THE SCItAHTON TBIBUXE EDESDAY MOICNXNO, ATTOUWT la, THE YANKEES OF THE EASTERN WORLD Interesting Description of the Customs of Modern Japan. COUNTRY 'OF GREAT POSSIBILITIES Labor and Wages, Japasc.c Farming, Marriage, Divorce and the Social Evil Studied by an Experienced Observer.Aniericau Very Popular in Japan. 31. W. H.. In the Sun. It is a sober and Sensible, and, there fore, trustworthy account of contemp orary Japan which William Eleroy Curtis has Given us In the two volutin s collectively entitled "The Yankees of the Bast" (Stone & Kimball). The au thor evidently was convinced that a new book on Japan was needed, for hi; lios no high opinion of the comments of some preceding observers. He points out, for Instance, that Murray has pub lished a guide to Japan, but he pro nounces it Incomplete end unsatisfac tory. In his opinion, the most useful books for tho ordinary traveller are Chamberlain's "Thing's Japanese" and .ills Scidmore'a "Jinrikisha Days." Griffls' "The Mikado's Empire" Is re garded by Mr. Curtis as the most ade quate of all historical works, while Dr. J. J. Ilein's remarkable but costly vol ume is acknowledged to be the best authority on the arts and Industries of the country. It Is also suggested that no may get an accurate and compre hensive glimpse of Japanese home life by reading Miss Alice Bacon's "A Jap anese Interior" and her Japanese Girls and Women." On the other hand. It Is alleged that Sir Ed,vln Arnold's roseate views of Japan were obtained from a pretty villa at the top of. a hill in the residence district of Toklo. The author thinks that it would not bo polite or pioper to repeat the gos sip that Is freely circulated concerning the behavior of this gentleman luring his stay In Japan, but It may be salJ that the missionaries do not refer to him us a shining example of Western morality. We are told that ho wrote "The bight of Asia" at Omorl, a sea shore resort, where he was surrounded by a choice selection of geisha glris, and the guides now point out the scenes of his adventures ns they (to other places and historical Interest. As for the prose poems and pictures of Japanese life that have come from the pen of Lafcndlo 1 learn, the1' are admitted to be "a little more accurate than the writings of Sir Edwin, but," continues Mr. Curtis, "practical people have not been able to see the same things In the same light ns they ap pear to his eye. Mr. Ilearn Is a Greek by blith, and lived for many years In the United States, where h3 did news paper work at Cincinnati and New OrleanB. For a time he was a teacher In a government school In the Interior of Japan, but later has been living In Kobe. He Is a dreamer, with a poetic temperament and a wonderful gift of words." In a useful preliminary chapter the American traveller Is warned not to buy anything In Yokohama until he returns, after vlvsiting other cities. Ho is further told, what other travellers have omitted to mention, that a great drawback to travel In the Interior of Japan It. the vigor and activity of the insect life. The natives. ,who are toiiK'.i ened by continual exposure, do not seem to notice the lulllctlon; the tender llesh of foreigners la more tempting, and, whenever one nrrives In a rural town, the creeping and Jumping things have a matsurl, which is, it seems, the name of a Japanese festival, when everybody comes out for a good time. Mr. Curtis Is, we repeat, the first ob server who has revealed this fact, and he adds that the Japanese Insects are peculiarly active. "They are always on the lookout for a Job," he says, "and when night comes they begin business In earnest." Much more agreeable Is the admonition that, wherever an American traveller goes in Japan, he should make himself known as an American. That, It seems, Is an open sesame to every home and every heart The Japanese hate the English, the French, and the Russians, although they treat them politely be cause politeness Is due to their own self-respect and the laws of hospit ality. A citizen of the United States, however, requires no further Introduc tion than a mention of his nationality. The flr3t question asked of a stranger Is, "O kuni wa?" (What Is your hon orable country?) Englishmen who know the sentiments of the people of ten proclaim themselves Yankees In order to get the best rooms in the house and the largest share of atten tion. Of the twenty-three chapters In this book we can touch only upon those Which deal with the question of labor and wages, with Japanese methods of farming and with the subject of mar riage, divorce, and the social evil, which cannot be wholly overlooked In any conspectus of the Mikado's empire. , s I. According to Mr. Curtis, It Is a grave lnistak' lo say that the Japanese are not an original people, but that they have always been, and still are, merely Imitative. It Is undoubtedly true that the Japanese workman can make any thing he has ever seen. Give him a most complicated mechanism, a watch, a printing press, or an electrical appa ratus, and he will reproduce It exactly, and set It running without Instruction. He can Imitate any process, and can copy any pattern or design, more exact ly and skilfully than any other work man in the world. It is undoubtedly that faculty which has enabled Japan to make such rapid progress In western civilization. Amid the circumstances In which the lot of the Japanese people has been cast during the last quarter of a century, originality has not been needed, but rather the power of adapt ability and imitation. These very pow ers, if they stood alone, would make Japan a dangerous competitor for the European nations In manufactured merchandise. As a matter of fact, they have evinced a remarkable faculty of selection. They have found one thing in Switzerland, another In Sweden, an other In England, others In Germany, France, and tho United States, and they have rejected what Is not of value to them as readily as they have adopted those things which are to their advant age. At the same time, avers Mr. Cur tis, It Is a mistake to suppose that the Japanese people have no originality. The records of their patent office, Jo which reference is made In a chapter of thls book, are enough to settle that question beyond a doubt, for they show proofs of the development of a high de gree of inventive genius, particularly In the line of labor-saving appliances and machinery. It appears that the enlistment and employment of about 400,000 mechanics and coolies lor the war with China first caused the employer class In Japan to comprehend that they have the best, the cheapest, and the most skilful la bor, for the money. In the world. There are no labor unions In Japan, nor are there likely to be. In view of the multi tude of people struggling for a living, which consists of a mat. to sleep upon and a few handfuls of rice for food. The advance In the cost of labor caused by the war, though It was felt, was very small, when considered In the light of wages paid in other countries. One or two cents a day does not seem very much to men who are aeeustomeu to receive $50 and $75 a month, but In Japan, where the average income of the worklngman does not exceed $45 a year. It Is a matter of importance on both sides. From the United States consul gener al at Yokohama, the author obtained the average wages paid In that city, which is the principal shipping port in the country, and where tho foreign population is largest. We proceed to quote some figures, but we caution the reader that the wages named are paid to Japanese artisans in the local money, whirl) is worth only about one-half as much as American gold. The average pay of carpenters In Yokohama Is 30 cents a day; of stone cutters, 36 cents; of bricklayers, S3 cents; of dyers, 23 cents; of tailors for Japanese clothing. 28 cents, and for foreign clothing,' 49 cents; of porcelain makers and lacquer makers, 29 cents; of compositors, 29 cents, and of piintlng press men, 2G cents; ofr-farm lands, 19 cents, and of weavers, 15 cents. Wages paid by the month range from $5.74 to bakers and $4.K2 to weavers to $2.31 for farm hands and $1.16 for women house servants. It should be noted that the average work ing hour Is ten hours. Factory labor receives even a smaller remuneration. Embroidery women, who produce the work that Is so much prized by Ameri cans and Europeans for decorative pur poses, seldom receive more than 15 or 20 cents a day In our money. One of the most prominent tea shipping houses In Japan, that of Mlddleton & Co., em ploys a large number of persons, men and women, who work from 5 o'clock in the morning to 6 at night, with three short Intervals, when they eat their rice or what other refreshments they bring with them. The highest wages paid by this firm are 42 sen a day, which is equivalent to 21 cents in I'nited States currency. This is received by men who are experts In handling tea. The low est wages nre paid to young boys and girls, who pick over the tea leaves to remove the stems and other foreign sub stances. They receive 13 sen, or 6V4 cents, a day for about twelve hours' work, not including their resting spells. It should, of course, be borne In mind that the wages current in Yokohama are the highest paid In the empire. In the chapter on Japanese methods of farming we are told that Japan Is one vast garden, and that, as one looks over the fields, he might imagine them to be covered with toy furms, where children were playing with the laws of nature and raising samples of dif ferent kinds of vegetables and grain. Everything Is on a diminutive scale, and the work Is ns fine and accurate ns that applied to a cloisonne vase. What, asks Mr. Curtis, would an Illin ois or Iowa farmer think of plantin.T his corn, wheat, oats, and barley In bunches, and then, when It Is three or four Inches high, transplanting every spear If It In rows, about as far apart as oneoan stretch one's finger. The truth Is that a Japanese farmer weeds his whiat Held as carefully as a Connecticut farmer weeds his onion bed, and cultivates his barley and po tatoes with as much assiduity as .a Long Island farmer bestows upon his asparagus or his flowers. Not only every kernel of grain, but every par ticle of straw Is saved, and the latter Is put to a thousand uses. They mnke of It hnts, shoes, ropes, loofs, matting, the partitions and floors of houses, waterproof coats, basket-, boxes and a thousand and one other useful nrtlclea .They braid It for fences also, and the finer, softer qual ities are cut up for fodder. There is very little hay raised In Japan. The grass is very wiry and Indigestible. It cuts the Intestines of animals. Some, alfalfa Is grown, but It does not pros per. In the neighborhood of Kobe, on the southern shore, the soil seems bet ter adapted than elsewhere for hay, and the best beef comes from that lo cality. The ordinary Japanese horse, which originated in China and Is called a griffin seems to like straw and to thrive upon It, but he Is small and ugly and not capable of much endur ance. A Journey of fifteen miles will use him up. The straw Is chopped very fine for feeding purposes. Is mixed with oats, barley, millet, and other grain, and, by adding water. Is made Into a kind of mush. To oxen Is given the same food as to hor?cs. and In some parts of the country one sees a good many of them. They draw their loads by ropes stretched from a col lar to tho axle of a two-wheeled cart. One man leads them by cords attached to rings In their noses, while another steers the vehicle with a tongue that sticks out behind. On rare occasions you find a man ploughing with a cow or an ox, but more frequently such work Is done with man or woman pow er. The Japanese plough Is the sert'on of the trunk or a branch of a young tree, with tho proper curve to It. and It Is all wood excxept a narrow-pointed blade, which Is fitted Into the frame work. It has only one handle. In Japan a couple of acres Is consid ered a large tract of land for farming purposes. Most of the farms are of smaller area, and the crops nre greatly diversified. Upon such a little piece of land will be grown almost everything known to the vegetable kingdom; a few square feet of wheat, barley, corn, and millet, a plat of beans perhaps ten feet wide by twenty feet long, an equal area of potatoes and peas, then a patch of onions about as big as a grave, while beets, lettuce, salsify, turnips, sweet po tatoes, vegetable oysters, and other va rieties of cereals and roots occupy the rest of the area. The farmer scans nis growing crop every morning. Just as an engineer would inspect the movements of his machinery, and If anything is wrong he repairs It. If a weed appears In the bean patch he pulls It up. If a hill of potatoes or anything else fails It is Immediately replanted. When he cuts down a tree he always plants an other to take Its place; the artificial for ests of Japan cover many hundreds of square miles and permanently assure the prosperity of the country. We add that, as one crop is harvested, the soil Is worked over, fertilized, and replanted with something else. The largest area of agricultural lands In Japan, perhaps as much as nine-tenths of the whole. Is devoted to raising rice, and, as that crop requires a great deal of water, the paddles are banked up into terraces, one above the other, and divided off Into lit tle plats, 35 or 40 feet square, with ridges of earth between them, to keep the water from flowing away when they are flooded. All farming land Is Irri gated by a system that Is a thousand years old. As in French Canada, so In Japan, the farmers live In villages, and' their farms are sometimes a mile, or two or even three miles away from the homes. There are no fences or other Visible marks of division, but every man knows his own land, for It has been In his family for generations. Ir rigating ditches and little paths are usually the boundary lines. "Sheoretlc ally, all the land belongs to the emperor, but the greater part of that under culti vation has been long held In the same families, and always descends from the I father to the oldest son. Sales are made I and recorded very much as they are In this country, and land Is mortgaged to secure loans. The actual value of every acre Is fixed upon the assessor's book for taxation purposes. The official sta tistics of Japan show that there are 11.400.008 men and 10.948,053 women en gaged In agriculture, which Is more than half the total population. No other grain or plant requires so much care as rice, and, from the be ginning of the season, the paddy flelil3 arc full of patient workers, men and women, standing half way up to Wvs'.t knees In the mud, prepailng the soil or grubbing out the water weeds that spring up rapidly ami would smother the young shoots It they were not re moved. Men and women work togeth er, weaving wide straw hats that make th,-m look like so many mush rooms, and, although the rest of the body may be naked, except for the loin cloth that is prescribe! by law, they all wear thick cotton legctlns ns high as their knees, to protect them from sludge, bluodsuekeis. and water vermin of various kinds thst swarm In the filthy soil. Every farmer tal es some rice. The rice product e-xieedi five bushels per caput of populnli hi, and more than half of it Is exported. The rice of Japan is th? best in the world and brings the highest pr.cas 111 the markets of Europe and th" United States. The product of Chira. India and Coroa is of poorer quality and much cheaper, and a majority cf tin farmers In Japan prefer to rell their own crop for export and buy that which is Imported, for home consump tion. Itico Is uned by the people in nn infinite variety of forms. It tippea.-a upon the table of the prince as well as of the paup:r three times a day, just like bread In America, and enters into ns many food preparations as our Hour. In connection with this topic Mr. Curtis remarks th it there can be no markt t for American agil cultural Implements and machinery In Japan for two simple reasons: first, the farms arc not big enough, and, sec ondly, labor Is too plentiful. If a Jan unese fanner should Introduce a mod ern reaper and self-binder on his farm he would cut down everything In tna way of crops while he was turning It around, and there would be nothing left for him and his family to do all the rest of tho season. III. We pass to the chapters on marriage and divorce, and on the peculiar In stitution known as the yoshlwara. There have been In the course of cen turies marked changes In the matri monial customs of Julian, but it ap pears that now, when a young man wants to get married, he dors not of fer his heart and hand to the girl he loves, but if an arrangement hns not been already made for him by his parents with the daughter of a neigh bor, he goes to a discreet married friend, and asks that ho and his wife act ns nakodoa or go-bet,veena, f. r him In the mutter. The gentleman and lady who undertake this delicate func tion assume responsibilities that few people In the United Stabs would care to accept. They not only agree to find a suitable partner for their friend, but remain through life In the relation of godfather nnd godmother to the young couple. They nre expected to assist them If they get into dilllcultles or suffer misfortunes, and to serve ns a board of arbitration to settle disputes that may arise In the family. Strange to Fay, this responsibility Is not dread ed in Japan. As a rule, in the upper circles of so ciety marriages between the sons and daughters of friendly families are ar ranged by the parents when the chi dren are very young, nnd a boy or girl often knows whom he or she is going to rnnrry long before either Is old enough to understand the nature of the relation. They are not allowed, how ever, to associate with each other. Con fucius taught that children of seven years should be separated according to sex. but the Japanese are a little mere libera! In this respect, and boys and girls may play together until they are ten or twelve years of age. After that their association Is forbidden. Court ing Is Impossible, nnd even the children of families whose houses may adjoin grow up as strangers to each other. This rule applies to the nearest relations. There can be no such thing as friend ship between young men nnd young women. It is disreputable for a Japa nese young man to marry for love. When a young man and a young woman are known to love each other, public sentiment places them very low In the scale of morals. On the other hand, the social laws of Japan require that people shall marry at the age of 18 or 111, and It Is a dis grace for a man or a woman to remain single after they are 20 or 21. As a con sequence, there are very few old bache lors or old maids In the empire. Al though courting, as we have said. Is Impossible, a young man usually hn an opportunity to Inspect the girl selected by his parents or his nakodos (go-betweens) before an engagement Is decid ed upon, and If cither Is dissatisfied with the appearance of tho other, the negotiation comes to an end. This meeting Is called a mi-yal. which moans literally, "mutual seeing." "According to the etiquette of what Is called society the Interview may take place at the residence of the go-between or at the house of the youn? lady's father; but among the lower classes a picnic or a theater party, a boat ride or an excur sion of some sort serves the purpose. If the visit takes (dace at the house of the young lady's father, the young man and his go-between are received by the host with great politeness. After some conversation on Indifferent subjects the t latter claps his hands and the young lady herself appears, uressed In her prettiest kalmono and obi (robe and sash), and bearing a tray containing three cups and a pot of tea. These sue places upon the mat in front of the guests and proceeds to serve the bever age. Girls are trained to perform this duty with the utmost degree of grace, for tea pouring Is regarded as the highest accomplishment a Japanese woman can acquire. She Is not to speak uniess she is spoken to, and the responsibility of beginning a con versation with her rests upon the go between, if he Is a person of tact he Introduces some subject thnt is calcu lated to bring out whatever conversa tional powers the young woman may possess, and in the meantime she sits upon her heels and endeavors to be as charndng as possible. The young man may engage In the conversation, but it is not good form for him to address his remarks to her. He may look at her as much as he likes, but It Is bad manners for him to show the young lady any particular attention. After the ml-yal Is over the young man and his go-between retire for consultation. He thinks the matter ov.T, and If he decides that the candidate is acceptable his parents send her a box of handsome gifts. Then the bride's parents send presents In return, which Is equivalent to an engagement, and an early day is selected for the wedding. If the young lady should happen to object, which is not often the case, as she Is guided en tirely by the wishes of her parents, the go-between is notified before an oppor tunity to send presents is given. When the day for the wedding is selected the trousseau of the bride and Beveral ar ticles of household furniture are sent to her husband's home, and they are usu ally exhibited to the friends of the fami ly beforehand. The wedding gown Is always pure whl'e, an! the bridegroom Is attired In knniishlmo, a peculiar dress made of various kinds of silk In colors according to hs rank. The wedding ceremony takes place at the house of the bridegroom's parents, and the friends of both families a:-e In vited to attend. Tho bride Is escorted there at nightfall by her parents and other members of her family and the go betweens, followed by servants bearing gifts to the family of the bridegroom. It was formerly the custom to light a bonfire In front of tho gate of he:- par ental home and to lift her over it, the ceremony signifying purification. The bride la met outside the main door by the members of the groom's family, but he -remains seated on a cushion In front of the tokonouia, a shallow recess or alcove that Is found In all Japanese houses, and is used for the dlsp'oy of ornaments. When she enters the room she is escorted to a seat beside him. The go-1 rtween sit nt hla right, and at his left are usually two married ladies or two little (This dressed in white to serve ns brie". . sinnidu. When the party Is thus placed, n chorus of voices in the adjoining room sing a Jupnnese song called "I'tal." A low table of white wood that has never been used is then brought In. nnd a tray is placed upon it containing three cups, which one of the bridesmaids !l!l with sake, or rice brandy. The smallest cup is handed to tho bride, who takes dainty sips from it and then passes it to the bridegroom, who dors the same. The second and third cups nre filled In a similar man lier, nnd the ceremony Is repeated. As the bridegroom returns the third cup to the officiating bridesmaid all clap their hands, which is a salute of approbation, announcing that the ceremony is over. There is 110 kissing or embracing, but a great many congratulations are offered to the young couple and guests of liter ary attainments nre expected to hand them poems of their own composition, which are afterward bound in a little book as a memento of the occasion. The couple then retire to put off the wed ding robe's and resume their ordinary garment1, anil afterward join the guests at a feast, which Is served with great ceremony. When the guests have left the house, the go-betweens take the couple to their bedroom, assist them, to remove their garments, and put them to bed. After they are well covered up, another cup of sake is passed arouiul and the final good nights are repeated. In the morning the father of the groom or the male go-betvten goes to police headquarters and registers the mar riage, giving the names, ages, occupa tions, and residence of the couple:. On the third day after the wedding the bride returns to her father's house1, to stay three er seven days, as the case may be. If the first three days of mar ried life have not been satisfactory to the bride, she notifies the go-betweens of that fact, and does not return to her husband's home, which is equivalent to a divorce. If the husband on his part Is dissatisfleel. he also notifies the go betweens, ami they are expected to com municate with the bride's parents. If a divorce Is Insisted upem by either par ty, It must be accepted by the other. Hut such a proceeding Is seldom resort ed to, except wln-re misrepresentation has been made as to the temper anil physical condition of either party. If the bride or groom proves to be de formed, Impotent, or diseased In any manner, a divorce is considered honor able and legitimate1, and It Is only neces sary to register the fact at police head quarters. There are even causes, according to Confucius, for which a man may di vorce his wife. They are disobedience, a failure to bear children, unehastlty. Jealously, an incurable disease, dishon esty, and a sharp tongue. In other words, he can get rid of her whenever he liken, and by a very simple pro cess. All he has to do Is to write hor a letter, known ns the "three liivs and a half," declaring that everything Is over between them, and advising her to return to her parents. Such a let ter addressed to her father or her eld est brother. If she has no father, will answer the same purpose. Then he must go to the registrar's office and re port himself as a divorced man. For similar causes a wife may ge-t rid of her husband If she desires to do so, but she will lose her social position If she has any, and Is much more like ly to be respected nnd make a second marriage If she Is the defendant In stead of the plaintiff In the case. iir. Curtis admits thut th!s Is somewhat of a paradox, but ho maintains that it throws a search light upon th ro;lal system of Japan. What Is there re quired above nil from women is obed ience. That Is the highest, of vlitues., and no obedient woman would ever seek a divorce from her husband for any cause IV While divorces among members or the upper class of the Japanese are very mre. It Is doubtful If there Is any country upon earth, not even a Mo hammedan country, where they r.re more frequent among the common peo ple. The anther kr.oivs the superin tendent of the lighters of a steamship company of Yokohama, who hss been dlovrced nine times, and a missionary from Chicago told him that his former cook had hal s.'-ven wives In succession when he left his employer four years ago, and that several had since ten added to the list. The official records show that the higher civilization ad vances In Japan the more-numerous are divorces, though the difference H not pronounced. In 1S93 th: number of marriages pr 1,000 Inhabitants wag 8G.S, and the number cf divorces 2S.2. It will thus be seen thnt th? number of divorces now taking place annually I3 about cne-third a large as the num ber of marriages. The condensed sta tistics quoted In th's book do not rhow how many of the divorces were sought by husbands, but the author was tolel by a person e-onvcrsint with the de tailed returns that only about one p:r cent, eif them origin 't :d w.th the wives. The rrorals rf the women seen to have very little ti do with divorce. The prevailing cause Is dissatisfac tion and a lack of affection on th . part of the men, who become tired o? their wives, and want to try another ehane1 In the lottery cf marriage. In Japan the law of chastity applies to "wives, but not to husbands. From the no blll'y to the peasantry a dr.uhle stand ard of morals obtains. The ru.sb.md may be c licentious as he llker, end the wife seldom grumbles, for If rh1 decs she Is llablo to l-s? h"r home and be separated from her children; as, mrrcevpr, she. lias been educated to believe that whr.tf-ver man e'oes Is right, she doesn't think much about the matter It Is well known that a Japarese wo man never addresses her husband in terms of end armtnt, ror haa the Jap anese man any pet names for his wife. While there is no doubt genuine af fection and devotion on both tides In the majority of families, both s?xts have been taught to repress their emo tions. A Japanese husband never kisses his .wife or his children. Chil dren and wives are taught to respect and reverence the head of the family, be he father, husband, bro.her, or son; and this deference is carried much further than with us; but If caresses ere ever exchanged the world Is not allowed to know It. When a husband introduces his wife to his frl nds It Is with words cf ep eeir,tl:n. He iavs this Is my "humble" v.te or my "stup'd" wife, or my "uni.vorthy" w.r cr my "unfortunate" wlte, Just as he refei-s to his humble or unworthy home. The husband, t:o, always pre cades the wife whenever thry enter u bouse or a room or are walking to gether upon the street. When guests ere present, the wife always takss 11 sect at a distance near th? door. It Is. In s-hort. accounted the duty of wo man to .v.ait upon man. It a nut. cr tea. or anything else Is wanted, the wile always g.-os fi r It. She Is only ore ibgree a ove th swants. Unlike ira-.y of tho fo:e!gn wrltrrs on Japan, Mr. Crr.H repeatedly ave.s It the course of these two vo1ut.cs thnt the Jara.ies1 women are mtg od looking. On pace 2r.11 of the (list vol ume he says that she "dots not have a pretty figure. She Is always short ati-I Etumpy. Her neck and wnlst are large, her shou'.deis a e broad, and her lb ah seems to be evcr.ly elis ributci. A modiste would ray tint she l.nd no shape at all. nnd therefore1 It is 1m posbll.Ie to maUe a Kin op. an dress fit I e-r. The nncii nt native styie e.f gar ments, rnrtleularly that used by the upper chv'sos. wr.s especially at!a:tej to the peculiarities of the Japanese .women." We are arsrrcd thnt a lady always look well In the 8 ;ft grays and delleate Inks that she selects for h?r k a! memos, or roles, but cue who will look extremely graceful nnd probably pretty in he r native costume.'. It ojs like a guy when slu puts on a Paris (.own, no matter how fine th2 material or who the maker. On page :K:' of the second volume the author describes a Japanese dinner and the geisha grlls who are employed to entertain one1. "Xo matter what Sir Edward Arnold and other sentimental writers on Japan may say, these girls are not pretty. Their figures are shape less, their features sre lint, their com plexions are muddy, their teeth are bad, and. It they wore European garments, one would never glance nt them a sec ond time. They cannot compare In looks with the shopgirls of Chicago and New York and the waitresses In our country hotels will average quite as well for beauty. But their kimonos (robes) are eif the daintiest shades and combinations of color.thelr obis (sashes) are of tho richest brocades, and their hnlr Is a marvel for lis arrangement. All this makes them Interesting, and they have pleasing, grae-eful manners, whieh often, however, approach famili arity. The geisha girl Is not always naughty, but she trie's to be attractive, for that is her capital In trade. As the tea houses nre freipiented by men only, she naturally adopts the manners and the methods that the cuutonie'rs most admire. Divi.rce Is far more freuqeut In Japan than In any Mohammedan country, and, bearing In mind the state eif things in the lands of Islam, we might Infer that there Is no scope for the social evil. This is far from being the case In the realm of the Mikado. According to Mr. Curtis, who allots n chapter to the subji'ct, the peculiar institution known as the yoshlwara flourishes so rankly in Japan that Its I8.O11O establishments are said to contain 250.000 inmates. We are reminded that the Buddhists do not forbid prostitution, provided It Is not resorted to from a love of pleasure. A woman, they hold, may adopt such a means of earning money for her own needs, or for the support of her family, without committing sin, If her motives are pure. The phrase they use Is, "While it defiles the body, It does not defile the heart." Men whom Mr. Cur tis knew to be well Informed told him that 60 per cent, of the inmates of the yoslwara are there not only with the consent, but with the encouragement of their parents, who sell the bodies of their daughters to the keepers of such establishments for a term of years and receive as a consideration a bonus In cash and a certain amount monthly, which represents a percentage of the earnings of the girl. The author of this book confirms the current belief that It Is a custom among the lower classes of the Japanese1, who have large families to maintain, to place their daughters In a yoshlwara for the earnings they can contribute to tho.famlly treasury. It Is not only considered honorable on the father's part, but for the daughter also, and she loses no respect from her asso ciates because she adopts such a life for such a purpose. If, on the other hand, she enters the yoshlwara volun tarily, or selfishly retains her earnings or wastes them In dissipation, she Is de spised. This distinction s very clearly drawn, but t appears that the practice Is confined to the lower classes of the population. The Inmates of a yoshlwara, the term applied to the whole precinct de voted to casual sexual relations, are termed by the hnv shogl; but yoju, which means "a lady of 1 1 aiuie," is a mine polite term used In addressing tlem. Any woman above the ege cf 16 who el-sires to ent'r upon the l'fe cf a courtesan may apply for n license at police headquarters in person, nc coinpnnled by nt least one of her par ents or truariilans. nnd her applica tion must be acceimi anled by a writ ten c?rtificnte signifying their cons lit. Having obtained her licenno, tlrj s'.iogl makes a contriet with the keeper of a Itashi-znshlkl, that Is to say, one of the establishment') within th? p:cclnet f the jofhlwa.a, nnd r which 10 f a-i the keeper agrees to provide h-r with whnle. Oine food, lodgings, an 1 doth ng. "anil pay In r, or her l ar.r.ti, an t: e case may le, a certain perce- t gi of her earnings monthly usually one half; nnd there trt:y be other stipula tions, tin the other hand, the sir gl a:;rfcs to obey nil the rub s and regu lations, to conduct hnve'f In an 01 ilcly r.irnrcr, to report nil gratu'tles, etc. t untrue ts c-.n.nr't be made for more man reven yer.rs: th" usual ter.n Is thne. If a woman violates he" f ou tran t cr behaves had), her rmj-yer Is not per'.ritted to pviiisli fier, but must lepnit the faet to the lollce, wle. ilmni'rter liic net.--cny d scipl:r.e Nor Is he permitted to detain hr If at any tune she de.res to ab.nidoi h"r piopss.un before the. explritlrn cf the contract. Sh; then series the proUc tloi of the poile-, who give h.r a re Ivii'ie 01 ticket of le.iv , but lequ'r hei t'i report her wheieabouls at loliee headqufirtcis f;-r a cerlain length of time. The fce. charged In th? c?tan Ilshments are 'ni rs;d by the pop.ee, nnd prlnte-d scluduios w.th the regetln tlops must be posted In cnnsp'euuus pieces for the Information of elsltois. Neither the Vr.?prrs nor the Inmotes are permltlc 1 to solicit custom, either ntally or by printed or written Invita tions, and they are forbidden to re quest guests to partake of refresh ments, or to accompany the women to their rooms. We are told that In the precinct oc cupied by the principal yoshlwara in Toklo. the houses are larger, costlier, and of better construction than most of those In the city outside. The ma jority are of stone or brick, profusely adorned, and having wide porches, pil lars, verandas, cupolas and tower. There Is no suggestion of sin or squal or. This colony of people who are com pelled to live a?art from the rest of human kind evinces unusual pride in appearances. The grounds about the Imperial palace are not better kept; the dwellings of the princes and noble are not mors pretentious or furnished with greater elegance or taste. Every thing thnt one sees from the outside Is attractive, and. through long, cool corridors you catch glimpses of lovely gardens filled with fruit and flowers and splashing fountains. Gay-colored awnings shelter the western and southern windows from the sun. Mar quees ore stretched over the lawns, and in the arbors and shady corners nre tables where refreshments may be served to order. Tea houses and chops alternate with the dwellings of the young women; everything can be bought Inside the precinct that the In habitants may need. So long, indeed, as their contracts hold, the women ore not allowed to go beyond the gate, except In cases of necessity. There la eve n a Buddhist temple within the yosh lwara at which they go to pray net for the pardon of their sins, but for many end generous lovers. The comprehen sive pantheon of Buddhism has sup plied special patrons even for these poor semis, to wit. Jlzu, "the compas sionate," and Itenzaiten. who protects widows and orphans and those who have no other friends. DRAMATIC NOTES. ir,nr iritri will stmr next season. liole Fuller has fully recovered her health. .... , "Lost in New York" will be given In London. Harry Malnhall will star In "Tennes see l'ardner." The Schrodes will be seen In Su In Venice a box costs but50 cents and a pit seat but 17 cents. Kyrle Belle w and Mrs. Potter will act In London In September. "All for Girl" and "Lavarre" are new plays by Alice E. Ives. James W. Kegan will star next sea son in "The Bells of Shandon. Clnra Morris haa booked almost her entire season In one night stands. Robert Downing has added "In Search of HapplneBs" to his repertoire. It is reported that Manager A. M. Palmer may star Virginia Harned with Henrv Miller. Henry Guy Carleton's new play for the Hollands has been named "Two Men of Business." A dramatization of Rider Haggard's "King Solomon's Mines" will be used by Robert Mantell. Reiane lately revived In Paris "Ly slstrata." which Is so wicked that she was nfrald to try It here. Neil Warner, the old tragedian, has been engaged by Manager W. A. Brady for "Under the Polar Star. Joseph Arthur, author of "Blue Jeans, was born in Indiana, His rath er was a Methodist preacher. Arthur Bourchier will probably re vive the late Westland Marston s poet leal corned v, "Donna Diana." Lllll Ijehmnnn was recently stung In the neck by a bee, and this caused a swelling which necessitated an opera tion. Messrs. Canary & Lederer have ar ranged to produce their annual bur lesuqes hereafter simultaneously In New York, Philadelphia, Boston and Chicago. Mrs. Patrick Campbell, who had par tially arranged to come to this country with lieerbohm Tree next winter, has decided not to. She objects to visiting the United States and has temporarily retired from the stage for rest. 1'nderewskl's physical collapse Is so complete as to lend to the cancellation of all the pianist's engagements for at least the earlier part of next season. The player's outlook Is a serious one. He is temporarily a nervous wreck. Dion Boucicault, the younger, who has been very successful as an nctor and manager In Melbourne and Sidney for the last ten years, has bidden fare well to Australia, and Is about to be gin a professional career In London. Inthe third act of Hammerstein's new opera the stage will be devoid of scenery. HammerBteln s new patent Is the application of aluminium for stage purposes. In short, the whole stage Is to be constructed of that metal. It will be entirely white. A new Napoleon play Is by GeorgeB Ohnet, the novelist, and author of "The Forge Master." It Is called "Colonel de P.oqueburne, and the action takes place at the close of the great French Emperor's reign. This character Is subordinate, however. Augustus Van Utene, an English ac tor and 'ccllest, Is to play at the Amer ican thentre next winter In "The Broken Melody." He has given the play, whle'h Is an adaption of and old piece called "Monsieur Jacques," more than 1,000 times In London. E. S. Wiiiard may possibly present a Shakespearean play during his forth coming American trip and his choice Is said to be "Cymbellne." Mr. Wlllard whs a very successful Jachlmo some thirteen years ago In Miss Wallls' re vival of the play at the London Gaiety. The immediate cause of the dissolu tion of the Arragon Opera company was a wrangle between Frank David, the comedian, and George Broderlck, the basso, two of the most Important artist In the company. Each of these wanted to sing the role of Devllshoof, In "The Bohemian Girl." Victor Herbert Is about half through scoring a new opera, the book of which Is by Harry B. Smith. "Besides my two daily concerts at Washington park." says Mr. Herbert, "I am writing a new onera. the music for a musical comedy, which rocs on the road this fall, nnd last but not lesast, I am ex panding the score of my "Wizard of the Nile" for nn orchestra of 50 pieces, so that the Vi-nna manager may have It by the middle or Inst of September. Otis Skinner will produce his new ro mantic drama, "A Soldier of Fortune," nt the Grand Opra House, Chicago, September 21. It Is understood tHat Mr. Skinner wrote the play at the. Instance of a well known Chicago manager, who assisted In Its construction. Before opening his regular season, Mr. Skin ner will play a preliminary two weeks In Minneapolis and St. Paul, appearing in a round of Shakesperenn characters, li'i'ludlng Hamlet, Romeo and Richard III. At the jublle-e performance of "The Elijah.' nt the Crystal Palace, was one bass singer who had taken part In the first rendering of this work 50 years ago, when Mendelsshon himself con ducted. This veteran, Mr. Pountney, Is rtill In exeelent health, and came from Birmingham to London to sing on this occasion and returned Immediate ly afterward. Amnny the 23.000 per sons present 'there were many who hnd witnessed the first performance of "The Elijah." John Sebastian Bach Is going to have a sufficiently original monument at Berlin. William II. has conceived the Id; a of ornamenting the Avenue des Vietoires lu Thlergarten with 32 groups of statuary, each one representing a sovereign, supported by two of the most Illustrious men of his relen. Now William II. has crde -red that the statue cf Frederick II., the royal composer and llutist, shall have a generai on, one ulele nnd the grand "cantor" of Lelpslc on the othe" ONE CHAPTER FROM HISTORY OF CHILI Her Strait Alter the Fall ia the Price ol Silver. WAGE-EARNERS MOST AFFECTED Chili's History Constitutes One of the Most Instructive Chapters Im the HMory oi the Free Coi age of Sit verShe Tried to Maintain the Equal Bimetnllic Coinage of Cold and Silver.. Silver Fell and Gold Flew.Gold Now Resumed. One of the most Instructive chapters In the history of the free coinage of sliver Is that which relates to the ex perience of Chill, says the New York Herald. The people of that highly In. telllgent. wealthy and compact republic have suffered within a narrow era all the results of experiments with bimet allism, have tested the impossibility of maintaining It. and have experienced the fall In the real wages of labor and the confusion of foreign exchanges which Inevitably follow such a policy. Chill endeavored, like France, to maintain the equal bimetallic coinage of gold and silver. The mints were open to both metals by act of January. 1851. The ratio was not quite 16 to 1, but a little less friendly to silver, being 16.3 to 1. This slight difference protected Chill durlne several years after timet allsm became an acknowledged failure In France. France was substantially upon the single silver standard prior to the open ing of the Callfornlan and Australian mines. These mines Increased the pro duct of gold sogreatlythatgold became less valuable than silver, at the French coinage ratio of 15ty to 1, and was the only metal offered at the mints. France's blmetallists Insisted, like American blmetallists today, that gold valued at Bf. by the coinage laws could not fall below silver francs In value, because It was worth that at the mints. This did not prevent sliver going above the coining value and disappear ing from circulation hs absolutely as though It had been wiped up with a sponge. It was this condition of things which made gold the chief medium of circulation In France, and kept It in circulation In Chili so long as the differ ence between the market and the coin ing value of gold and silver was not great. SILVER'S UNSTABLE VALUE. Chill began to experience the same Btrange fluctuations in the coinage of the two metals which was' experienced by the countries of the Latin Union af ter 1874. Silver fell from 16.13 to one In 1875 to 17.80 to one in 1876 and 17.96 to one In 1878. The fact that the two metals were equal at the mints did not pre vent the sudden arrest of the presenta tion of gold and Its heavy exportation. The amount of gold minted In Chill in 1875 was 85,434 pesos, and the amount of silver was 2,151,735 pesos. The value of the gold peso was then about tl in United States gold coin. The mechani cal forces of the mint were scarcely suf ficient for coining 250,000 pesos per month, while silver was imported and offered for coinage at the rate of nearly 500,000 pesos a month. The government was compelled to suspend the reception of silver while nine new machines were put In operation to keep pace with the required colnnge. The evils of specie suspension were complicated and enhanced by the fall In the price of silver. War with Spain compelled the suspension of specie pay ments by the National Bank of Chill, on Sept. 24, 1865, while the country was still upon the gold basis. The flight of gold from the country after 1874 tended to create a contraction of tho. currency, which was met by Increased Issues of bank notes. Forced loans by the government In the form of bank notes, Issued for pub lic uses rather than for the legitimate purposes of business, drove paper be low par In silver and led the country In a mire from which escape grew dally more difficult with the steady fall In the price of Bilver. The government made a bad matter worse by putting out its own paper issues In 1879 and 1880, which were swelled by the Issues of President Balmaceda during his attempt to crush the Congressional party. WENT TO GOLD BASIS. The persistent fall In the value of sil ver made resumption of specie pay ments In that metal little better than continuance upon a paper basis. The Chilian government, therefore, deter mined to resume specie payments In gold, but at a rate of exchange which would accord with the actual value of the paper in gold at about the time of resumption. The first legislation on the subject was not successful and It became necessary to muke a new read justment which carried the value of the standard coin, which had formerly been SI, down to about 36.49 cents In United States gold coin. The dollar was made the monetary unit, but was reduced to one-thirteenth part of a pound sterling, Instead of constituting more than one fifth of a pound sterling, as In the case of a gold dollar of the United States. The vice, consul at Antofagasta fur nished a table showing wages In differ ent occupations during 1875. 1885 and 1895. These statistics showed only a small advance In wages during the first period of 10 years, when the value of the peso had fallen In gold from 43 pence, English money, to 26 pence. The decline In the gold values of wages, therefore, was from 88 cents. In United States money, to 52 cents per peso, while the actual wages In de preciated money advanced only from rates of 3.50 to 4.00 pesos for black smiths In 1875 to 3.50 to 6.50 pesos 1885; carpenters from 3.00 to 4.00 pesos In 1875 to 3.25 to 4.00 pesos In 1885, and me chanics from 3.00 to 4.50 pesos In 1875 to 6.00 to 6.50 pesos In 1885. The wages of laborers. Including servants, remain ed stationery at 1.50 to 1.75 pesos In de preciated currency. The actual gold value of wages thus fell in the case of laborers nearly 40 per cent, and in the case of mechanics, taking the maximum in each year, about 18 per cent. Minister Strobel In summing up the results of his Inquir ies, states that " the rise in wages has not corresponded to the depreciation in money," and calls attention to the) fact that "in a country like Chili, which Is In a state of development, it would be natural to expect an Increase of wages In 20 years from 1875 to 1895 even if there had been no depreciation." Mother Goose os Wheels. The king has left hs counting-house and wisely spent his money; The queen and he are bicycling, forgetting bread and honey: The maid has bought a wheel, too, and left her hanging clothes. 'Twould take a nimble blackbird now to nip oft half her nose. Toledo Blade.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers