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.