The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923, February 16, 1906, Page 2, Image 2

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The Commoner.
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and plnoapplos. Tho apple tree was imported'
from America about thirty-live ycaro ago; now
apples aro exported to China, and Siberia. Tho
most popular orango is tho tangerine, or hid
glove orango as it is sometimes called; many
of Ihcso aro imported.
Thorc Is a kind of fruit called tho ban-tan
grown on tho island of Kyushu. It looks some
thing llko tho grapo fruit, but grows considerably
largor and has a thicker skin; the moat is pinlc
in color, sweeter and less juicy than tho grapo
fruit. Pears grow here; one variety looks like
a russet apple in shape and color. Peach trees
aro sometimes trained ns wo train grapo vines
on an arbor so Hint I ho orchard seems to have
a flat roof of foliage.
They havo hero, too, persimmons as largo
as apples and as solid. "Wo found these on tho
tablo in all parts of the island and there are
Hoveral varieties. Tho grapo is cultivated in
.Tapan, but wo did not see grape vines in such
profusion as thoy aro seen in southern Europe,
along tho lakes in western Now York or in Cali
fornia. And, in this connection, I may add that
wine is not used hero to tho extent that it is
in some other countries, tho national drink, sake,
being mado from fermented rice. Ordinarily this
bovorago contains from eleven to fourteen per
cent of alcohol, but thero Is a stronger kind
called shochu, which contains as much as fifty
per cent of alcohol. It is evident, however, that
liquor by any other nnmo can be as intoxicating
as our whisky and wo found at Tokio a national
temperance society with branches throughout tho
empire. Mr. Ando, the1 president of this society,
is a Jupnnqse gentleman of great earnestness and
intelligence who was converted to Christianity
u low yoars ago when ho was representing his
country in Honolulu. While, as I havo- Btated in
another article, I havo seen no evidences of
drunkenness, Mr. Ando informs me that his society
lias ample work toclo. I carry back with me a
baUgo which the society bestowed on learning of
my total abstlncnco habits. I have only men
tioned the leading products of the field, but I
can not leave the cultivators of the soil without
a word concerning tho gardens. They are so
cuto, occupying as thoy do the little nooks and
corners that can not be utilized for the large
crops. 'Thoro does .not seem to be a square inch
of ground wasted. Tho vegetables are planted in
rows which aro either straight or curved, never
crooked, and wo have scarce! v seon n wppri tw.
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mizor Is extensively used, being kept in stone op.-.JUnertea.
cement vats protected from the .reWfm
JSAlSi' rofuse from closets which is
utroduction of aowacfl Rvatama hn iioo onmn.
what impeded in some cities by tho fact that
Howago would be an oxpenso while closets arc
now a source of profit. It must be confessed, how
over, that tho present system tends to make fresh
vegetables unpopular with tho tourist.
Most travelers land at Yokohama and depart
at Kobo, or land at Kobe and depart at Yoko
hama, theso being tho two principal ports. As
these1 are about 300 miles apart, one has a chance
to see much of tho farming land from tho rail
road Tho side trips from Toldo to N?kko from
Yokohama to Miyanoshita and from Kyoto to
Nara, give additional opportunities for seeing
XaMop at, wopk but th0 ria from Kobo west
to Shimonoseki surpasses any of theso to InteTSt
and in beauty of scenery. As this routo leads
along tho sea coast as well as through densely
populated valleys, thero is greater variety Now
J i I ' ita 1ltt,wiarent waters, its little harbors
and its fleets of fishing boats; now he winds hil
way along a stream vith falls and rmiids and
E ?t?thrlarT b" bS wagon
Dilutes, on tho one side he sees a iinmimn
grovo and on tho other a tiny giaveyard or a
little hill dedicated to a Shinto shrine-stono
stops ascend bur nimu n si,.i.t "; "ie Slono
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the
Japanese-Chinese
Li Hung Chang drafted
treaty in 1894.
Mining is an industry of considerable impor
tance here. Gold, silver and copper are found
in paying quantities. More than six million dol
lars worth of copper was exported last year.
One of the gold fields on tho island of Kyushu,
near Kogoshlma, gives promise of considerable
richness. Coal is found in such abundance that
tho exports of this commodity have amounted to
nearly ten million dollars in a single year. A
hard quality of smokeless coal has recently been
9 discovered in western Japan.
The islands also produce a number of varie
ties of valuable woods. The camphor tree grows
to an enormous size, a gigantic statue of the
Goddess of Mercy in one of tho temples at Ka
makurh being carved from a single camphor log.
The value of the camphor exported from Japan
last year exceeded a milion and a half dollars.
Among tho hard woods suitable for carving,
cherry seems -to be the most popular.
Of all tho trees, however, the bamboo is the
most useful. Just at this time when the return
ing soldiers are being welcomed it is present
everywhere in the form of flag poles, and there is
nothing that equals it for this purpose; long,
slender, light and strong, it is just the thing for
flags and banners, and when a little plume of
leaves is left at the top, it is still more beautiful.
The bamboo is used for water pipes and for
fences, for furniture and picture tubes, for dip
pers, baskets, fishing poles, flower vases, candle
sticks, wicker work, etc., etc.
In wood carving tho Japanese have long been
skilled. Specimens of work done hundreds of
years ago and testifying to their taste no less
than to their deftness of hand may be seen in
the ancient palaces and temples.
Stone cutting is also an ancient industry
here. There is an abundance of stone and granite
and the lanterns, Korean lions and sacred gates
have furnished subjects for many a chisel. Osaka
seems to bo the center of the stone cutting
industry.
The iron industry is represented by an in
creasing number of establishments. In many
instances workmen have been brought from
abroad and employed until Japanese artisans were
sufficiently trained to take their place. Much
of the iron work is still done in little shops and
by hand, although machinery is being imported
in large quantities.
I visited a tannerv nf Trnc.ivr;.crT:'rr!rr
.hat the WotavrfnTTeven years ,n
mc uuamess ana tnat on his
slit native lioin paoVi vo-r.nv. p
the business. He fa now turning out an excellent
product. A
One of the nlost promising industries in
Japan is cotton spinning. There are a number
of factories already ,ih operation and new ones
are building. I visited one of the plants of the
Osaka Nippon Bosfeki Kalshs at Osaka. This
SSTC? m ab0Ur 8eventy thousand spindles
S5? n employ noUlIns but native labor.
Foreign artisans were used in the beginning but
are no longer needed. A great many women are
employed and some children; for the latter a
buildwS "SSSBea fW; tW0 Ws to thS
building. Cotton yarn is now selling for about
forty cents a pound and is becoming one of the
leading articles of export; China is the largest
purchaser. Some idea of the growth of S
f5??w05, imlUStry can satheroT from SS
fact that the exports of cotton yarn amounted to
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-ww.b lllv: muuames or the sea const n
wol as tlioflo of tho inland, and besides
visit the Shimonoseki Strait which la of w2SK
interest to Americans. The Sanyo railroad which
connects Kobo and ShimonosekUs weU wuTni e
and well managed and has built an exce len
hotel The Sanyo, at Shimonoseki for the accom
modation of its patrons. From this point a 8te?m
or runs to Fusan. tho nearest Korean port whero
direct connection is made for Seoul Si tPJ
capital. From NMoji, jSst across the l S
one is shown tho1 ifSg
1898 to over ten niillions an5 during" the last twS
years it has averaged about MteenmnSoS W
At Osaka I also visited a brush tn,inQf i
ound that tarn bones importea from the 'slaui
America. Hero, too, tliey have dispensed with
MS? laLor which thGy Plwa to tS
andtfrervarievma in abnnce
and 5iSelSe?S3S?l,t0f POrceIain
dollars last year In Kvntn iS two million
and found two rooms nf which HTl A P?ttery
duct was displayed- thp flQt Li?0, flnisned pro
specimens of Japanese Bw cntal?ed beautiful
and dainty in decoration .L gl'acefuI ta shaPe
VQDJ7MB "NUMBER 6
glazing of which is of a peculiar tint and -has a
crackled appearance. The secret of the manu
facture of this waro was brought from Korea
by the captives taken in war somo three hundred
years ago, and the industry still flourishes in
Japan, although it has perished in Korea. Kog
oshima is the center for Satsuma ware, and a
colony of Koreans living near there, aB well as
Japanese manufacturers, produce excellent speci
mens. JUacquer work has been done in Japan from
time immemorial, samples of which, centuries
old, can be seen in temples, palaces and museums.
When gold and silver are' used in connection with
the lacquer the product is often very valuable.
The bronzes produced in the little shops
scattered over Japan give play to the artistic
taste which one finds here. Osaka and Kyoto
are noted for their bronzes. Sometimes various
metals are inlaid in the form of flowers, birds,
animals and landscapes producing a most pleas
ing effect. Then there are damascine factories
and places for embroidery and for pictures made
in cut velvet, etc., etc.
No one can pass through Japan without being
impressed with the taste, which seems to be na
tional, and with the delicate skill which has
been handed down from generation to generation.
And nothing, in my judgment, more clearly ex
hibits this union of taste and skill than the cloi
sanne work. Upon a metallic base, as a vase,
placque or box, an artist draws a design; this
design is then outlined with fine wires of gold
and silver, then enamels of various colors are
filled in. "Wlion the enamels are hardened and
the whole polished, the product is a thing of mar
velous beauty.
I have not space to speak of some of tho
minor industries, such as paper making, matches
(in which Japan monopolizes the trade of the
east) fans, umbrellas, lanterns, napkins, etc.
ine Japanese lantern which we use for ornamen
tation is here a practical thing-, in daily, or rather
nightly, use. These lanterns hang in front of
the houses and are carried on the streets. They
are also used for illumination on festive occasions;
at the time of the naval review and the reception
to Admiral Togo, Yokohama and Tokio -were
illumined by these lanterns as I never saw an
American city lighted.
When Japan was opened to the commerce of
the world, there were few business housed or
trading establishments of any size. Now thero
are several department stores and large whole
sale houses, besides manufactories and trading
companies of importance. One business man in
lokio, Mr. K, Okura, has a private collection of
curios valued at one million dollars which he
offered to sell in Europe or America, the proceeds
to bo given to the government for carrying on
the war against Russia. Osaka has a successful
business man who has earned the name of tho
,,Sese, Carnegie" by giving a fine library
building to that city.
As an evidence that the Japanese merchants
are patterning after their American brethren,
ISM mention that a number of the stores
displayed notices offering especial discounts to
our gallant allies, the blue jackets;" that a
brewing company began a large newspaper ad
Z "w "Welcome to the British Squad
J on, and that another merchant, after extending
nv!lf,atJllati0?011 the Anglo-Japanese Alliance."
n d Hi6 Vlsit(2rs t0 try hIs "lum Puddings
aflfanc?? en3y sweetaess of the
Consul General Miller, at Yokohama, and
SS? Ph at Kobe' nished me with 'inter
?!n?J? statistics regarding the commerce- of
Japan. Exports have increased from about eighty
millions in 1891 to about three hundred and
twenty millions in 1904; during the same pertod
imports increased from a littlo more than sixty
three millions to a little more than threehin?dSd
and seventy-one millions. While our country S
1HS 5LJ?pan than Great Britain anBrtish In
dia, she buys more than any other nation from
22Ti' 0upf cW exports to Japan Inst year wer
ers and SSS 0cora?tive "& Bteam bSE
cotton and oil were by -far the molt valuable
SfflonaSS" t0 mrVba
rapidU
ers have increased from four hundred "and Sv
one to twelve hundred and twenty-four
and her sailing vessels from one hundred T and
ninety-six to three thousand five hundred and
twenty-three There are now two hu red private
ship yards in Japan, and-Jn 1903 thoy ' built i two
Hundred and soventy-nino vessels.. The japaS
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