Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-12-18
SAILING IN
SEA OF JAPAN
A Chrysanthemum Show in
the Home Of the Autumn
Flower.
MEETS A REAL PRINCE
Who Tips His Hat to the
American Girl in
Passing.
Nov 3. 1909

ANpN d lOOO.
Inland Sea, between Kobe and Maya
saka, japan.
/ am having the most beautiful
rart of all the voyage today. Hi Is
so close that it looks like one might
throw a rock to the shore, and so
high that the clouds rest on their
submits.
am carried away with Japan. 1t
seems like a make-beieve world, and
the people mere puppets. 1t would
take a book to write of all the inter
esting things have seen in the past
week. only wish all my friends
we're along to see these things with
me, for / cannot begin to describe
them.
At Tokyo, the capital, we hired
jinrikishas (two wheeled carriages
pulled by men, and they are not so
much slower than horses as you
might think, for they 20 in steady
trot for hours) and rode around the
grounds Of the Imperial Palace,
meeting Prince Kuni ard his wife
and Baroness Somebody out driving.
He tipped his hat and the women
waved at us, in very democratic
fashion. The Buddhist temples are
the sights of Japan, and we visited
one of those, several hundred years
old. But the most interesting thing
Of all was the chrysanthemum show.
This was a disappointment in one
way, for there was little or no at
tempt made to grow large blossoms.
But for ingenuity, / never saw any
thing like it. Plants were trained
on wires to initiate everything you
could think of. Houses, street cars.
animals, etc. Then we came to a
stage as large as that in the opera
house at home. On this were half q
dozen life size wax figures, dressed
in contrasting shades of the flowers
One had on a waist of white, with a
red skirt. Rocks and trees were in
the back ground. and the walls were
a solid mass of flowers of contrasting
shades There were millions of them.
but no larger than button. Then
we passed frem room to room, each
with some historical scene represent
ed in the same manner. until we
reached the last room larger than
the rest, where the curtain was
drawn. gIn & few moments this was
raised, and we saw q Japanese boat
on the moonIit water, and in it. sew
eral figures. The boat moved to and
fro and finally broke half in two,
and from its body other figures,
fOwer-elad, came out. Water-sprites
arose from the waves and there was
one transformation after another
until it almost made one believe in
the fairies. As climax, the ceiling,
concealed by hanging wisteria and
lavender lanterns, descended upon
the audience.
Yesterday we spent delightful
day in Kobe, visiting the shops. |
These have neither brick walls nor
plate glass fronts. but are open on
the streets. with their wares on little |
tables in front. As we pass along. |
we are continually greeted by the !
who run out to stop us
with ''Will you kindly to inspect my
goods?" Bowling in a way that would |
turn Partisan green with envy.
A cunning little beggar girl. about
Eve years old. came running up to
US, jabbering in the most persuasive
voice, and getting down on her
knees and touching her head to the
ground. We did not stop. so she
would get up and run a few steps
ahead Of US. and get on her head
gain. With an ease that bespeaks a
liked habit. No telling how long
he would have kept this up if we
lad not stopped her with a little
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