The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, November 26, 1894, Image 1

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Newspaper Page Text'Otih 'AW i ■. >InT > fe’Ufeil l ■ VOL. XN VII.—-NO. 4 s . CAPTAIS BILLY'S THAKKSGiVING By Harriet Prescott Spoffard. (Author of “The Amber Gods,” “Toe Thief in the Night,' Etc.) "B**. I'm nff," said the captain. ••Wind’s f*;r. an' tide’s flowin’. B.iin<- hi lined old *tery. ‘l* urge! Es I ain't tired carryin* d-a!> tj Dunstable! Itoird your sh:j>— guodby, your trip—how dy«io. Get your freight money. Take your ballast. Home again. Same •>!<! lights. S.iim- old rocks. &>n.e old harbors. Same add story.” ”Ban>e ol I wife." said l.ide archly, stand ing with him at the head of the little pier. , Kitty swinging back on on? of her hands and the baby on her other arm making her eheess ro-y with the slapping of his little hands. every now an i th-n staying the ex ercise to rub his sweet wet mou-li over the hel.i of operation. "Itear old wife!" sail Captain Billy. “But all the same, w t storm, dry storm. noth in’ happens. Not so much lu< k as a sight o' the Ely in' Dutchman—” "t»h. Billy!” said ins wife reprovingly, looking at the handsome s-a-tann-d sailor with grave and loving eyes. ”C»h, Billy, dear!" ••Why. it’d ; ~• mad adv nture, Ude. ter stay home a trip! J-s now. 100, an’ Tbankseivin’ cornin’.” And he looked half indignantly at the ITetty ‘’oil hanging on her cables and waiting tor him dawn the bay. "I do'no ex I’d mind it v.e straddled Norman’s Woe this v'yage, fee the sage •>' siithin's hap|H nin'! 'I hat is. es it twaint ter Thanksgivin* close here." •t»h. Cap'n Billy, dear!" said his wife. | taking the spray of red huckleb* try leaves from Kilty's hand, and pinning it on his I reefer. "Hot you talk! Ain't we been I i tha; kin* providence ter jos' this? Shan't | we be thankin' providence Thursday fort- i ' - r -- - , ■ - - - ' ■ t I *■ < I J * wX 4 -..-'-I-. 'S*; v-'s-^-S.'’’. -tsar', -~ ■ ~7 v 4 ‘ ''- ' I As He Cried: “Poll. Ahoy!" _.. ..f You're back sale? 1 guess Bf > ou n.t ei )>>uo -—•" . did tind yourself on t,»e ledge u •• •■ thought o* Kitty #n ~:' ’ ,l * , *.' u " \ou i remember sch words. it ■«!” >••• ;,u n-ed slirriu’ up a M* : £ f « ! iOS 1011, B’-%%, MB t*ih* .•••-’• . t «*h»>»n«T < tinluii*iiit . ar* ill •!!•* • . " -III* ■ *•* 1 ” -.- .. ... r -tn- s-f Un •< ’ Untiy < ll gu t*> the ittvMtrr an » n v us.’ ” . - 11* "Wat in th"’ worl-l >io I want to <■■■• ■ , . . ■or.’" said the blob little , '-■ ,U ‘‘ U L V n ...co day ■•' n.y life. *•’. e» ter the theater I y.-.i t t -.o' l-idies an high li:e. S’ wSo. T, "“'» 1 ” ' JU- sne ses ta- smgin> no diner*, lit from “ Avlh r”n‘>■»>«.•<> m >V/ K"«*‘ * a. Ir it’s diffluent from mini. J \n’ «ie •»“* f»ks ua,i l, “‘* r S° w, ‘ B s ‘ l " /./tn Vhcirhim.; f biting. 1 K«e-« Bibbsy 11 her all the „os -1 pel w >rds 1 want this run. . . I -You’ve K"t 8.b0.-y. sal-1 lade. laugh to . g a little aHXi Us.y withal. “I shuuidlll “ f ]. e give you ali ih stirrm up you •‘ u’ shmii ln't. eith. r. Tte 1.1 me I : n«« « 1 1 t * *** Il . t I •llll?“llf I I ’ III* I i.de Nor tne wind e:ib-r. .noils • /these dijs. out n the piny woods lib*. lei /<Ld-. hi’ Mi-e'l rs H l ~ * l g * tor '*• 5 " v * '■'* n / en<*uun ter Ih.iii* - •»» H' - /< Ulp l l t’e '* • coin ter bring V’’ bonte atu . » •• ; • an- a keg o' i’orlo 1U« rum a s H t sn ..- ms* ye know, wila a twinkh’. u them l.ng palm boughs »«■• stand in i:ie iron: .<um. an a ...ia ■•••• i .rraid sheii' :.ul jcs this on«- •• - ..... at lan k in down tlu mi I li« wars a ma.. to shoestrings. Wai. can t be help.xi. Tii.-re cm. the skin fer me. hl >ou aux gum aiubg. Ude •’AleT’ . "Wai. I don’t s>s- so- ••“’ »«“>•«»•>* never did feel so queer about k-avhi be- , 1 ’%!!. Billy r lade an-.-, red. with paling face. •■P’r’ai* it's a sign. Trap' su < is goln- ter but there-no-it eo.d in t be. V ’ lull.- "WaL you lek good van ~ . i -1 . X\ llLi-a-eu you f X '• • ft. . . •■ . -.■ •■ *“ You r, a h>i«*d »•. il.. An' mother s,-s ' tuo "si m< day 1 11 settle down ter hou-s' an* -tuy to home, you 1 »*“ yet- He* a I-g ' ‘“rk.y T..a.m-ni.-m' I d b«mi i *«n.e tix»n- w * . t-,. «« . Wai. - • Um<! ’ And Ji. . . ahi ’« ’ •*» lllilly thought J . v... was a prettier fcr, UfV , ,h “ ma with her ehil- Vnong MM X- < r ,- f’ » • I V , " h whistle, yet. long after lie was in de. p wa ter. with ail sail set. Cap'n Billy felt l.ide’s lips warm on his, felt the dear baby's soft ca.ek and Kitty's little arms about his ink. arms that "By < I-urge, it took strength ter undo, sir!” tt "Ti.-d in a trew lover's knot. I reckon, said the mate, as he gave up the wliecl. "You ain't got a wife, matey,” the cap n ans.v 11-i. "I'd recommend ye ter lay' off long enough ter git one. Ye won’t never lie half a man till y'e do" And then, reniem bianie of l.ide in a lavender muslin, w'th a I O | ... hit lilacs In h- ; hand. and h r rvi-t fa< e blushing out »l e straw bonnet with a wreath of green i-avis and white rili«ms. on their wedding day. tilled him with such happiness tlu.l h-» cam. near let ling the ship luff in the wind. Il a’i went ..s Cap’n Billy had said it would—smooth wa-er, clear sky. favoring winds, quick run; ami he made his port and discharged his cargo, ail as he had done be fore Kv n Biblisy afforded no variety; for tin cap'n took his little jug and emptied it overlxiaid as ~<*m as everything was sbipshaix'. paying no attention to Bibbsy s ejaculations which made the air blue about them there »> mg no iispect of |.ersons on board the 'Telly Coll, tor even if < ap it Billy was the own r, hadn't they all been at school together and given and taken many ~ thrashing. and hadn't they cut each other out 'a matter ol girls. : made their tirst Venturi s in company, and w is’t t one man : _ ; ;1S alloth-r down in Blackpool. and I wasn’t each one doing all he agreed to d ’i-.ui ! the cap'n had hei.rd Bibbay’s viluper- atioua Itefore, as they had never made a v. to: ether that this ceremony had not i lak, n pla<- . "Now. Bibbsy,” the eap'n ’ would say. •'bring on your ••11l be deedeed if I will!" Bibbsy would reply, with further ornamental ilourish of | th sort. i "B bbsy. of you don’t want ter be put in I ii-.iis i,.|- mutiny—•' tne <• ip’n would begin, j And then out <.f a sulphurous ••loud of w. Bibbsy would bi put in irons for murdei tlrst. he'd have the cip’n a"- , u su-d jor salt and batteiy if he touched him. he’d have him up for a theif if he we t near that jug. he’d send th ship Io ih. l .iti.m <pii« k as sinking! But the jug uui - led over the side, notw itstatiding, for Bibbsy s outcries and threats, wrapped in lil tI . and variegated language, were so lamili.tr as to give i.o one any concern. And through them all t'ap'n Hilly felt that • • for old day a acd certain other passages, and a spicies of faithfulness to himself, such as a dog ; ha?’ to his inast> r. So when everything wa ready the cap'll wa-nt to 80-ton for his freight money, and ; sa.d to some one in the oitiee there that ‘ altei all be gues-ed he shouldn't stay to | isiiut the town, there were plenty to do it 1 for him; he would yet b <ek to the schooner, I a.i ! home to I.,de at.d the children; he was • ~g a j;,y ofi ; t trip lor Thanksgiving. And lie showed a pair of little red shoes , that he had bought. And there he ilisaji j p< are.| -di*ap|>ei<r.-d as completely as it' he I bad i n. ,| and : olved into d w, and ' his freight mciiry with him. i lie Pretty I’,ll lay out in mid-st ream , ielow the iiunstabl, wharv-.s and beyond the lid, ! p. wllel'e the CUri’elll used to plow w <ll - 11. h tremendous velocity la-fore the <-h.innei was widened; and the tour men , w !io n ;.u.'|ed her wi’ist and came and thought th;- eap’n wa taking his time, l-.;t st. h u te ihe ••ap u’ iialnts that only Bibbsy .<< counted fol Ills absence by sur | nuse of any irregularity >f behavior. The ■ others were <ur,- lie ha I i-one down to see the <’ap- i d canal, o.- was looking up the [ command ot nome big ship, for there was I a general idea that Cup’i: Billy was one of I Un great navigators, and if he had the ■ idi i'. .• could handle a whole navy as ! eas.ly a- he e.-uld the Pretty Poll. And | only a ust .m house oiiieer. knowing tliat t'oi'n Billy had taken out hi papers i the day lie went t.. Boston, so that he Fight have n<« delay on his return, happeu- I to wmnhr what the ship was llnger • iug fur. and made noine inquiries, did j it dawn on the slow minds of the mate and th- men that something had g m wrung with the .-ap’n. and they t< le grauiie-l to th' utiice wher« he had received bis fr« ig.ht mon-y. and re|>orlrd to the po lice of I unstable and to the police of i;>st >•:. At the same tinn the harbor au t!i r; lies tiiok the matter in hand, and the ship was sea re a d. ami the mate ex i .<mimu; and th- local pa, ;■ made all there I was to make of the sensation; an J a diver j ■>■ work on the bridge went down and Idragg d the bottom round tiic ship. And although all sorts of susrdciens went to an. fro. nuthiiia wns uctuaily asserted ex- ATLANTA, GjL, MON DAT,NOVEMBER 26, 1894 m cept that neither Cap’n Billy, nor a trace | of him. was to be found; Had neither the , mate nor the men w -re detained, although there was a general feeling that they ought to be, and the men were mor' or less aw.ire of the ’feeling. And so. after a wet k of bewilderment and ft ar. the Pretty Poll shook out her sails and slipped down the Dunstable stream tor home. “Who’s guilt* ter tell Cap’n Billy’s wife— er widd r about this <re? Pretty Thanks givin’ site’s n-goin’ ter hev!” said the mate, as he cairn* up for his watch with Bibbsy. before the other men went below, on their last tack for home. "I’d be soil-domed if 1 can!” “I’ve wrote to her.” said Bibbsy, his chin upon his breast. •’You hev? By gosh!” ‘Tve wrote to her,” said Bibbsy, "that 1 gms.-; I’ap’n Billy’s a-havin’ the adventure he’s been wantin’. I ses to her. st s !, es she ken make it out that we wuz goin’ f r ter bring the Poll home without him. But es by good fortin’ lie ionic aboard last gasp, we’d run up ail the (tags from stem ter stern, so ’t sh d know ’thout more words. An' < z we ain’t a-t unnin’ up any flags there won’t le no need o' tollin' her nothin'.” And Bibbsy gazed over the blue water with h bl ; warn! ring bleary eyes that tna ia him 1 >ok like a ’ish out of his elcim nt, ami drew a long breath like the melancholy and mysterious sigh of the porpoise. 1 kind r think the cap'll ’ll turn up. Don't you’.”' he said presently, for the hundredth time. "No. I don’t.” said the mate, opening and shutting one thumb. "An 1 don't see u at in-wonder—that little woman's goin' ter do. She’s sot the hull durin' world by the cap’n, I mind w’en she first come ter the Poll, an' I see hi r. I couldn’t think of anythin’ hut a wild rose a-blowin’ ’th the dew on it. an’ I ain’t w’u ye might call a notional man pith r. I s’pose she’s got your letter. Bibbsy.” “I s’pose so,” grumbled Bibbsy. “I do’ ’no’ who’s goin’ ter face her, said the mate. "I '’an t keep her on the wind there!” "1 wouldn't," said t’harley Woods, giving the wheel a turn. "I wouldn't tor a faun. "An’ w’at’s goin’ to cotne of her?" said the mate. "Site can’t sell the Poll till let ters is took out. 'count o’ the children s rights; I do’no’ w’at < Ise she’s got. XMto s goin’ ter take care of her? "I s’pose I Shall have ter," said Bibbsy. “Guess we’ll all have ter chip in," said Bert. "Wai. I ain’t us folks.” said Bibbsy "Any way. I shell. I writ it in the letter." "Ah’ that’s only part of it. civ’ll miss him. By t’risk -y. 1 miss him myself." "Miss him like .” said Bibbs. "It’s ilrettte thin’.” said the mate shut ting his knife with a snap» "I kind.-r—l feel fer that little woman a-sittin’ out th. r. an' watehin' fer this here craft—ter -ec it she’s a-comin’ in bare top or all <lre- I out like a garding er Howers, you s sav. It'- -it’s it’s ■’ dr« tt’ • • Jt I i« i net. t*i she’s on the rocks cow u by t’e' pier, ’ith her baby in her arms, or es she’s I to home 'ith the spyglass oiit'n the upper i winder I do’ no’ i l<>’ no’ liow "<>h—oh—l I ea’an’t stand it!" lilubbered Itihbsy, with an outright baohoo. "I —I shan’t te. h mother glass o’ spTits s long ’s 1 live on this created .arth!” "I s’pose." said the mate, “she’ll drop right down’s 'f she wuz shot -dead taint or suthin’.” "She ain't no eeh peterin’ stuff ez that. I know her." said Bibbsy. "1 knowed li.T ’fer ever she come to the Pool. Slie'll jes shett her little m uith and go about her wtrk. You can't never mek her b’lieve Billy ain’t, a-coniin' back to her, an’ sin’ll keep thin’s taut ter him, an' be a-!<«>kin’ out ft r him ter come, es she lives . z. long ez M» thusalvni. Au’ she’ll hev Thanksgiv in’ dinner all ready, in case h ■ comes, any way. Thai’s her sort." "W’at in tliunder That ksgivin’s for this year, I’d like to know," cried the mute, “or any other year. Allu hurls <>• tr. i.bb. Alius brings yer troubles up like ghosts. Gre’t she’s got to keep That.ks givin' fer witchin’ out fer the schooner!" They liad never heard, the-e lough fel lows. of the <ld <ir clan king and his eager cutl >e k and rash sorrow. But no Aeg» us, watching from Ids rock for the sails of bis .-on. s’v uid lhey be white or black with tidings of life or death, had in him more tiogic quality than they found in l.ide, leching for the tt ig on their bare and fatal pe.:k. with her baby in her arms. "By th . > g", it’s a shame!" said the mate, op« ni’ig ’Hr knife again in a rei'kles i s.ptau d< ring of tobaeci,. "It hedn’t oiter be. I sw:.n I wish we wuz a week’s sail out, I it stel er close in shore. Make the light i now in it; ’b an hour, I guess. It gives u i man what’s that?" By the Lord!" '..ire.l Bibb y. Xo. no, ’ no, t didn’t! I swear it wasn’t me! oh. | by tin Lord God in heaven, fig's deal, he’s i dead, he's deau! It’s t'ap’n Billy '■ ghost!” "liu 10, th. .•<•! ileave u a line, will ye'.”’ 1 < l ied a voice like the wildest, richest mu p; -' ' s r M i t O L jmrPW i®* Thought there Never Was a Prettier Pic ture than Lyde and the Children. i s ic in their ears. And there, looking up from the strange boat under the weather b aril, was the hr. ad. brown face with the <it. p dimple in ;t and the Hash of while teeth, th- great bitt • eyes, the bright hair standing up like a nimbus, for his hat had blown off. the laughing countenance of i t’ap’n Billy. “Is this ’ere si direlek?” cried he. "i’ll bring it inter |K»rt an' claim salvage, then!" ! "It’s piracy on the high seas! That’s w’at it is. cap’n!” called the mate in a i )• nd and joyous voice. And without know ing it. that moment, in the hearts of all , t lose tu n. was a religious service. “Wai, wal. Wil.” said the mate. “Imre’s Thanks ' givin’ .'.lore- the gov’nor’s time for it." i Wh'-n ap’n Billy left the train tiiat un j Continu-.d on Second Column Second Page. 1 THE NEW JAPAN. ii o.v/yfKr •;/. dr.txvi Acrvnixn i>e t'KioruEXTor rut; ,jAr.is HOW THEY RUN THEIR RAILROADS Uncle Sum nnd John Bull in th" Far East Why England Wants to Stop the War-The "Helion Girls” of Japan. (Copyrighted, IS9I. by Frank G. Carpenter.) The 1 wonderful advancement wht< - h Japan has made in military matters is surprising the world. Tlie advancement which she is i -o making in manufacturing is not so MW I fey F A A .\ JAP \ N ESE Nl'. WSI SO Y. By Native Artist. well know. Her army has whipped the Chinese. Her laborers promise to beat the whole world in turning out new goods and good goods. I spent some weeks among her factories last summer, and I found rinokestaeks going tip all over tlie empire. Th.- city of Osaka is nearly as big as Chi cago, and it is the Pittsburg of Japan, it has aliout i million people and it is a great business and manufacturing center, it has always been noted for its factories, bi.t within the past ten years it has been li reducing modern machinery, and, as I told you in my talk with Count Ito. it has now forty-six cotton mills, with spin- dles. N? w machinery Is being put in every <■ \v, and by the end of tills y ear d is thought that the number of spindles will be n ore than 1.000.U0d. and it may- y t be • hie;' exporter of eottoi to China. India 4 v e ’pt ' c , n-.'.-e ar»* tlie grea?'-;t colorists ol the worm. They tire a nation of artists, and they can make designs which we cannot produce. Already they are shipping a great amount of cotton hen-, and we are now buying Japanese rugs by the millions of yaids every year. A great tleal of tile co;*;*n used *n tin' Japanese mills is of Ann rit an growth, and I was told in Yokohama that Japan used $1 l.fHfijMin worth of American cotton every year. I asked our consul general how this could be when we sold only about s3,tio UWO worth of goods to Japan yearly. He replied: "I will tell you. It conies through Eng land. Just think of it! Fourteen million dollars’ wortli of our taw cotton is used here < very year and England gets a profit out of the sale. \Ve first ship it to Liver pool, and it is then sent here via the Suez canal. I thought to come direct from Amer ica. and <>ur trunk lines could make a good thing n they would cut down their freight rates low enough to compete with England. If uid have this cotton sent direct we would have tlie balance of the Japanese trade, and, as it is, England gets the bulk of it.” “How milch i?o we buy from Jauan every' year’.'" I asked. “About ¥1 .."oo.ono,” was the reply. “How much doi’S England buy?" “About $3,000,000." "How mu h does she sell to Japan?” "About $17,000,000, nun foiirt< eti million dollars’ worth of this is American cotton. You s< «', Japan has to have th» American cotton. Tite India and I'ltincse cottons ;!<■ short staple, ami the best long staple cotton I'onies from the I'nited Stutts. \Ve ought to have the trade.” How England Fights for Foreign Trude. England is very anxious to I’ave tlie i tilled States ami th. other countries of Europe act as tlie eat ; by which John Bull as the monkey pulls his commercial chest nuts out of tin" CeleSt al lire. Chua has a foreign trade of about $:!•«•.•hh».«k'«» a yetir, a:. I England gets the bulk of it. It natural ly does not like to see this paralyzed by tlie war. and it will b>- very glad if I’nele S;.m <>r the ilussian bear will step in and quiet matters for it. As far as commercial matters are concerned, it is the hog of the far east, and the business methods of some of its people are by no means so clean us. they might be. Utir u» the meanest tricks upon rec ttd—and this is upon record -oc curred in Yokohama shortly before I arriv ed there. It was in connection with a con tract lor raii;oa<l locomotives. The Japa nese are very friendly to the i’nited States, ami the government, when it. found that it had to have new engines, sent word to our consiilate ami asked that s <nie of out engine building lit ms would compete. This request was forwarded to America, ami one of our chief establishment sent a loco motive to Tokio. There was to be a com petitive test of the English and American engines, and on the day before this was to take place the Americans tried their !•> conioti ve ami it ran very well It was oiled ami put into thorough shape, but not thrinking tiiat they were dealing with a set of professional rae.-course sharpers, the Aiiiet icans failed to leave a jockey engineer to sleep the night previous to the race with their iron horse. The next morning, however, for some reason or other—l can’t tell why—they concluded to give the engine oik more trial before entering the nice. They f!rM up and turned on the steam. There was a grating and crashing and the engine stopped. I’pon examination it w.a found that tlie engine had been tampered with, and that a nut, which was of such a nature tiiat it could have cotne from no other source than front the English com petitors, had been placed In one of the valves. They found other things misplac ed, but fortunately were able to get tlie locomotive into fairly good shape befoiT the trial, and half-crippied as she was, they beat the English. The I'nited States would have got the contract, but on figuring the lowest price, including the heavy freight rate across the I'nited States, the builders found that they could not compete as to pne-s, "mi tlie difference was so great that tho ’Tnglish got the contract. How Grout Britutn "llog«ed" ttiir I’cOsent to Jnpan. Speaking of the English, the new pier which is now being built at Yokohama, and which, I am told, is of no earthly good, is an instance of their hoggishness and un adulterated cheek. The storv o'' this pier dates back to the light at the Shimonoseki straits in 1563, in which our gunboat, the Wyoming, was blown up. Foreign vessels had been w,trued to keep out, and some of th*’ old Dainiios had concluded to shell all foreign ships coming through these straits, and there was a French ship and a Dutch one also fired upon. The combined fleets •of America, France, Holland ami Great Britain then attacked the forts and si lenced them. Not a single British ship was injured, but in the settlement of the case Great Britain said she must have a part of the indemnity, which amounted to some thing like Jil.lMHi.ix.-". This was divided equal ly among the four powers, but the de mand was contrary to international law, and the L'nitcd States, feeling that it was an unjust one, by an act of congress gave back the seven hundred and eighty odd thousand dollars to Japan. England, which had not been injured at ;Jl, k-pt its money, as did also Frame and Holland. Japan, in taking back the money from the United States, felt, of course, very grate ful. but said tiiat she would like to put it into some memorial repre'sentaiive of the kindness of the I'nited States, and an at tempt was made through m American connected with the foreign tttive tn Japan to have congress endow a hospital or a school or something of that kind in Tokio, which should be known as the American school. This was not done, however, and Japan was told to use it as she pleased. Here John Bull got in his tine wotk. He had the hulk of the shipping. and he thought a big breakwater or pier sit Yoko hama would be si good tiling for his ships, and if it u.is made by English contractors it wouhl put money Into his people's pock ets. How it was done I do not know, but tlie English got the Japanese government to <levote ibis money to building that Yoko hama pier, ami tlie contract was given to an Englishman, and now that it is ;<i>out e..;npiete<l it is found to be of r. • g«»od whatsoever. Al the same time John Bull is jingling tlie seven hundred and eighty odd thousand dollars in his pickets and is sending over some of tiie remains of his surplus to buy the bonds which we ar - compelled to issue 'to support our reserve in the treasury d partment. < >h. he's a nice philanthropist, he is! Itemember, how strongly he came in on the opium deal with China! And remember—but t tun writing about Japan. Jo p.*i ti<-sc Itiiit ron(ls. Speaking of locomotives, there is a won derful railroad <1 velopincnt going on in Japan. New roads are b ing extended in every direction, ami with tlie in.i rnnity Ry '. lr • I i Vx ; SECOND CLASS BASSENGEHS. which the country will probably get from tlie Chinese there will l>e tin enormous inei 'nse in all kinds of public improve ments. During my stay in Japan I met many of the chief railroad men of the country, ami I was told that the revenues of nearly every railroad there are ii.- •r‘using. The government reads gav- a net protit of more than 'twin D'.3. and the increase in passenger receipts over tile year preceding was mole than s::<Ht.i*Ni. 'i'lu'r • v.ts an increase of sPhi.<hhi in freight receipts, and this was an in <•!■< use <>» more than il p« r <<nt. Tit i re is a lin ■ running from th- capita), Tokio, to Yokohama, the chief seapo't. M.aich itas trains every lion-, and these are as well run as those i,etwee:t Philadelphia ami New York. Th. pass< ager receipts on this road increased K> per cent las; year, and on tlie main line, which runs from the capital to western Japan, there was an in crease of l."i per vent. Th" Japan sto k is not watered, as ours is. and there is no cutting of rates. Th" only thing that pays a profit to tlie I’nite i States government is tile patent otlicV. We are losing millions now on our postoflii e -oiitraets. Japan is making money <>'t everything, and n has ns cheap postal rates and tclegrapii rates as we have. Nearly all the railroad sta tions hav< telephoiHs or block signaling irr — j j ■ ..a* . v».. a.. ■ *”. ~ • !•* fe. - THIRD CLASS PASSENGERS. instruments. All have telegraph stations, ami they carried last year nearly messages. ThHr railvays are of English construction, with one single exception. This is a line -’" ,l miles long, which runs through the island of Yezo. and which was built by American enginetrs with Ameri can rolling stock, it was opened in IXS>) am! it is. i am told, paving very w 11. The Japanese are now going to make their own engines. Th*'.v have works at Tokio and Kobe, and they have been building freight and passenger cars for some time. I am tohl that fifty new railways are contem plated, an<l that th- charters for these have been applied for, and a number of them already granted. A Bide on « Jnpniiene Kailrond. The Japanese cars have three classes— PRICE FIVE CENTS first, second and third. Tlie first class is almost altogether like the English coaches, except that you enter at the end instead of at tlie side of the ears. The cars tire di vided un into compartments, with doors running through them. The first-class fare is about cents per mil- . The second class 2 cents per mile, tend the third-class 1 cent per mile. All these fares are in sil ver, which is just half the amount figune! in American money, so that Japan has about the cheapest fares in the world. The second-class cars are for all the world like an American street car, with wide cush« - l’t»ST OFFICE IN TOKIO. ions running under tin* windows. They ar< well upholstered and very comfortable. They ar" seldom filled, and are us* <l largely by tit- Well-to-do Japanese. There are doors at the side, near the end, ar.d the-e open directly on to the stations and not on to a vestibule as with ns. You find ail class-.s within them, tnd you may ride for hours with pretty Japanese girls, Buddhist priests and th'j thousand and one charac ters which make up tlie life of Japan. Many of the Japanese women squat on the seats, tucking their long gowns under their knees and exposing about an inch or two of bar** skin between their little Toot mittens and their kimono:'. You meet many Japs in European clothes, and now and then on- will take off his Japanese clothes, pul) a foreign suit out of his bag and dress in the car right before your eyes. No one ptiys any attention, nor seems to think it strange. The Tl>ird-< lass Cars. The third-< lass cars are uncushioned, and tbey are filled with tlie poorer classes who trot through tlie stations in clogs, many of th< in having their dresses pulled up to their knees. They carry their baggage on their backs ami push ami crowd in. They patron ize tlie station restaurants, and every time the train stops there are peddlers of cookies and lea who come to lite car windows. You buy all sorts <>f focal very cheap, and you can get a teapot of Japanese lea. with a teacup on top. anywhere. I renumber rid ing one day with Mr. John \V. Thompsr a Washington banker, an I v hen the he • for lum-h cam • we com lu fed to buy two |‘ • 511 <e..<s He look* ,i Sather 'a- , thought 1 had not given him enough an<Jj was about to hand him out more, when, t<y our surprise, lie gave me back 5 cents anf’ our guide told us that we were to keep th pots and the cups. This was two teapov two cups and aliout one qu rt of tea f>- th? sum of .”> cents, or for -G cents in Amer ican money. Such a teapot at home would cost al least 2.1 cents, and the ether tilings were proportionately cheap. There is no place in tlie world where you can trav*-' better and mon* cheaply than in Japan, ami then is no place where you get so much for the money. There are good hotels every where, and th? best hotels in Tokio. Yo kohama and Kobe. The hotel rates at th r best houses are from $• to $5 a day in silver, which is ju'st half those amounts when re duced to American money. Clothes and oth er things are proportionately ch* ap and carriages—you may ride about, you know, in jinrikishas— cost you from 1" to 15 cents an hour. Ja pun's Post a I System. Speaking of Japan’s postal system, th* people ar.- as great letter writers as any you will find in the world, and they use the postofliee ami telegraph freely. You mist remem’iH'r they had no postal system what Ver about twenty years ago. Stiii. they carried last yc?r over letters and more than .«>. ? ').<>•'} r.ew.*-p.ipe l- s. while ,'i.ini.trM books .\< r<- sent through the mails. They have a mon y order syst in. ar.d they make fiostal cards much c.u ap« r than w« do. They make their <>wn postage stamp.- and they <l<> the postal work of the east coast of Asia, if you wish to send letters from Shanghai. China, vott put Japanese stamps <>n them or you did lienor • the war b* gan and th •> h.i I also their postufii-es in Corea. Their mail- are as safe as ours, and it is an interesting thing to know that th ir postal service was mo !eled after that of the I'nited States. It was foun*i*‘d iy Mr. Samuel Bryan ol Washington who left I lie postortiee department here to go to Japan tor that ptirpos.. He did a good job. ami Ameii. a !m> r- t-on to be prott I of the work The "Hell, i Girls” of Japan. J ipau has li w a number of "hello* girls." and in ' * tit;: !’’ station at Tokio I saw about fifty of them, with black rub'oer re*’eivers about their ears, screeching J tp anese answers over the wire. The tele graph sjstetn is also growing, and Japan Sent last year inure than aJXXt.tMW teiegrapit ii-pat.-b.-s. The co mt j i>. in fa t, gt >■*•.- ing so fast tiiat il is nnrossibi * to keep track of it. ami it publishes r- w almost as m any new-p q* r- as we .b*. in proportion to its people. Ti’.ere ,i'c mot ' than 2W’ dif fered Journals puidish* I in Tokio abac, and Japan issues nor - than <.u,»?.>»*" copies of ne’.vspapers a year. l-.vet? one leads , . a m n puli pap-is u-.it es their pm-k-ts and sit down ami read while I went in to make a call. The newspapets pay fairly well, ■in.i they are cit - -dated by newsboys, who go about witli bells iii their hands, which they ring as they call out the names of their journals. Nearly every paper lias h.*<i one or mere correspondents in Corea, and nearly ail of them have had illustrations by their special artists on the ground. Some of their artists command very high prices, ami I have hail dlustrations for my letters ma.l ■ by the best of them. They have their reporters everywhere, and 1 was in terviewed a dozen times -luring my stay in Japan, and 1 met a number of the edi tor-* The government has, however, had a very rigid censorship of the press during the present war. ami a nnnilter of the pa pers have been warn-d that they would he suspended if they made premature reports. Editors are n w punished nearly every day, and the leal nain.s of the editors do not appear in the papers. The nam*s which are published as those of the editors rep resent poor scribblers, who are paid from s■>" to *«i a month, ami who exnect to taka the blame if the pip-"' gets into trouble. They are ready to be dragged off to prison ami serve cut any sentence that the court may impose upon them for the improper statements published by the papers, ami, prov'ded their salaries go on. they don’t care how long their sentences last iUAA* u. v.ARrENTSR,

Georgia Historic Newspapers

The Atlanta constitution. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, November 26, 1894, Image 1