The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1907-05-31

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tramp is enough to test the religion
of anybody, even a missionary, for 1t
. is entirely over mountains, and the
road is superlatively bad, though the
scenery is .superlatively beautiful,
rivaling Colorado's best.
The Polite Police.
The faithful Japanese preacher had
omitted the climb up Shirane and so
he reached Shibu another village
famous for its milder baths, ahead OF
the main party of sunburned and foot
sore missionaries, who arrived at sun
down, to find the town expectant of
meeting, all the preparations for which
had been made. Several rooms on the
first floor of the native inn where the
visitors spent the night were thrown
into one, making room for upwards e
hundred persons seated, while manf
more could stand outside or sit in the
house across the alley, so nigh is
neighbor to neighbor in the old Japan
csc villages.
Word came from the police that
should this meeting place be too small
for the foreigners purpose, the police
themselves would provide larger
room But some 200 men, women and
children crowded around when the
service began, and listened to the new
teachings with an attention thst could
not be surpassed in FitSR avenue
church. The same speakers tos'H part,
oId
considerable circle of young men,
mostly students, gathered about Mr..
Hail after the meeting, for furfaer
conversation. At this service a native
Christian woman, who had moved iIto
the village from another town, took a
Bible Society's colporteurs was also
present; and, in general, Shibu seemed
somewhat more familiar with Chris
tianity than did Kusatsu, although
there are no Christian services held
there.
Where Religion is Cheap.
The next morning the Americans.
who were quite accustomed to creating
villages, went to Nagano, where is ono
of the most celebrated Buddhist tenn
pies in Japan, dating back to go A. D.,
although the oldest portion of the pres
ent structure is only six centuries old.
The high priestess of this temple is an
aunt of the emperor. The temple area
is crowded with statues and buildings
of absorbing interest. I noticed one
bronze Buddha of heroic size holding
a baby, and some devotee had put q
modern bonnet, of cheap calico, on
the latter's head! On several occa-
sions l have seen images thus incon-
gruously adorned.
Thousands of devout pilgrims visl!
this temple, and the emperor himself
has sumptuous suite of apartments
therein, although the Shintoists claim
him as one of their number. In fact,
he has rather impartially patronized
both faiths; and thousands of his sub
jects do likewise. Ordinary pilgrims
to the temple are kept outside the
wire screen before the altar, but the
missionaries, by the application of the
silver key which unlocks doors the
world over, were omitted to closer
view and complete inspection. They
were even taken down through the
absolutely dark underground passage
where the keys of paradise may be
found attached to a huge paddock.
And assuredly those young Americans
found them, and ratified them loudly
enough for all the celestial doorkeep-
ers to hear. This trip in the dark is
supposed to purge the soul of sin,
though, paradoxically enough, the
priest who was our guide warned us
that if we had any evil in our hearts
when we entered we would come out
changed into dogs, which is the COM
mon belief. Of course this party
emerged barking and growing like
ours with tin cans to their tails.
1t must net be inferred that the mis-
sionaries were disrespectful to the
temple or it's worshippers. They
moved about, uncovered and unshod,
and were genuinely interested in the
bewildering explanations Of who's who
in this sect of Buddhism. Among the
more than 10000 ancestral tablets
placed in one apartment noticed one
that was surmounted By the Harvard
H.
AS souvenirs of this trip I have
written token from the high priest
that I have performed an early morn
ing devotion at certain shrine, and
have received dissolution from him in
person-although, as a matter of fact,
it was nearly noon when we were in
the temple, and l never saw the high
priest. I bought the document from
a priest in the temple Office for one
and a half cents. Similarly, have a
brass charm from the imperial high
priestess (whom did not meet, am
sorry to say), guaranteeing protection
to my body from every kind of harm,
and all for the sum of eight cents.
Religion comes cheap in Japan. I saw
priests emptying the money boxes
which stand before each shrine, and
later stringing the coins together.
These are all of copper, and of the
lowest denominations, two sen, one