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About Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 27, 1899)
0 OMAHA ILLUSTRATED BEE. August 27 , ISO ! ) . jogging Through the Modern Japan Stafford Hanson , In his now book , "Japan In Transition. " says that there Is perhaps no country In itho world which has been so much misrepresented by the foreigner to the foreigner than has the Land of the Rising Sun nnd the reasons for this nro very ob vious. Japan IB at once the most difficult country to analyze accurately nnd the most easy to wrlto about superficially. Jnpnn appears to exercise some mysterious Influence , which attracts not only the pen of the amateur , but which seems to have the effect of drawing the professional writer out of his legitimate element. Thus the poet , en arriving In that country , suddenly be- Fruiu "Julian In Trimiltluii. " Coj > ) rltflit , ISM. by H rr.V | Orotlxn. JAPANESE ACTRESS IN OLD STYLE PLAY. comes an exponent of character ; the the atrical critic ft censor of morals , itho re ligious 'tractmaker an authority on art and the compiler of railway "puffs" a novelist. Under 4 > uch circumstances It Is the only natural result that foreigners should Imbibe weird and distorted notions with regard to the Japanese character , and the more espe cially since these writers 'have ' frequently based their notions of Japan nnd the Japan ese on 'what ' they have scon in itho treaty ports. Another class of forclcnors who Is apt to mislead people on the subject of Japan , but In quite another direction , is ho who en- deavorera to "Janonlfy" himself on short notice and without being able to speak the language. Ho becomes enraptured of the country and possibly with sonio ono In it and Is rapturously maudlin In telling us about It. To such a man Japan Is peopled with dear little giggling dolls , living In dear miniature houses made of "cardboard. " Ho eats fairy food out of miniature dishes , hangs the graceful costume of the country on him as If the kimono wore a towel and ho a clothes horse ; ho strains the sinews of his legs In squatting on the floor nnd tolls us that ho is in fear that ho will strike his head against nnd knock a hole In the celling if ho wore to stand erect. And eo ho would it ho were eight or len feet high and his head were not softer than the woodwork. Ho laughs In Innocent glee at It all as lie lots the rlco fall from hid chopsticks on the spotless tatam.ifor ho is in such a delightful little shallow-minded , light-hearted Immoral paradise. Ho hugs himself in the ( belief that ho is living among laughing children again nnd ho has not a thought for the morrow , for ho has not grasped the fact that bis companions are bored with It all , but that etiquette and the business exigencies oblige them to appear amused at nls eccentricities ; , ho does not understand that they are laughing at him rather than with him nnd that it is ho who really Is the child. Meanwhile Tils treaty- port culdo no doubt Is making terms with the landlady of "cardboard" house as to the extent to which it will bo eafo to run up the 'bill ' and as to how much commission IP to bo reserved out of that amount for him self. self.Mr. Mr. Rnnsome's chapter on the Jnpancso drama Is moat interesting. After telling the story of the old drama , ho writes of Kawa- kaml , the actor who ls ( striving to introduce up-to-date drama , the realistic and modern. From the author's description of ono of thin actor's latest efforts the realists of Europe and America may yet find themselves golug to Japan for models. Kawnkaml brought out a piece entitled "Tho China ) War , " In which the most realistic stage fights that have ever been portrayed took place. A etlll more am bitious play was modeled on Jules Verne's "Around the World In Eighty Days. " Of course the here is a Japanese and It Is over a game of billiards in the Toklo club that ho makes his wager that he will travel around the world in the stated time. That portion of the play that has to do with the traveler's trip through the United States Is qulto funny reading. There Is one scene depleting an lAmerlcan railway depot which is very like a Japanese station , but the crowd Is American nnd the people are rough and rude. Then there Is an election fight going on and an election mob to bo dealt with , and BO the travelers work their way around the world. The Introduction of the modern drama is bound to .bring . about the mixing of the sexes on the stage , the custom having heretofore been for men to Impersonate female - male characters. There are in Japan quite a number of actresses , but as a rule they act by themselves in their own theaters. A picture of a Japanescs actress in the quaint costumes Is given In this Issue , also another sketch representing a Japanese street scene , both of them taken from "Japan In Transi tion , " Just issued from the press of Harper & Brothers. Passing of the Famous First Nebraska Regi ment Volunteers ( Contlnutcd from Page Three. ) yards ; at Santa Mesa , 700 to 1,700 yards ; at Deposlto , 500 yards ; on the expedition to the water works , from 800 to 1,500 yards , and In and around Caloocan the ranges ran nil the way from 400 to 2,600 yards. "It will bo seen that some of these ranges are staggerers to people who have old- fashioned notions about artillery. Doubtless many will want to know how the gunners llko this hand-to-hand work. They take It cheerfully , almost wistfully. In fact , as cue Kansas eoldler said : 'The Utahs ? These big , husky chaps eat light ! ' Major Young and. his gritty outfit will surely be missed when the volunteers go home. " New Stories About Dewey The supply of stories about Admiral George Dewcy seems inexhaustible. For a year and a half the victor of Manila bay has stood before the searchlight of publicity. Every Incident of his life , every feature of his career , hare been told and retold to sat isfy public demands. Yet all have not been told , and the homo-coming of the admiral whets public appetite for more. A correspondent of the Washington Post contributes the following : Many years ago , while Dewey was a watch officer , ho hap pened to bo serving under an admiral who wsa distinguished in his profession for his bulldog courage and his rough language. He was of a class that Is known in the service as "a Jackey olllcer , " meaning one whoso manners savored more of the forecastle than the quarter deck. One day "tho old man , " as the chief is always known in sailor parlance , became upset about some thing , and turned loose upon everything In sight In his characteristic way. Well , Dewey was In sight , and after standing It a few minutes , walked up to the raging commander of the ilect , and , saluting , said : "Admiral , I will not allow you or any man living to address mo In the lan guage you are using. " The captain of the flagship and nearly all his officers were present and hoard the con versation , . The old admiral turned reil , und A llrvtiun. SNAP SHOT IN A VILLAGE STREET. . TORNADO WHICH PASSED NEAR AINSWORTH , NEB. , JULY 5 , 180 ! ) . Photo copy righted by Ezra Hollopeter. then purple. He did not utter a word for some minutes. Meantime Deucy had left the group and returned to whatever It was ho had in hand. "Toll 'Mr. ' Dewey I wish to speak to him , " said the admiral to an ensign. "Dowey's going to catch It now , " whis pered the officers who heard the order. In a moment up came Lieutenant Dewcy. "You sent for me sir ? " said he , saluting. "Yes , I did , sir , " the other answered. "I wanted to say to you that I was not addressIng - Ing you In my remarks a few minutes ago. That is all , sir. " And the old terror of the seas resumed his promenade. And so the incident ended. But It was noticed that Ad miral treated the quiet lieutenant with unusual respect and courtesy all the rest of the cruise. While Admiral Deuey aYwaya maintains a well-filled sideboard , and sometimes takes a drink , when ho wants one , he Is not a tip pler. If ho could avoid it when he was In command of a ship ho would never have officers who habitually drank sent to serve under him. "Anything but a drunkard ! " said ho passionately once when he and some others were talking of a captain who had Just been "put on pledge. " "You can never tell what harm a drunken man will do. I would much rather be comported to be ship mate with a lunatic. Him I could restrain , but not the drunkard. If I had my way no officer in either army or navy who had been court-martialed and dismissed from the service - ice for drunkenness should ever bo restored to the active list unless his reformation was absolutely sure. " On one cruise a sailor had delirium tremens , and his case was used as an object lesson by the admiral to his men. Once or twice , when the sailors got shore leave , Dewey admonished thorn not to bring any snakes on board when they re turned. One day while in ono of the East Indian ports a sailor dame up the side , lookIng - Ing a good deaif the worse for liquor. Dewey's eagle eye rested on him for a mo ment and then ho said : "So you've brought some snakes back with you , have you ? " The man saluted very respectfully , and sold "Yes , sir , hero it is. " and putting his hand In his shirt he drew out a squirming rock python about eight feet long , which he had secured from a native , who bad caught It ashore. The admlrai' realized that ho had been caught and dismissed the man. But hi made no more allusions to snakes on that cruise. The forecastle the place where the sailors bunk felt that they "had It on the old man" for once that time. On Dewey's return from a cruise on the East Indian station some years ago he 'was attacked with a tropical abscess of th Jlver and obliged to stop over at Malta , where ho underwent a surgical operation. Some days afterward ono of the surgeons said : "It was too bad , commander , to rob you of your liver , as we did. " Dewey answered quietly : "Don't mention It. It gives mo great pleasure to think I Khali never bo so blllcus again as I have been. " Dewey Is perhaps the best small1 swords man among the senior officers of the navy ; indeed the best in the service , excepting possibly Lieutenant Commander Luclcn Young , whoso skill with the collchemarde or three-cornered dueling sword Is a matter of note all through the service. Standing about f > feet 0 % or 10 , lithe- , and with a cat-like qulcknass , the American admiral would be a mighty dangerous antagonist with the glit tering blade In bis hand If he imeant busi ness. Ho haa a liking for the sword. "It has been the weapon par excellence of the knight and the gentleman for a thousand years , " he once said , talking of the arms bi'ancho to a comrade. "With It kings bestowed - stowed the accolade. It Is the knlghtlles and noblest of weapons. With Its of chivalry the white arm comes down through the ages , the last legacy of the dead days of romance and beauty to the twentieth century. " J. C. Pedersen for Sheriff The Eighth ward has a candidate for sheriff in the person of J. C. Pedersen , the well known , big hearted , congenial blacksmith and horse- shoer. For thirty years a resident of Omaha and from his youth up a hard worker and by the sweat of his brow ho J. C. Pedersen , for Sheriff. has earned his living , nnd succeeded to the business of his father. Always a staunch republican and never before a candidate for any office , but now asks the support of his friends to secure the nomination for sheriff. Business address , 2110 Cumlng street. Send Your Name nnd wo will send you free a beautifully II- li'strated catalogue , showing every style and leather the cele brated Regent $3.50 Shoes are made up In they are the equal of any shoo sold for $5.00 and $0.00 but by buyIng - Ing them direct from the factory you save the middleman's profit and we guarantee a lit In every case. Your choice of any shoo In our store $2.50 nnd $3.50. V Regent Shoe Co. 205 South 15th , Omaha. Write fcr Illustrated Catalogue. w C. W. Stanton Co. 91Caionon Block. Chicago The A. Hospe warehouse at Sixteenth and Izard streets , where ho keeps his surplus stock of pianos , etc. Salesrooms , 1513 Douglas.