The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-02-09

seach in one of these miniature two
wheeled carriages, and the boy" who
may be a middle-aged man, steps into
the shafts, picks them up and trots off
with long and apparently easy strides
TO wherever we direct him to go. 1t
makes one feel as if he were entering
a second childhood TO be thus trundled
along on this little cart. 1t is, how
ever, all an earnest matter with the
''rikisha" boy. He eagerly tries to
ascertain our wishes and tries hard
10 please us with his services, for the
amount of gratuity (sakate) you pay
above the agreed price, determines
largely the extent of his efforts in this
direction. If il is in Yokohama, our
'rikiSha boy will probably understand
q little English. At most other places,
and at all inland towns, we will need
to give our directions in Japanese or
get a friend to write out in japanese
where we wish TO 60. We soon learn
few much-needed words of japanese,
like mill for right. hidari for left, to-
mare for stop. yuke for go on, etc.
After four weeks experience in Japan
we conclude that the jinrikishas (man-
power carriageS) are, after all, very
convenient institution. For short trips
and many stops they are as rapid as
carriages and far more convenient.
They take US through narrow streets
and along paths where carriages could
find no room. The boy is at your
service to carry bundles camera. etc,
or to guard your belongings in the rik-
isha when you leave them for few
minutes to note some point of interest
along the way. If we have an aver
sion to going in a jinrikisha on the
score of cruelty TO our fellow man, we
need but reflect that these eastern
countries have a dense population and
all need TO make a living in some way
We do these boys a greater kindness
by engaging them and paying the fee
than by passing them by. There is no
occasion for overworking them If it
a Is an uphill road, or if we are in a
great hurry, we call a second boy, who
pushes or bitches himself I'm front, and
we then proceed with a doubIe-header.
or we get out and walk uphill In
stormy weather we can put up the top
and put on the storm apron almost eX-
actly as on an American top buggy
only the storm apron has no slot for
the reins
Except in the extreme northern part
of Japan the jinrikishas are plentiful
and in the towns and cities there are
Jinrikisha stands scattered through
4 out, so that a person can get one with
out delay almost any time.
In our hotel at Yokohama, we scarce
ly get seated before a tailor and a
shoemaker, both very polite China
men, call on us and solicit orders. The
tailor was profuse in his assurances of
'goddee fittee." and he promises mo
fittee" mo takee."
On our return from northern Japan
we again have night in Yokohama
ana, desiring a suit TO wear in the
tropics later on our journey, we call
on our Chinese friend. and he assures
us a suit finished next forenoon. He
took the order and measurements at 4
p m. AT $50 we called again TO have
II fitted. Next morning at 8 O'Clock
We call again and find that the suit is
finished, all in good, workmanlike
manner and a ''goodee fittee," with
which we could find no fault How is
this for prompt service.
The Japanese Inns.
While i'm Yokohama and other open
ports with European settlements we
put up at European hotels and have
all the comforts that We could have
at home. However, at times by choice
and in interior towns of necessity. we
put up at regular japanese inns and
get more experience in the real Jana
nese life. In the interior towns we
rarely find any one who can talk Eng
llsh, not even among railroad officials
or lnnkeepers. and much less among
the shepkeepers. Other European