Year: 1876

Japencse House Builders In


Philadelphia.


His Imperial Majesty, the Mikado
of Japan, through his deputies,
squad of japanese mechanics, has be-
gun operations on the slope of
Georges hill upon bamboo struc-
ture, to be used as dwelling during
the Centennial by His Majesty's
Commissioners and exhibitors. There
are twelve sturdy Jap artisans, some
clad in American costume from the
neck upward, and others from the an-
kle down, the intervening space being
covered with close fitting tights OF
blue stuff for the legs and grea, bag.
gy tunics of the same color and mate.
rial reaching to the middle Of the
thigh, and girdled at the waist with
what would pass for longitudinal
strip OF Joseph's coat. On the back
and on the breast of the tunic is n
shield like patch, as large as the head
of nail keg, covered with fire. crack
er hieroglyphics, indicating the rank
and family of the wearer. These Japs
in their own country rank seventh in
caste, the grades being as follows:
princes, priests, soldiers,c civil officials,
traders, artisans and laborers. 4 few
days ago the foreman, who seemed to
be mandarin, as his shield patches
were of unusual size, and he wore no
hat, spent much of his time in saving
nails, while strapping up something
like fence to keep bad "Melicau"
boys from running away with the
cases of bamboo, which weigh about
half ton apiece. There are num-
bcr of trees about the place, and, as
these saved posts, the Japs made
their rails stretch toward every avail
able tree. The foreman took bits of
rope made OF Japanese grass, and be-
gan fastening the rails with them to
the trees, turning now and then
look of Celestial scorn upon certain
otficions ignoramuses who offered
him few nails, which they had beg
ged at Queen Nictoria's housees, TO
win the favor of the Mikado's manda-
rim foreman. Many scramble there
was among grave gentlemen and
mirthful bows anxious to grab up a
fragment Of the grass rope toprcserve
i. as japanese relic Of the Centcn-
nial. But the most curious part Of
the days work was the driving Of
number Of piles, each six feet long
and ten inches in diameter. upon
which is to rest, like corn crib,
rectangular structure eighty-four by
for,y-four feet, and in general appear
like the pictures of japanese houses
that children see in their primers.
The way in which the Japs managed
the pile driving brought many burst
of laughter from the bystanders.
They had portable tripod, about
twenty feet high, with two fixed pull
leys under the apex, from which was
suspended by grass rope cylindri-
cal iron hammer, weighing three hnn-
dred pounds. Six Japs on each side
of the machine seize grass rope
which passes over one Of the pulleys,
the foreman stands to one side, holds
up his fore huger, closes one eye, and
then apparently not satisfied with
this, picks up short stick, holds il
in a vertical position between his two
forefingers, sights the pile with it,
and at last winks both eyes as sig
nal to the workmen that the ceremony
of japanese plumb bobping is con.
cluded, whereupon the hammer moves
up and down very rapidly, driving
the pile an inch into the earth at ev-
cry descent, until it is time for the
foreman to do little more plumb.
bobbing. One pile struck rock, and
while everybody was wondering how
things were going to be managed,
one of the gang ran off and brought
back something that had teeth like
a saw, but which was shaped like a
butchers cleaver, but the painting Jap
had severed the stick in about half
the time required for saw of Amer.
lean make to do the same work.


The Japs draw their planes toward
them instead Of pushing them from
them, and use an ink-line instead of
chalk line. 1t resembles tape-line
case, and contains a sponge which
may be saturated with ink of any
color; Through this sponge the cord
may be drawn and then wound up,
dispensing with the tedious process
of chalking. The holes for the piles
were marked out in this odd way:
The posts, one at each end of the
foundation, were connected at the
top by a tightly drawn cord; from
end to end Of this the mandarin fore
man walked with his rule, measuring
off spaces which he marked by tying
bits of string in bow knots to the
main cord, aud then standing off to
60 through his delicate operation OF
| plumb -bobbing, which he repeated
every time that his men removed the
tripod to drive new pile. Their
adze is remarkable tool, chiefly on
account of its handle, which is shaped
as Hogarth's line Of beauty might be
if warped by torrid weather. The
wielder Of this tool stands over his
timber and hacks away, driving the
steel far under his foot at every blow.
When the ropes of the pile-drivers
we're too long the foreman fastened
blocks Of wood in shp-knots to short
en- them, but one of these slipped and
dropped on the head Of a young Jap,
causing him to let go the rope, fall
back ward and roll over to big log,
upon which he sat down to rest and
laugh.


The japanese square is eighteen
and half inches long and nine and
quarter wide, and is graduated, like
the rule, by the decimal system, nine
and a quarter of their inches being
equal to eight of ours.


In the bamboo building not nail
will be used; all the material is there
dovetailed, beveled and morticed,
ready to be fastened together with
wooden pins. The artisans live in
frame structure within the inclosure,
do their own cooking and laundry
work, and live on soup, rice and dried
meats which they brought with them
in Theoretically sealed cans. The Off
cials having charge OF Japanese ope-