The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-02-19

Yokahama and Tokyo and have gotteI
/ bot 8 glimpse Of the manners and Gus
toms Of this interesting people one car
/ but see their aggressiveness. Russia
aud indeed all the Orient. has a for
midBble foe 10 contend with in the 10
ture. Living the simple life, enduring
haTdships. app&fently temperate w'
have not seen any dTunkennessl they
show an alertness and yiRor far super
ior 20 deeaying China and the indolene'
Of the tropical countries 10 the south
while Russia is torn with politiea
strife and corruption.
The Shriners' ship droppcd anchor il
Yokohama harbOr about 3l5 Sunday
| afternoon, OF 10 Saturday evening
Hood River time. We waited outside
the bfeakWater for the quarantine
officers, who were just completing in
speetion Of another ship which had ar
rived an hour earlier. We we're lineC
up in the dining room, and thanks tC
the ships doctor, escaped with but
slight scrutiny, while the crew were
made to show their tongues and feel
ing of pulse. Several hotel launches
hung around the ship and after we had
been given clean bill Of health,
boarded Us. soliciting business. There
were also representative Of CONNER
cial houses, inviting an inspection OF
stores, with business cards printed in
English. A rain had set in, and the
ship moved inside Of the breakwater,
anchoring about a mile from shore. We
were loaded into several launches,
standing up. and dumped into the Gus
tom house. Leaving our baggage IN
locked, il was taken care OF by the
hotel management, so we were not
detained.
As we came out in a pouring rain,
there was no one to meet us and we
were left to the tender meTcies Of a
towling mob Of .jinri4isha bardits.
whose English vocabulary was limited
to Imperial Hotel, so sen. As we
were told the price would be 10 sen
we protested vigorously, but they in
sisted the rain was the cause of the
advance in price. As we were getting
soaked with the rain we stood for the
hold up. Arriving at the hotel we
found confusion in getting reei tered,
and not enough rooms to go around.
We found good place near by, how
ever, for the overflow. We realized by
this time that no arrangements had
been made by the Seattle delegation in
charge of the Shriners' pilgrimage, for
our entertainment in Japan, and we
have been handicapped ever since, each
one for himself and "the devil for the
hindmost. However, we have put in
our limited time to pretty good ad-
vantage.
A visit to the shops was very inter-
esting and the first morning in Yoko
hama was spent by most of the party
in this manner. Many curious and
beautiful articles are on display, some
very reasonable in price, and some no
cheaper than in our own country.
Such funny places most of them are.
Veritable "heles in the WALL" with
very little idea on the outside what the
interior contains. Clothing solicitors
laid in wait for us at the hotel, with
samples, agreeing to turn out suit Of
clothes in "a hours, and handsome
party gown for the ladies in two days
at the outside.
There are few places which have
heat of any kind, except small bowl
with charcoal fire, over which
group will squat occasionally and
warm tier hands. The japanese use
very few chairs or stools, but squat
on mats in true Oriental style. All
use kind of sandal, with string held
between the first and second toe to
keep them on the feet. They wear a
cloth stocking as high as the ankle,
with the great toe pocket like the
thumb of mitten to allow for the
string in the sandal. But few have any
covering on their legs below the knee,
while many of the poorer class, men
and women boys and girls even ba-
bies are barefooted. For muddy
weather they use sandal with two
pieces of wood across the middle of the
sandal which raises them about three
inches from the ground 1t looks very
queer to see them hobbling along on
these short stills.
The cities have one or two ''main"
streets so to rs feet wide. The other
streets are winding alleys 8 to II feet
wide with sidewalks two or three feet
wide sometimes, or mostly no sidewalks
at all. Most pedestrians walk in the
street leaving few feet in the centre
for the rikishas. The narrow street
with its teemlng multitude leisurely
hobbling along offers no impedimeht to
the rikisha boys who go along at a
swinging trot, while the foot passen-
gers swing out of the way at the gruff
"hiek" of warning from the human
coach horses. Through it all there is
no confusion, no wrangling or disputes
over right of way. In passing all turn
to the left instead of the right. as we
do.
While the great mass of people are
apparently very poor - the working
classHn the cities and the rice planters
and gardeners of the country--it costs
them very little to live and they are
contented and happy. All of the fam
lily work, earning enough to buy food
and very little clothing. There is no
appearance of suffering and want. The
children, women and old men who line
the streets and doorways as we pass
by are smiling, fat and the picture of
health. Their principal food is rice
and vegetables, with some fish. Meat is
luxury. All have large families,
nearly every woman having a baby
strapped to her back. much like our
Indians, with bare head, hands and
often bare feet, sticking out to the
weather, perhaps fast asleep. No fire
in the houses, they live mostly out of
doors. thereby becoming accustomed
from childhood to the elements, build.
ing up vigorous constitution Appar-
emily 80 per cent of the hauling, dray-
ing, ETC., is done by one-man two
wheeled cart wheeling loads perhaps as
much as 1000 pounds. Sometimes two
will be pushing an exceptionally heavy
load. A few have ene-horse drays, in
Variably leading the horse. Perhaps as
many have an OK as horse. 1t is not
uncommon to see a man and an Ok
pulling heavy load. In slippery
weather they put a rope sandal, or
shoe, on the OK to keep him from Slip
ping.
The rikisha boys are marvel of en-
durance. They will run with passen.
ger for hours, covering many miles,
seldom slowing down to g walk, except
on grade, when their light weight
places them at a disadvantage. They
charge 10 cents an hour. They wear