The Omaha Illustrated
Bee
NUMBER 334.
Entered Second Class at Omaha Postoffice Published Weekly by The Bee Publishing Co. Subscription, $2.50 Per Year.
JANUAKY 21, 1900.
AROUND THE WORLD WITH WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN
v-v., -
Mr. Bryan' Discusses Japan and Its People, with Reference to Their Habits, Food, Clothing, Industries, Customs and Manners, and the Environment of the Islands
By WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN are now relulred to B,t upon benches, and whether from this cause Horn the sandal is almost always used. Among the well-to-do the Japanese dolls which look so strange to the average American
(Copyright. 19 by Joseph C. Bowie.. Copyright m Great BrUain. All " "me other, the average height of the males, as shown by yearly foot is encased in a short sock made of white cotton cloth, which is child
Rights Reserved.) medical examination, Is gradually increasing. Although underslze, kept scrupulously clean. The sock has a separate division for the Cleanliness Is the passion of the Japanese. The dally bath is a
HE EYES of the world are on Japan. No oiher nation has the people are sturdy and muscular, and have an appearance of great toe, the sandal being held upon the foot by a cord which mntter of routine, and among the middle classes there are probably
Tever made such progress in the same length of time, and robust health. In color they display all shades of brown, from a runs between the first and second toes, and dividing fastens on more who go above this average than . below. It is said that lu the
.at no time in her history has Japan enjoyed greater prestige very light to a very dark. While the oblique eye is Common, it is either side of the sandal. These sandals are of wood and rest upon city of Toklo there are over 1,100 public ba,ths, and it is estimated
than she enjoys Just now; and, it may be added, at no time by no means universal. two blocks an inch or more high, the front of one sloping toward that 500.000 baths are taken dally at these places. The usual charge
in.. s1e had to face greater problems than those which now con- the toe. The sandal hangs loosely upon the foot and drags upon the is one and a quarter cents (our money) for adults and 1 cent for chll
front her. .. Endurance Of the Rikisha Men pavement with each step. The noise made by a crowd at a railroad dren. One enthusiastic admirer of Japan' declares that a Japanese
We were fortunate in the time of our ""arrival. Baron Komura, station rises above the roar of the train. In muddy weather a higher boy, coming unexpectedly Into the possession of a few cents, will bo
the returning peace commissioner, returned two days later; the The conveyance which is most popular is the Jinrlklsha, a narrow sandal 1b used, which raises the feet three or four inches from the More apt to spend it on a bath than on something to eat or drink. The
naval review celebrating the new Anglo-Japanese alliance took place seated, two-wheeled top-buggy, with shafts, Joined with a cross- ground, and the wearers stalk about as if on stilts. The day laborers, private houses have baths wherever the owners can afford them. The
in'Yokohama harbor a week afterward, and this was followed next piece at the end. These are drawn by "rikisha men," of whom there wear a cheaper sandal made of woven rope or straw. The footwear bathtub is made like a barrel, sometimes of stone, more often of wood,
day by the reception of Admiral Togo at Toklo. These were import- are several hundred thousand in the empire. The "rikisha" was above described comes down from time immemorial, but there is and Is sunk below the level of the floor. The favorite temperature is
'- ant events, and they gave a visitor an extraordinary opportunity, to invented by a Methodist missionary some thirty years ago, and at coming Into use among the rikisha men a modern kind of footwear 110 degrees, and In the winter time the bathtub often takes the place
see the people en masse. In this article I shall deal in a general once sprang into popularity. When the passenger is much above which is a compromise between the new and the old. It is a dark of a stove. In fact, at the hot springs people have been known to re-way-
with Japan and her people, leaving for future articles her the average weight, or when the" Journey is over a hilly road, a cloth, low-topped gaiter, with a rubber sole and no heel. These have main in the bath for days at a time. I do not vouch for the state
history, her government, her politics, her industries, her art, her pusher is employed and in extraordinary cases two pushers. It Is the separate pocket for the great toe. The sandals are left at the ment, but Mr. Basil II. Chamberlain in his book entitled "Things
education and her religions. v .. ' astonishing what speed these" men can make. One of the governors door. After taking cold twice, I procured a pair of felt slippers and Japanese," says that when he was at one of these hot
The term Japan is a collective title applied to four large islands, lnfom-ed me that rikisha men would sometimes cover seventy-fiTe carnea tnem wita me, and the other members of the family did like- springs "the caretaker or the establishment, a bale oia man or,
; that is, Honshu, Kyushu, Shi
koku, Hokkaido, and about 000
smaller ones. Formosa and the
islands immediately adjoining
it are not generally included,
although since the Chinese war
they belong to Japan.
Japan extcnc'.a In the shape
of a crescent, curving toward
the east, from 50 north lati
tude and 16C east longitude to
21 degrees north latitude and
11 9 east longitude. The area is
r little less than 160,000
square miles, more than, half
of which is on the island of
Honshu. The coast line Is
brokoa by numerous bays fur
nishing commodious harbors,
the most important of which
t aro at Yokohama, Osaka, Kobe,
;ngasaki, Kogoohlma and Ha-
. Uodato. The islands are so
mountainous that only about one
twelfth the area is capable of
cultivation. Although Formofc
Las a mountain, Mount Niitaka
(sometimes called Mount Mor-
rison) which is 2,000 feet
higher, Fujiyama is the highest
mountain in Japan proper. It
reaches a height of 12,365 feet.
Fuji (Yama is the Japanese
word for mountain) is called
the Sacred mountainand is an
object of veneration among the
Japanese. . And well it may be,
for It is doubtful if there is on
'earth a more symmetrical
mountain approaching it la
' height R!tns In the, shape of
a perfect cone, -with its sum-'
- mlt crowned . ,with snow
throughout nearly the entire
year, and visible from sea level,
It is one of the most sublime of
all the works of nature. Mount
Rainier, as they say at Seattle.
ij'or Tacoma, as it is called in
' the city of that name, and Po
pocatepetl, near Mexico's capl-.
tal, are the nearest approach to
4. Full, so far as the writer's
observation goes. Pictures of
Fuji are to be found on every
thing; they are printed on silk,
embroidered on screens, worked
on velvet, carved in wood and
i wrought in bronie and stone.
We saw It from Lake .Hakone,
a beautiful sheet of water some
8,000 feet above the ocean. The
foothill which surround the . .-.tended miles of level road in a day. They will take ud a slow trot and
i vsioi to Eivn m mv v - . -
; fV, . V&VtfSv fprJg
i
ifc-1 - V V ..- !
V fi
THE RICKSHA MAN WHO CAN TRAVEL SEVENTY-FIVE MILES A DAY.
COMMON METHOD OF TRANSPORTATION IN JAPAN.
lake seem to open at one
wise. At public meetings in Japanese halls the same custom is ' lmnoHlnz. In cities most
travel for several miles without a break. We' had occasion to go followed, the sandals being checked at the door as hats and wraps of a pattern which has been used for hundreds of years
used to stay in the bath during
the entire winter." Until re
cently the men and women
bathed promiscuously in the
public baths; occasionally, but
not always, a string separated
the bathers. Now different
apartments must bo provided.
The Japanese aro a very
polite people. They have often
been likened to the French in
this respect the French done
in bronze, so to speak. They
bow very low, and In exchang
ing salutations and farewells
sometimes bow everal times.
When the parties are seated on
the floor, they rise to the knees
and bow the head to the floor.
Servants also when they biln
food to thoRe who are seated on
the floor., drop upon their knees,7
and, bowlnp, present the tray.
In speaking of the people, J
desire to emphasize one con
clusion that has been drawn
rom my observation here, via.,
that I have never seen a more
quiet, orderly or self-restrained
people. I have visited all of the
larger cities and several of the
smaller ones, In all parts of the
Islands; have mingled in the
crowds that assembled at Toklo
and at Yokohama at the time of
the reception to Togo, and dur
ing the naval review; have rid
den through the streets in day
time and at night; and have
walked when the entire street
was a mass of humanity. I
have not seen one drunken pa
. five or witnessed a fight or '
altercation of any kind. This
Is the more remarkable when it
Is remembered that these have
been gala days, when the entire
population turned out to display
its patriotism and to enjoy a
vacation.
The Japanese house do
serves a somewhat extended de
scription. It is built of wood,
Is one story in height, unpalnted
and has a thatched or a tih? roof.
The thatched roof is chenper,
but far less durable. Some of
the temples and palaces have a
roof constructed like a thatched
roof, In which the bark of the
arbor vita is used in place of
grass or straw. These roofs are
often a foot thick and are quite
buildings are roofed with tile
Shingles
so
held in place by wire. On the business streets the houses are gen
erally two stories, the merchant livinz above the store. The public
buildings are now being constructed of brick and stone and modeled
. view of the sloping sioes beauty 8potB of Japa. to a village fifteen miles from Kagoshima. and crossed a low moun- . are in our country. On approaching a meeting place the speaker are sometimes used on newer structures, but they are not nearly
And speaking or tiaaono, u nrinc.e. tain range of perhaps 2,000 feet. The trio each way occuDied about can form nnm PsMmntA f th Ba f ho n.Htn hv oi nf tha 1 . ,
,,, this uka is the summer nome 01 " v.- - - - - ... , "s "'6'i iuoicuu m uciug lusieuea wun nans, are
wu -u fmm Mlvanoshlta, a piciuresquw "" u u uiu uim yu ui nanuais on me cuisiae.
Hakone is reached by a six-mile ride rrom w y houri. nooQ They feU fregh
little village some sixty miles west of yoK0DI; Q . the they came an hour later to take us to a dinner engagement. In the Women Wear the Old Familiar Garb
' .... .11 th deliehts of a mountain retreat, uuo ui ,..i .v. , 7
rno ; " th rujl a located here, and one vu lu.ir uu BO l8Ke me Piace or me The WOmen still retain the primitive dress. About 1884 an at- after the buildings of America and Europe. But returning to the
:f best modern Joteto to Japan, we. J m&io Ui famous rikisha. The chair rests on two bamboo poles, and Is carried by tempt was made by the ladies of the court to adopt the European native architecture the house is really little more than a frame
:. of the arl'e8BU,7 The road from the hotel to Hakone leads J S the kago is suspended from one pole, like a swinging dress, and quite a number of women la official circles purchased for the dividing walls are sliding screens and the outside walls ara
tour around the world. The roaa irora v uevm hammock, and is carried by two. Of the two. the chair is much w. in t h p.h. h th iTnitH st.t in .H. nf t t . " . w. 18 ar
' k f..mm. mountain streams, tnrougn ciusb., vu. - romfnrthia tnr h T " :.. . . T - - " - lul ellca omer, tne Hall
and over a range fronf which the coast line can be seen.
Mountains Give Way Before Man
v-.o .hot 100 miles north of Toklo. and Nara. about thirty
mllea from Kyoto, are also noted for their natural scener, r. but a. Zll. 7ZJ.Jit " th8 "W hav8 vorld fam111" th. wide fit the mats, twelve feet square being the common size. A. the
thesa nlaces are even more renowned because ww. veuiV. . -- - " - , " --"" sieeves. loose-nuing Kimono, wun us convenient pockets. The chu- wans or tne room are not stationary, there is no place for tha
thlTwM be described later. The inland sea which separate, from either end of a pole, and balanced upon the shoulder. dren wear bright colors, but the adults adopt more quiet shades. hanging of pictures, although the sliding wall, are often ricniv
' the larger island, of Japan, and Is itself studded with smaller In the country the demand for land is so great that most of the Tho 8hape 0f the garment never changes, but the color does, decorated. Such pictures as the house contain, are painted on silk or
Island, add. Interest to the travel from port to port. Many of roaas are too narrow for any other vehicle than a hand-cart. The ThU Bea80n gray has been the correct .hade. Feminine pride show, paper and are rolled up when not on exhibition. At one end of tha
these islands are inhabited, and the tiny fields which perch upon J- "nwU? c't,eI,1 and Palpal towns, however, are ltBeir ,n tne obi. a broad sash or belt tied in a very stiff and incom- room used for company there is generally a raised platform upon
side, give evidence of an ever present wruu """ ." ,., . uu uu wBll orainea. ana prehensible bow at the back. The material usea ror tne odi is wmcn a poi or nowers or other ornament la placed, and abov thi.
often bright in color and of rich and expensive brocades. A wooden there are one or two shelves, the upper one being inclosed in sliding
disc is often concealed within the bow of the obi to keep it in shape, doors. There are no bedsteads, the beds being made UDon tha floor
. . .. , ... i i. . i, i.w. o.iiv wnrn and rollod nn Hlnn. !, -t... n., ... r
ana aiso 10 uracu mo untu. x uoto. wuius uua., " -- i- ...inue iUn ujf. mere are no tables or chair. There
v vu.... ua . . umu uut- tests or tneir sisters aDroaa. (Mrs. Cleveland joined in a written ways extending around the outside Instead of going throutrh tha
horse omnibus which will hold four or six small people; it is used remonstrance, which was sent from the United States.) ,But the center. Frail sliding partitions covered with paner . senarata th
as a sort of stage between villages. A large part of the hauling of 8peil was broken in a very few months, and the women outside of room, from the hall, glass being almost unknown The floor is
merchandise is done by men. horses being rarely seen, In fact. In the court circles returned to the simpler and more becoming native covered with a heavy matting two inches thick and a. th noi
some of the cities there are more oxen"than horses and many of garb. It is not necessary, to enter into details regarding the female are of a uniform size, six feet b ythree the room. t"
National Costume Giving Way
The clothing of the men presents an interesting variety.
islands a barren peak. Jutting a few hundred feet above the have massive stone bridge, spanning the streams.
waves, while some are so tltfy as to look like hay stacKs in a
submerged meadow. '
All over Japan cne is impressed with the patient Industry et
the
people
broadened tne vauey. ana - eTas w hlle the different ,8 b b8le . Professional men and soldiers, and
atlve fields are held In place by itone wall s while tne ' by 8tudenti after th reach tna mldd,e 8choo corresponds
; level, are furnished with an abundance of water from the short t0 our hlgQ gchoo, The change is taking place more rapidly among
. but numerous river.. .. . . . the young than among the adults, and Is more marked tn thi ,ifv
Tha climate Is very mucn aiversmea. ran6iuB ,. , . - . . . . .
11 over Japan cne 1. impressed with the patient Industry et Th. clothl ng of k mea present, an interesting variety. In k,mono tQ-protect tne bare throat. The8e bar- Is usually a diminutive desk about a foot high upon which writing
people It the Hollander, have reclaimed the ocean bed. the SV ""S " th ob ,n col" "d lve a dalnt fln,8h t0 th8 c08tum matCrlal ,S placed- The wr,tln a wltt brush and thl w u!
,ie of Japan have encroached upon the mountains. They have J "J nce Albrt COftt are in evidence at all day functions, and , Ue narrow ,n tha rt,rt the women taUe very lag case or box containing the brush, ink etc haa! furnun ill
I Z valley, and terraced the hillsides. Often the dimln- the drn. ',1 -bort steps. This short step, coupled with the dragging of the .an- lacquer industry with one of the m'J
' ..... than In tha rnnntrv In nno nt tna nrimoixi r A
dais, makea th women's ait quit unlike the frea stride of the tatiotv The people sit upon cushions upon the floor and their mAi!
, A. i j . i . v. i . i ar BArvAil im. . meal.
American woman, in me miuuie una nigiier ncuuun mo gins wear . ui;i.
a plalted.sklrt over the kimono. These aro uniform for each school. Japanese food Is so different from American food that It take, th
and wine color is the shade now prevailing. The men and women visitor some time to acquire a fondness for It, more time than the
of the same class wear practically the same kind of shoes." tourist usually has at bis dlsposnl. With-the masses rice Is the staple
Next to obi, the hatr receives the greatest attention, and it i. article of diet, and It Is the most palatable native dish that tha for.
certainly arranged with elaborate care. The process is so com- elgner finds bore. The white rice raised in Japan is superior in anal.
X8.600.000 since 187S. While Toklo ha. a Population ol about MUTe wo e a ome ' ralsod in China, and the farmers are often com-
1.500.000. Osaka a population of nearly 1.000,000; Kyoto. 850,000. mt nlll.. ... o. , 16 lne beetle', oil 1. used in many Instances to make the hair smooth and pefd to sell the good rice and buy the noorr n,,nm r..i
' . : vt.,. .hnt th. am hiwldea - vu..o, uuu nearly ail wore the . , w " a a im i . . ........ . " " " "u
glossy. At night the Japanese women place a very nara rouna is even cueuper, is uned as a substitute for rice.
nearly all wore the
yoKonama. Suw,vu. .u vu .uu -Xmerlcan dre8g xt the Dsak meeUng 8om , rt JaDaneBa vonnir
many large dtle. of les. size.. tiU a large majority r of the population ladles from Congregatlona, co J u 'L7TrT4ta o?
i- forming pommunltlM have decided nrenonderance 6 8 al country, lis or
- - i nee, in jsngnsn.
of the federal congress, or diet. The population., however, is increas- ' , .
?ng more rapidly in the cities than in th. country. 6 hopkeeper. and clerk, generally wear the native clothing,
ing mora ray j whlch congl8t8 of a divided skirt and a short kimono held in place
' I ooka Like Comio Onera f' ,a8h" T ,abortn!t men wear 10088 knee-breeches and a shirt
. . LOOKS Like bOmiO Upera ln warm weather; in cold weather they wear tight-fitting breeches
The stature of the Japanese is below that of the citizens pf the tDat reach t0 tho nkle n looae coat. In the country the .urn
United State, and northern Europe. The average telght of the men .me,PIlC a ,7 . vemore 8canty- 1 Baw number of men working
In the army U about five feet two Inches, and the average weight ,n t,neDeJTd wlt noth,nK hut a cloth about the loins, and It was
.'between 120 and 180 pounds. It looks like burlesque opera to .ee. ar,y la NoTeiab,r' wben 1 'und: light overcoat comfortable. . "
!aa ona doe. occasionally, two or three little Japanese soldier, guard- A P'P n a wooden case and a tobacco pouch are often carried .and of hbis wa have seen, scarcely a half doren have been err.
Ing a group of big. burly Russian prisoners. , in the belt, or sash, for .moking U almost universal among both ing. The younger children sometimes have the lower part of the
The opinion i. quite general that the habit which the Japanese men and women. nead BnaTedi leaving a cap of long hair on the crown of the head,
form from Infancy of sitting on the floor with their feet under them. Considerable latitude i. allowed ln foot wr. The leather .hoe Occasionally a spot I. shaved ln the center of this cap. After ses-
tanda to shorten the lower limbs. In all the schools the children ha. kept pace with the coat and vest, but where the native dresa 1. Ing the children on the streets, one can better appreciate the
cushion under the neck in order to keep the hair from becoming
dlsarrangod. The stores now have for sale air pillows, which are
more comfortable than the wooden ones formerly used. The vex
ing question of millinery is settled by dispensing with hats entirely.
Even among the poorer men the hat is seldom used.
More Interesting In appearance than either the men or women
are the children and I m?.y add that there Is no evidence of race
suicide In Jaran. They are to be seen everywhere, and a rood
natured lot they are. The babies are carried on the backs of the
mother", or an older child, and it is not unusual to see the baby fast
asleep, while the bearer goes about her work. Of the tens of thou-
Novelties ia Food Articles
As might be expected ln a seagirt land, tlsh, lobster, crab, shrimp,
etc.. take the place of meat, the fish being often served raw. As a
matter of fact. It Is sometlnies'brrdght to the table alive and carved
ln the presence of the guests. Sweet potatoes, pickled radishes,
mushrooms, seaweed, barley and fruit give variety to the diet. The .
radishes are white and enoimous in slae. I saw some which were
two feet lonr and two and a half Inches ln diameter. Another va
riety in conical In form, and six or eight Inches in diameter. I heard
of a kind of turnip that grows so large that two of them make a load
for the small Japanese horses. The chlckeu la found generally
throughout the country, but Is small like the fighting breeds or the
ITegborus. Ducks, ulso are plentiful. Milk is seldom used, except
(Continued on Page BixJ
