faces
Although was in water up to my
neck at the time discovered the sitn-
alton, ! confess found it somewhat
embarrassing, but as the audience be-
came satisfied upon the point OF in
|quiry they went away one BY one, so
that by the time we were thoroughly
stewed we felt at liberty to proceed
with the use of the towel. and in
very short while the kimona professions
was on its way back to the roon
where we bad left our clothes. | was
now informed however. that we were
already in full dress and the next
number on the programme was trA sif
down cross-legged upon the fiosn and
wait until dinner was served. Ny
attempt to conform to this conyen-
tionality Of Japanese style resulted in
a srrained ankle 50 II sat down in
good old American fashion. as Il II as
possible. The hotel clerk now appear.
ID on the scene to registered us. He
took our names and addresses and
talked Qraciousy for a quarter of ans
hour obtaining all the information
possible. Dinner was then served
The first coarse consisted OF tea, of
which we were expected to drink
number ct CUBS The walters next
brought us each little table about.
Fifteen inches square and six inches
high containing bowl OF rice, dish
OF soup, an omelet. large piece of
excellently cooked fish, and u bit az
spiced radish. The rice was served in
our bowls from vessel which very
much resembied wooden balf bushel
measure; chopsticks were then pro.
vided and we did the rest.
Very truly.
Il