Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1919-09-01
wilson's WRITE Of
VOYAGE TO ORIENT
Former Salem People Tell OF
Impressions Gained
In Japan.

1t was early in July that Mr.. an6
Mrs. Arthur Re- Wilson left Salem fol
Japan, sailing on the Empress of Asia
from Vancouver, B. c., having dispos
ed of all their holdings in the city tc
take up the new work of handling an
advertising book for one of the large
Japanese steamer lines. Mr.. Wilson was
in charge Of the Postal Telegraph of
flee here and Mrs Wilson was chief
clerk of the Salem street railway of
flee.
In letter dated August 5 at Kobe,
Japan, and in another dated August Is
Mrs. Wilson writes to q friend telling
of some Of her unique experiences in
the orient. The letters are in part as
follows:
"The Empress of Asia on which we
sailed, is a young city in itself. There
was nothing to see after we sailed and
nothing to do but play cards, sleep and
dance the whole way across. The trip
was cold and damp but the second day
out from Yokahama it began to get
warmer and the night before we land
ed it was warm enough to stand out on
deck in the thinnest of clothes.
"I would give great deal to be able
to describe the variety of costumes, a
thousand different oriental styles.
from almost nothing to very full bi-
furcated skirts, worn bv men Of GER
tain caste. I happened to see man
wearing kimona and a straw hat rid
ing bicycle. / am told that fearful
and wonderful things occur at times
when some of the initiated get hold Of
some of our articles of colthing.
1--WE landed in Kobe, Japan, July 23
and will remain here until Aug. IL.
Then we will return to Yokohama.
From there we go to Moi, then to Dar-
len, next Shanghai, then Manila and
back to Hong Kong. We have lot of
work in Hong Kong and it will be pret-
tv late in the fall when we head south.
After the Malay states, Burmah, Java,
Sumatra and India, we will consider
our years work done and head for Lon
don by way of the Suez canal.
"In Yokohama the moter men drive
in manner that would mean sudden
death to one Of the Salem motormen.
They seem to feel it is their business
to run the cars and the pedestrians can
take care of themselves. The drivers
of motor cars take the same view and
drive on either side of the road find
ing a path through the traffic. / have
had two or three auto trips but pre-
fer the ricksha.
: "nave been invited to several real
Japanese dinners. Truly can use the
ehon sticks like an expert. Must do or
starve. It is quite easy once you get
the hang of it. You know how I hate
fish. just imagine my eating fried
ee,,s and stuff Of that ilk. Have done
it though and will have to do it again.
They are not so bad.
"One of the worst things here is
that you do not dare eat of fresh veg
etables and but little of the fruit. The
sanitation is very bad. The sewers are
but open drains alongside the streets.
The heat is pretty bad. I think I hate
the bugs and creeping things worse
than almost anything here. Have to
sleep under mosquito netting
Kobe is a city of 625000. Osaka
has between 100000 and 100000.
They always underestimate their pop
ulation. Have been told they do not
care to have the world know their
strength
"The railway stations are among the