Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1910-09-14

~ WIN ISuDOl III MS luSd lHdI IHSS0
little caves are sleeping-places, we
are by no means equally convinced
that they were made far or by pre-
Ainu population.
From the caves to the highroad is
matter of five minutes walk. At
midway point is another curious and
interesting object. Whatever may be
the material of the ridge in which the
caves occur, neighboring ridge is
composed of calcareous material with
f1imsy nodules scattered through it.
This limey ridge is cut by a narrow
gulf and in this gulf is perched lit
tie temple or rather shrine to the
goddess of mercy, Kwannon. The lit
tie shrine is wedged in between. the
rock walls in queer and pretty fash
ion, and is raised high on a cobwork
of supporting poles and posts. To
reach it one climbs up rickety stair
way. When he reaches the level of
the little shrine he sees excavated in
the cleft of rock behind him little
niche in which is a strong figure of
the goddess. The shrine is in no way
of special Importance or interest apart
from its picturesque position. There
seems to be no resident priest or
caretaker, and the place is sadly neg
lected. The shed before the altar
contains indeed some curious votiVes,
among them a great board on which
are represented in brilliant colors and
poor art the heads of something like
800 horses, each accompanied by
written name. Why these horses
should be here represented by
votive we cannot say, but interesting
surmises might be framed, On either
side of the supporting cobwork there
are cavities within the limestone rock.
One of them is directly under the shrine
itself The other has been cut into
the opposite wall of the rock cleft
diagonally through to the natural
front face of the ridge. In both these
cavities there are today ranged great
numbers of little figures of the kind
ly goddess. They make strange i'm
preston of loneliness here in their
chilly, unsunned, neglected caves.
But we hear the tin horn of the
basha driver, hasten back to the road
side, and crowd our way into the I'M
fortunate vehicle
Japan is a great country of con-
noisseurs and collectors; it is a land
of perennial exhibits. Yesterday we
had the pleasure of seeing a curious
collection by a well-known connois-
seur, man of wealth, education and
position. 1t was the collection of
toys of Marquis Tokugawa. The
marquis is a younger member of the
family of the last of the Shoguns of
Japan. He has a beautiful property
behind the Shiba park. On his prop
erty large building is devoted to
his private library, one of the best in
all Japan. He is interested in Vari-
Gus subjects in ethnography and an
thropology, and among other things
has made a very considerable collec-
ton of toys, not only Japanese. but
from all portions of the world. These
have been on exhibition to invited
guests for the past three days and
it was this exhibition that we had
the pleasure of seeing.
There had been a large attendance
of visitors, and printed catalogues
were given to all. Several large halls
were devoted to the display which
was arranged upon a series of tables
and to some degree upon the walls.
A classification had been adopted and
the specimens arranged with reference
to it. Japan, as everyone knows, is
veritable chi111s-sSEs' paradise. Nothing
is too good for the little ones. From
the beginning of the year at January
1, with its kites and battledore and
shuttlecock, on to the closing of the
year, the childrens' year is marked
by a succession of toys appropriate
to the season. Lafcadio Hearne never
wearied of mentioning the variety and
daintiness of these devices. Well,
here they were displayed in all va
riety. Notable of course, were the
difForent kinds of dolls, in which
JaloA delights. There are dolls in old
families that have been passed on
from generation to generation through
200 years. In the dolls Of such col
lections one may follow something of
the history of hairdressing among
these people. There are dolls of
every size from little creatures less
than a half-inch in height to dolls as
large as the children for whose amuse-
ment they were fabricated. Most curl
GUS perhaps of all are the dolls with
little heads of peas and clothes of
ancient damasks and brocades; these
are 200 years or more of age. Also
notable among the toys of Japan are
the great variety and range OF wire
puzzles; we have ourselves some of
these, but in comparison with the
Japanese ours are nothing. In kite
Aying perhaps no people reach the
Chinese. but certainly the Japanese
are a close second The walls of
whole hall were occupied with diff
ferent types of kites.
The local variation of toys in Japan
Tho Same fOV