Arizona republican., 1910-11-21


walls and doors are confusing, and it
would take an architect and an
artist to appreciate tenth of the
magnificence. have an impress
SIGN of a Gorgeous profusion of lac
quer, bronze and brass, and pillars
Of carved wood, which were black
in the, gloom of the place.
After dinner the curio dealers
haunt the verandas of the hotel in
Nikko and persuade the English and
American tourists TO purchase the
wonderful wood and lacquer carvings
which Nikko is famous for Dainty
little Jap girls in blue and white
kimOnas spread trays of carved
monkeys and griffins and devils on
the back ground, and in the prettiest
broken English imaginable modestly
demand just three times as much
as they expect to get. The prince
of curio dealers lives at Nikko.
You come and see my shop he
said. / am a pawnbroker: my great
est grandfather was a pawnbroker,
and | got oldest curious i'm Japan,
and many got i'm japanese war
He called himself a pawnbroker
on his signbOard also, probably in
cited to do so by some tourist who
deemed himself humorous He had
the most wonderful collection l have
ever seen-old bronzes, pictures 200
years old. and rare prints, old china.
screens and cabinets. His establish
ments would have made a desirable
addition TO an exhibition. Everything
was arranged in tall stands. which
formed the only furniture of the Jap
anese roomss and we had to remove
our shoes for the sake of the mat
ing
His garden also was a masterpiece
Of landscape gardening. and on a
black Iacquered table at the gate was
tray three or four feet long with
a landscape in smallest miniature
water. trees two or three inches high
bridges. and mountains in proportion
all flourishing as in a state of ma
ture. II was about tIls time that we
first began To suspect the Grass
hopper. He was too friendly with
the curiO dealers and / detected him
surreptitiOusly pOcketing coin
which he received from the hands of
the prince of curio dealers, from
whom we had purchased a good deal
There is no sense of morality i'm
the japanese guide. He regards Eu-
ropeans as his lawful prey and cheats
and smiles at the guiIelessness of the
big Engleesh" The Grashopper
paid the ricksha boys half what he
charged us for our driving expenses
in our daily accounts and pocketed
the difference; he got commissions
from the hotel people (Which we had
to pay for Indirectly; he told us lies
about our railway fares. and benefit
ed himself prOportionately as he rob
bed us. But his company was worth
ii all. The Grasshopper had the gift
of attraction and there was some
thing inexplicably fascinating in the
of villianous effrontery.
innocence and perfect man
ners.
IF YOU go to Nillko custom will
Won to make a pilgrimage to
Lake Chuzensi. eight miles away
The lake at Chuzensi is more like
Scotch loch than anything out of
Japan. 1t is three miles across and
all round are quaint little Buddhist
and Shinto shrines or temples where
small impressive Buddhas sit and try
10 hide themselves under the moss
and lichen. There is a good hotel
where the tourist can stay while he
explores the neighborhood and re-
'lects upon the thousand beauties of
he japanese highlands.
But the Grasshopper only per-
nitted us a few hours rest BY
'clOck we started on our eight mile
Journey down hill. and the mists
anne down and a fine rain took the
1lace of the exquisite sunshine of
he earlier part of the day. Our |
ponies slid down the face of the hill |
winding in and out. and we could !
'nly see the immediate foreground |
Next morning when the hotel keeper |
informed us that in three months !
hey had not had a score Of days of |
we felt it was time to |
make for Toxic. where at least there |
we're tea houses and shops. theaters |
md gardens, and a thousand attrac |
IL. 49,