The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1907-08-14
THE EMPEROR OF JAPAN.
Leads in Adopting Foreign Customs
His Only Photograph.

does not reflect his age, says a writ
er in Town and Country. There are
no lines of care on his smooth fore
head. His tut bulent reign of forty
years has not married the serenity
of his countenance.
| saw him once driving through
the park at Yeddo, outside the impe-
rial grounds. He sat in an open
victoria, a detachment of cavalry
preceding and following the carriage.
His face was calm and serene. His
piercing bla eyes stared straight
ahead and his dignifed bearing was
simple, yet impressive. The briefest
glance revealed man of no ordinary
mould.
The whites of his eyes were more
apparent than in the average Jap
anese. His eyebrows were not as
straight as in the photograph, and
his strong chin was covered with a
beard of medium length, thicker
than when ten years ago he summon
ed the best photographer in Toxic,
a pupil of Taber of San Francisco, to
the imperial palace.
Later | inspected dozen prints
from the original negative. protest
that the photograph was inaccurate
asked to see other pictures.
you will never see any others, =
he told me. 1.-THE Emperor has set
his seal of approval and his seal of
state upon this NEGATIVE. There are
no others and there will be no 9TH
ers. The original is kept under lock
and seal. Only l may take prints
from it in the presence of officials
and with the Emperor's permission. :"
| limited that it was touched up
The imperial photographers face be-
came mask
1T is a very correct likeness" he
replied suavely; though the Emper
or is trifle older, he has not
changed"
Those who have met the Emperor
recently say his face is much fuller
and more peculiarly Japanese, for
the race tends to corpulency. His
frame is above the average height of
his subjects. his shoulders are broad
er, and there is an appearance of
strength and compactness of form not
shared by the well fed official and
prosperous merchant.
The Emperor is cot strenuous, sell
dom takes exercise as we understand
it, but his diet is simple and he does
not indulge in strong drinks. OF re-
cent years he is more frequently
seen outside the palace grounds and
he is peculiarly gracious to foreign
diplomats and the women of the Of
fetal colony
Matsuhito has. led, not followed,
the elder statesmen and the progress
sive Japanese in the adoption of
western civilization. In his palace
at Toxic he has it'stalled many Eu-
ropean furnishings. His audience
room is fitted up with a chair and
fiat top desk.
1t is there he receives calls from
his ministers and officials of state,
as does the president of the United
States at the White House. He does
not sleep as do most of his $4,000.
900 of subjects upon a mat laid floor,
but upon an English bed His clothes
are mostly of English pattern, though
in the quiet of his family he dons
the japanese robes and sandals. He
wears white linen shirts and starch
ed collars, and eats at table such
as ours, having most of his food cook
ed in European style, using a silver
fork and a Sheffield knife.
Though monarch of an Oriental
race, desc endant in a direct line from
1900 years of Japa nese rulers, Mat
suhito has the general appearance of
an American gentleman, both in man.
ners and dress.
The walled and moated park sur
the White House of Japan
is thrown open to the public. The pai-
ace itself is reconstructed on modern
lines, is full of large rooms and is
with modern furniture.
Yet, despite all the evidences of
Matsuhito is a man of
mystery. He is the incarnation of
the Divine Being. heaven descend
ed, divine and sacred. His hallowed
throne was established at the time
when the heavens and earth separ-
ated He is preeminent above all his
subjects. The law has no power to
hold him accountable to it."
-Pineules are for the Kidneys and |
Bladder They hiring nuicls ra1ia,f ~ |