The San Francisco call., 1907-01-27
His Japanese Residence

Another death besides his fathers
hurried Toranosuke to his present dis
tinction. The first 70 succeed the father
was gunkichi FurukaHS, said TO
be the real son OF Count Mutsu and
the adopted son OF Ichibei Furukaws.
ON the very threshold Of new respon-
sihilities the adopted son died last De-
cember.
Young Furukawa has three houses
in Toxic. The family house is on the
outskirts. In one he has established
his sisters that they may be near the
school they attend. Distances in To-
kio are great; means Of communics-
tion are poor, and the better classes
have a violent antipatby against rid
ing in the streetcars that run through
the japanese capital. Mr. Furukawa's s
mother divides her, time between the
city houses and the villa at DISC,
where the grounds are spacious and
exquisitely japanese in ornamentation.
Furukawa has half-brother. who is
student in the Shefieid Scientific
School at Yale.
Among Furukawas neighbors in the
hot months OF summer are Marquis
Ito and an old daimio. The latter IS
an interesting relic or the days when
the shogunate fiourishod and the MI
kado was a mere Hgurehead in the
administration OF tho Government.
Young Furukawa is doing just what
many other rising Japsneso are doing
getting his education in the United
states and sstuTating himself with
practical ideas TO be used in further
developing his great mining property.
He seeks 70 know the mining business
from the ground Up. and all the science
involved in IL.
The great copper mine near Nikko,
called the Ashio mine. is tho bonanza
OF the Furuk2wa company- II eni-
ploys about twenty thousand men,
women and children directly, while
many more thousands are dependent
upon st. The annual yield is 10000
tons OF copper, most OF which is eI-
ported ia the shape or Bessenaer cop
per I'm the form OF both cathode and
wire bars
The only thing about the Ashio cop-
per mine that seems antiquated is the
method of feeding the army of en-
ployes. Every ounce Of the food con
sumed is carried up into the bills IN
OK carts. In ali other respects the mine
equipment is thoroughly modernized
and Up 20 date. Indeed. in some partic-
Ulars the native engineers seem TO have
improved on the best they could find
in this country. At the ST. Louis fair
the company was awarded 4 grand
prize OF honor for its work IN jmprov-
ing and advancing the mining methods
Of Japan.
Expert representatives OF the Furu-
kaHa company have visited every i'm
portant mining property in the United
States, Mexico and Canada and have
appropriated 10 their own use the best
devices they could fine. They have
bought specimens or various kinds OF
machinery. but instead OF drawing on
American factories for more have du-
piicated everything IN their own manu-
factories. being astonishingly clever in
lheir Initiative faculties.
Furukaw3 depends for advice on men
who have gained their knowledge and
inspiration in this country. His 6nan-
clal and technical adviser, Mr.. Ota-
gawa, Is his guardian. He Is a man
OF scholarship and diplomacy. Is a
member OF the American Institute OF
Mining Engineers and of the American
Society Of Civil Engineers.
Mr.. otagawa was also graduated
from the University OF Japan with high
honors and has long enjoyed the friend
ship and influence of leading members
Of the Government. He is now in New
York, having recently returned from an
extended visit among great mines OF
the world. including taose Of Europe
Mexico. Canada and the United States.
Under Mr.. otsgaws's direction the
big firm has been quick 20 adopt mod
-4NN-O~S AZ WORKING IL nlncb IN
Japan. 1t is 20 him that eli models
Of new machinery and reports of
American ideas are brought by special
agents Of the firm. travelling up and
down the globe in search Of new in
ventions and methods. The euperinten-
dent OF the Ashio mine Is a hustler of
the American type. So are the forty
two overseers and heads OF depart
ments.
Mr.. Otagawas like his ward, the
young CroesuE, believes in higher ed
ucation. TO this end the firm is es-
tsbiishing three new universities