The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-01-31

Following are some extracts from a
letter to the Press-American by A. Z
Shannon, who with P. F. Van Deusen
is making tour of the world
1--WE reached Yokohama Sunday
Dec, 20 and spent the day there
Monday We went to Toxic, the CAPT
tai, by rail. Road first-class going up
for 80 sen, or 40 cents. We came
back second-class for u cents. We
hired a rickshaw while there and
rode all over the city for Is cents an
hour. We saw the imperial palace
the shogun's temple and patronized
the Jap girls tea houses. We had to
take off our shoes to go inside, but
they handed us cloth slippers to put
on over our socks.
Van Deusen's feet are so small
that every time he went up stairs he'd
lose his slippers. We also went to
the American embassy and saw the
secretary of the embassy, James B.
Davies, formerly if Owosso. We are
now on our way from Yokohama to
Kobe and are in the sea of Sagami,
close to the mainland.
On the north, Mount Fuji-Yana is
in plain sight, but must be so or 100
miles away. On the other side is the
Isle O-Shima, which is nothing but a
volcano sticking up out of the water
with smoke pouring out of the crater
We took in the two cities wo visit
ed very thoroughly and we had rick
shaws and kept them going every
minute. A rickshaw is not a bad
way to ride and is good way to see
everything. We got fellows who
could speak little English and that
helped nightly. 1t seemed queer to
be sitting up there and let man
draw you, but they are glad of the
chance and you could hardly walk if
you wanted to, as they are after you
the minute you stick your head out
of the door.
The Japs seemed to use us right in
every respect and there doesn't seem
to be any feeling against Americans.
| doubt if Jap could go among to
many of our people in our cities with
out being insulted by a drunk or
tough of some kind, but we have seen
nothing of an unpleasant nature
along these lines and the people seem
to be happy. The weather is quite
cold and it freezes hard every night,
but most of them go around bare
headed and bare legged. although
some of them have socks as well.
Other of the rickshaw men will have
bare legs and blanket around their
shoulders. | have seen some with
overcoats and blankets, but with bare
legs.
The streets are narrow but well
paved and clean. Only once in a
great while do you see a horse. Then
he is hitched to a two-wheeled cart,
with a man leading him. The truck
ing and hauling are done by men
with two-wheeled carts. They han
die everything, coal, wood and mer-
chandise. The stores are all run by
Japs; they spread their wares out on
what should be the sidewalk and
everybody walks in the middle Of the
street They all live in the back part
of their stores and their children play
in the street as there is no backyard
There are lots of children, but they
don't seem to be in anybody's way.
There are no autos or horses to run
over them. The streets are sprinkled
with two-wheeled carts which the
men draw.
There is a European settlement
back in the hills from Yokohama,
where there are some nice residences,
splendid parks and drives. There
they have horses and carriages, but it
would be next to impossible to get
drought the streets with a vehicle
downtown. | did act see an auto in
either place.