Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1917-08-22

as five baths a day in warm water to
keep up their temperature in winter,
as they have no fires and it gets
quite cold.
Before describing the surroundings
of Miyancshita will give some of the
characteristics and manners of the
Japanese
did not discover how they reliev-
ed an over excited condition as they
have no words representing or imi-
tating the curses and swearing words
of the English. These words surely
cannot be necessary or they would
have something of that character in
their language.
Like all mankind they have their
Supplying drink Here it is made
from rice and called saka, and while
we saw few under its influence. We
were constantly reminded by our
This drink is made only in winter
and has about 20 of alcohol and is
drank warm like tea
1t was strange to see in all these
countries the abacus used in calcu-
lating numbers; even the most sim
pie process they would bring out this
little calculator and manipulate its
wooden numerals. l would mentally
| perform these simple additions and
they would look upon me with sur
prise and touch their head and point
to mine. They cannot perform the
most simple example without this
abacus.
In doing all work they seem to do
it backward or entirely the opposite
from what we do. In saving the teeth
of the saw are made SO you do the
cutting when pulling the saw
towards you? They do all their saw
ing by hand. You will see log held
with one end perhaps ten feet from
the earth with a man mounted on
top pulling a saw and one below re-
turning it, All their lumber is saw
ed in this manner and they say
cheaper and more evenly than ours
by other power 1t was very inter-
esting to me to see them cutting out
boards three feet wide all by man
power, each board written on after
sawed, giving full description Of
what it was and when sawed, so the
buyer would have all information as
to what he was buying.
These people pull the plane
towards them to smooth their lum-
Der, never pushing it. They are very
fine carpenters; / saw them at work
and our carpenters would blush with
shame if they were to compare work
They never wear their wooden
shoes into the home or stores, always
removing at the door.
While we were at Miyancshita we
saw in their stores some Of their sa-
cred ROSTERS, one Of which the tail
feathers measured IA feet long. They
are kept constantly on the roost the
tail being curled into bronze re-
ceptacle. / was told they had them
with much longer growth but this
was sufficient for me.
That manner of self destruction
called Harakiri is very common
among the japanese. This ripping
open of tlOe abdomen is done to i'm
press the living that after death they
will carry out their desires.
1t is the Buddhist religion that for
bids their eating meat; before the
introduction Of that religion they
were great meat eaters but now with
the true Buddhist, entirely abstain
from it.
Two per cent of the people of ia
pan have franchise, no person voting
that does not pay income tax. The
taxes of the country are mostly rails
ed from land tax, it amounting to
about go on the value Of the land;
tax is collected on tobacco and IL
quor. Geisha girls pay $500 month
tax, the most of other taxes being on
incomes.
The manner of marriage is very
sad so far as the feminine sex is con-
sidered. 1t is carried out through
the third person who suggests to the
parents of some young man that a
certain girl of a marriageable age
they think would make proper wife
for their son, the two are brought to-
gether and if he thinks it is satisfac-
tory, the marriage is arranged with
out her consent
The third party takes the girl to
the home of the intended; she takes
off the clothing worn, a suit furnish
ed by the to-be-husband is given her,
they drink wine three times and she
becomes the slave of the home; the
step mother at any time can dismiss
bar IL che ia not Ohedient To her bid