The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-09-06


 of them indignant at the Presidents pressed by her genius and asked her to join his company.
 Kumehachi belonged to the old school but her wonderful adaptabi1ity enabled her to carry her role success fully in new plays, including a num- Der of Shakespearian tragedies. She was virtually the only actress of the old school, for at that time Japanese feminine roles were always played by men. New actresses, however, are now being brought out, and Kume- hachi gave willing assistance to the training of young girls recruited by the Imperial Theatre of Tokio.
 The Japanese Empire shows a wide range in social customs. Remote provinces observe usages and indulge in social ceremonies that are surpris- ing, when they are related, even to the Japanese themselves. An education al inspector of Tolxfo has just return ed to the capital from the island of Oshirna, with strange tales of the cus- toms of the islanders, especially in weddings and funerals.
 While on the island the inspector, R. Kawagoe by name, attended the fun era1 of a fisherman. The coffin was covered with two suits of the dead mans clothing, and surrounded by a score of women of sorrowful face, who proceeded to utter a long mono syllable howl of lamentation. The visitor was so affected that he wept with the mourners, but later he found out that all this sorrow was put on; 1t was being enacted as a, part of pre- scribed funeral ceremony.
 The islanders develop physically much earlier than the people in other parts of the Empire. Girls marry at twelve or thirteen years, and young men at fourteen or fifteen. For two
 months after the wedding the husband pays nightly visits to the wife at the home of her parents, while the young wife visits her parents-in-law and helps them by fetching pails of water from the well. After that she is ta- ken into the home of her husband. On Oshima the young people enjoy more freedom in the matter of court ing than in central Japan. They are left to themselves to select their own life mates, much after the fashion of the West. When a young suitor pro- poses to the girl of his choice, the girl declines two or three times as a matter of form, and in order that she may enjoy the period of courtship. Mount F1uji, a dead volcanic noun tain nearly 15,O0O feet high, famous around the world for it's graceful con tour has been surmounted this sum mer by a. Japanese girl seven years old, who made the trip unaided by her elders. Considering the youth fitness of the clin Der, this is a, record. Another will be made before the sum mer is over, for if all goes we'll with him, Sajuro Oto, eighty-nine years of age, will accomplish his one hun dredth ascension. With the close of last summer his record was eighty three. August saw him complete his ninety-fourth trip to the summit. From time immem Orta1 FuJ1, the highest mountain in Japan, has been considered a sacred peak, and until about forty years ago women were not allowed to make the ascent Even now much religious sentiment is at tached to the mountain, and group af- ter group of pilgrims from all over the country visit the little shrines on the snow clad summit nnurmuring in their ascent up the long slopes Rokkon Shojo,' meaning. May our six senses be clean and undef1led.
 Aside from these pilgrims all classes of people, including some of the new women of Japan, climb up the noun tain. Recently prize-climbing con- test was held, and a student Of the Waseda University made a record as- cent by reaching the summit in two hours and a half
 Prince Hirohito, Crown Prince of O presses his earnest desire to climb up Fuji. This year he hopes to do so with Prince Vi, former Crown Prince of Korea, who is now studying in Japan.
 F4uji is coy in summer, and rarely discIoses herself to the view of visit ors who try to see her from points of vantage. This is due to the prevail ing mist and clouds.
 The opening of the Panama Canal to the merchant ships of the world will see the inauguration or a new line of Japanese vessels running to the eastern coast of the United States, and also to points in Europe
 The Osaka Mercantile Steamship Company is making plans to this end It has already ordered several new steamers of 5000 tons each, and it has despatched to America a number of agents to make preliminary invesuga- tions as to ports, docking facilities charters, etcetera-
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