The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, April 26, 1896, Page 27

THE SAN FRANCISCO CALL, DAY, APRIL 26, 1896. 27 th Qj\i rAndSe Harson: A R A e A A A AP R ANY old skippers say that San Fraucisco harbor is one of the easiest in the world to get into at night, notwithstanding that the entrance is only a little over amile wide. Thisis due to the fact that nature has created a deep channel in such & position that it can be readily located by the lighthouses on shore. From the deck of a vessel just outsiae the bar six lights can be seen, but only two of them are actually used to guide vessels to port. They are known as range lights. One is on Fort Point, close to the Pacific, and other on Alcatraz Island, two miles almost due east and within San F co Bay. So that they can be told on a dark night the ap former is a red and white flash and the latter a steady white light. Their posi- tion is such that no sel can enter the harbor at night without taking bearings on them. When a vessel from the west is making for this port her capta after passing the Farallones, first lo the whistling buoy, hored out on the bar. From thal position be will have Fort Pointand Alcatraz lights in line. He will then steer in & course bearing toward the southern end of Angel Island until he has Fort Point light on his starboard bow. If the captain wants to anchor in the roadway he will then steer direct for Alcatraz light nd drop anchor when be reaches the de- ed spot. If he wishes td anchor in front of the City he steers so_as to pass close to Alcatraz on the port side. Vessels coming up the coast from the DanGe Z & jitd plane of Alcatraz light is 166 feet above sea level and covers the whole horizon. . Since the Alcatraz light has been in ex- istence all sorts of oil have been used, and the lens attachments have been chanzed over and over again to adapt them to the different lamps. At present the lamp burns mineral oil, which is supoplied to the Wwick from a reservoir and regulated by & float feed attachment. The lamp-cleaning room is just beneath the lantern. Every- thinz about the place is asclean and as orderly as possible. All of the brasswork shines like gold, and the different tools and material are stored in the most or- derly manner. Alcatraz Island is also supplied with a fog signal. Itislocated at the base of the cliff on the southern end of the island, and is reached by a flight of steps. The bell is operated by a machine that will run four hours with one_ winding. Fogs are fre- quent at Alcatraz, and the bell will often be kept going day and night. Alcatraz Islard lightuouse is in charge of Captain Leeds. He has held the posi- tion for ten years, and done a great deal of work in the way of improving things around the house. He had built several additional rooms to the building and modernized the old ones. He also con- structed a wall about two feet high around the bouse. This he filled with good, rich soil and planted flowers and trees on it. All bhave done well, and they present a neat and pretty appearance. Captain Leeds is given only one assistant, C. En- gelbrecht. They divide the night into two watches, changing at 12 o’colck, and al- south shape their course for Point Bonita lignthouse until they have Fort Point and ternately take the first half of the night. Captain Leeds is an old sailor and sol- ALCATRAZ ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE. [Drawn from a photograph.} Alcatraz lights in Iine and then steer the same as vessels from the west. Vessels from the north pass Point Bonita on the port side and steer for Pigeon Point until they have the range iights in line and then enter the barbor the same as all others. In the” daytime vessels from the north change their course as soon as the north- ern end of Goat Island comes In view in- stead of going south until they have the range lights 1n line. But vesseis from the west and south take their bearings the same as at night. It might seem difficult todeciae whether the Fort Point or the Alcatraz Island light was the most important to navigation, as both are now used together and each seems B0 necessary to the other. But there was a time when vessels entering the harbor had only one light to take bearings enand that was on Alcatraz Island, In fact Alcatraz has always been considered one of the most important stations on the coast, while Fort }’oim, ¥as erected many years later and cannot safely be used in- dependently if an_\‘ihinfi: should happen and the Alcatraz Island light fail to show. There is little doubt, however, but that regular ocean traveiers would consider the Fort Point light as the most important, It is different from most lights and after a long voyage the first sight of it makes one feel that he was almost safe in port and the red and white rays seem to be flashing a welcome home. The history of the Alcatraz Island light- house begins as far back as1852. In that year the Government commenced work on the buildings that at present crown the summit of the island and in the yvear fol- lowing the lamp was first lighted. At that timeit was theonly lighthouse in the bay. Itsvposition was most advantageous and bad there been no Alcatraz Island some sort of expensive structure would have bad to have been erected. Practically no changes have been made 1n either huilding or tower, so that the Al- catraz Island lightbouse looks the same to-day as it did forty-three vears ago. But the surroundings have of course altered. In the old days it was nothiug but a bar- ren rock and the keepers used to bave to 0 to the mainland for drinking water. i‘ow the whole island is covered with frowning military structures and gardens have been coaxed into existence in many places, Itis not an easy matter to reach Alca- traz Island lighthouse. The first obstacle will be a few military formalities, as no- body is allowed to land on the island without having first obtaired permission of the officer in charge. given unless the person is. known or has the indorsement of somebody in the ser- vice. Having reached the island there is a long climb to the top, which is 130 feet above high tide. The road makes several turns around the hill, so that tie distance is close on to a quarter of a mile. The Alcatra: ?sland lighthouse consists of a stone tower forty feet high, with a keeper’s residence of the same material built around it. The walls of thestructure are about two feet thick, stuccoed and painted a pure white. The lantern is reached by a spiral stairway in the tower. Alcatraz Island station is of the third order and has one of the finest lcnses ever | built. It was made by Sautter & Co. of | Paris, France, in 1852, under the direction of Thomas Corwin. The glass used is most peculiar, as it is so soit that a pocket-knife will cut it. The advantage of this glass is its remarkable clearness, With a seventy- four candle-power Funk lamp the light can be seen nineteen miles at sea, while Point Bonita, which has nearly double the candle power and an ordinary lens, can be scen only seventeen miles. The reason | more of these lenses are not used is on ac- count of Lhe cost. Alcatraz Island lenses | cost $5000, and at the same rate a first- | class lens like Point Bonita wouid cost in This will not be | dier. He first came to San Francisco when a boy in the ship Flying Cloud. Later he served in the civil war and acted as first mate on several vessels. His career was an unfortunate one, as he was cap- tured and wounded several times. He has been in the Tighthouse service about | twenty years, having had charge of Pigeon Point and other stations before coming to Alcatraz. The Fort Point light was not built until 1875, or twenty-two years after the one on Alcatraz Island. It is on top of one of the old watch towers of the fort, and is reached by a bridge that spans the space between the cliff where the keepers’ residences are located and the parapet of the fort. It 1s not a pleasant place to live, as the wind blows nearly all the time and often makes it dangerous to go from the residences to the light-tower. There is really no lighthouse about the Fort Point station, as the whoie structure is nothing more than a skeleton-tower with a lantern on top. It is about twenty feet above the top of the fort and reached by a spiral stairway. Itisall made of iron and perfectly firm and solid. | Fort Point light is of the fourth order, Captain Leeds, Keepcr of Alcatraz Island Lighthouse. [Drawn from @ photograph.} showing a steady white light one minute, followed by four red flashes. The metho of producing the white light and flashes is very simple. The lenses and lamp arelike all other fourth order lights, with the ad- dition of a piece of mechanism that turns them around once in every two minutes. One-half of the lens is left open and the other half has four pieces of fiat red glass laced against it. These are placed side Ey side 80 as to fill the space and at such angles as conform to the arc of the lens. 8trictly speaking, there is no red flash, but the effect is produced by the light that passes through the lens striking the flat red glass, which collects the rays and pro- jects them in a siraight line. Asa=acon- sequence there are four rays of red light with three unilluminated spaces between them. When the eve of a person comes within the focal-plane of any of the red glasses he will see the ray for the inter- val it is projected in his direction, which the lenses 1s almost exactly like one of the old-fashioned weight clocks with a large cog geared into a wheel that corresponds to the escapement. There is also a small fog-bell at Fort Point, It is located in front of a vport- hole, through which the keepers must climb to attend to it. It is operated by weights and will run about four hours with one winding. James Ramkin is in charge at the Fort Point light station. He is_the only man ‘who has ever beld the position, as he took charge when it was first lighted, twenty years ago. % [All communications concerning whist, an- swers to- problems, etc., should be addressed Whist Editor,” CaLL, City.) Quite a nice showing for a club only six months old. ‘When the ‘“Code of Laws” is revised at the next congress in Brooklyn, as it prob- ably will be, we suggest the insertion of the following: ‘‘Whoever shall by word or gesmre show hisapproval or disapproval of is partner’s mode of play during the deal, or make any remark,or ask any question not allowed by the laws of whist, shall forfeit one trick; either to_be added to the ad- versaries’ score or deducted from his own at their option. At progressive duplicate ::kbe"dedncted after the averages are en. The directors of the American Whist League have just issued a new schedule score card for team play between clubs which is intended to prevent mistakes in scoring or placine of the players, in 24 or 48 deals. It shows the exact position of each player for every deal. The score is kept by one side only, north, and attested by the adversary, east. Samples of these cards will be sent to all our whist readers upon application to our Whist Editor. 2. C. Howell, a great whist mathema- tician of Boston, will make his mark in the whist world some day that will be sec- ond to none in this country—or any other for that matter. He is just now engaged 1t is not always the best argument to theorize on plays in whist that should or should not be made, to convince the be- ginner. or skeptic. When you can givea practical illustration of a play the argu- ment has more force, more conviction. For this reason we will try and demon- strate to our whist readers why and under what conditions the orginal leader is justi- fied in calling for trumps in making his opening lead, and where it is conducive to trick-winning. A few weeks ago the San Francisco Whist Club played a challenge match against the Oakland Whist Club for the Rideout trophy. A few of the deals as vlayed by both club will be discussed from time to time in our whist column, and from the deals that were played in this match we select one that is a beautiful illustration of what we propose to show. Itis DEAL 26, 8—1.7, 8. Q, H.—A, Q9. C—K. Queen of spades, tramps. - South to lead. ‘We give below the original and overlay of this deal exactly as the cards were played by each team. It is interesting to note the great variety of play. The same card did not win the same trick twice dur- ing the ‘‘overplay”’ of this entire deal. TABLE NO. 1. [The winning cara is underscored.] San Francisco—North and South. Oakland—East and West. Tric} South. North. 1 : 8. BCORE: San Francisco—North and South, 11. Oakland—East and West, 2. TABLE No. 2. From table No. 1 this hand was passed to table No. 2 and overplayved. The posi- tions and players are as follows: © Oakland—North and South. San Francisco—East and West. South leads as before. ick.. South. West. North. B.-7. San Francisco—East and West, 4. The way this hand should have heen played, had either of the clubs adopted the above “irregular lead,” to call for trumps through an honor turned, is as foliows: South should have led the nine of dia- monds. West’s and East's holding in _the suit keeps them in the dark aboutthelead being “irregular,” but North knows the situation as soon as South places his card (the nine) on the table. West munst cover with the king, and would without doubt open from his heart suit of five cards rather than his four-card suit of clubs, with the major ‘‘tenace.” North should take nochances on the trick, put up his ace (hearts being led), lead jack of (trumps) spades, and North and South make eleven tricks. If West opens the club suic instead of the heart, the result will be the same; North and South will win eleven tricks. Tt is barely possible some of our readers may not know what is meant by an “irreg- ular lead,” if so, we will explain it again. We are, of course, speaking of the original lead or opening play of the deal. A “regular lead” consists in selecting the correct card from the suit you lead from, conforming to all recognized whist authority, which is always absolutely es- sential to good whist. And an “irregular produces the effect of a flash. But thered rays are always beiug . projected to some point of the horizon, and if a person could follow them around he would see only one steady red ray. The lenses, mechanism and lantern were all manufactured by Henry Lepaute in the neighborhood of $20,000. The focal Paris, France. The mechanism that turns lead” is selecting a card that says the op- posite, or words to that effect, such as, “Partner, I have not got the cards in my hand that my lead indicates.” As we said last week, this play has been in use, like a great many others not practiced here yet, for several years. Some of them we in- tend to give to our whist readers in the very near future. ANSWERS TO QUERIES. “Calling for tramps,” known in England for vears as the “Elue Peter,” was first promulgated to the whist world by.| Crelebs in 1858. Nothing in the game of whist is so much abused.” It is practiced more by novices than good players., Ex- perts rarely have occasion to use it. Be- fore this introduction of ‘“ecalling for trumps’’ the sama play was made to show partner thev were out of the snit ana de- sired to “ruff.”’ Yes. The suits in whist have for nearly fifty vears been mentioned in the follow- ing order: Spades, hearts, clubs and dia- monds. We understand there is a scheme on ioot now to have a tournament between the Pacific Coast Whist Association clubs some time in the near future, to play a rfggln schedule of games between each club. ‘‘Petaluma”—We would return the suit (diamonds) and take chances oi forcing the strong trump hand. No—You must know the leads. No mat- ter how simple we try to write our whist articles, without you learn the first letter of the whist alphabet—the correct leads from every possible combination of cards— vou will have the same difficulty. Study just a little, do. WHISTLETS. The Trist Duplicate Wkist Club gave their usual monthly entertainment in their clubrooms last evening. It consisted in playing twenty deals of progressive straight whist, under the new “Trist Club system.” Then the general distribution of prizes won during the month took place, after which refreshments were served by the ladies. The treasurer's re- port was read, which stated that the club was not only entirely out of debt but had between two and three hundred dollars in the treasury, and during the month twenty-one new members bad come in. on something new in whist that will be ready for the Brooklyn congress. Vogue, a New York weekly society jour- nal, devotes a double page to a beautiful drawing of the interior of the New York ladies’whist club rooms, filled with fashion and beauty, at the silent game. Miss Ger- trude Clapp, the well-known whist teacher, has charge of the whist department in that journal. Tre CALL suggests to the tournament committee in charge of affairs at the com- ing Brooklyn congress to have a progres- sive straight duplicate compass whist match for the development of ‘‘new whist fads.” Have it continue the whole week, and allow none to enter tais contest except those who have not graduated from the school called ‘‘Monkeying; or, Catch-as- Catch-Can.” Why don't whist players and writers adopt the custom of saying, north and south against east and west, and when a deal at whist is being demonstrated use the points of the compass instead of A. B. against Y. Z. or C. D. We would gc fur- ther and say the leader or dealer shouid always be placed south. General A. W. Drayson, in a letter to the London Field of April4, suys: “if whist is to be made more a game of skill than it is honors should bestruck out from the score. But nine-tenths of the men (in England) who play what thev call whist do so as a gambling business. They care little for the science of the game.” Healso says the American code of laws is far more clear and simple than the English code. ‘We'll convert them yet. PROBLEM X0, 5. 87, 4, 2. -4, K,Q, 7,38, 10.3. €, 5, 8-8,6,5 H-109,7,6,5 C-K, 6 | D=3/10,8 D- x,%.'l. 6,4,3 Nine of spades trumps. South to lead, We will give a whist book to the first one that sends us the number of tricks that North.and South can make playing this hand as you please, all cards exposed or otherwise. THE SONG I SANG FOR YOU. I sang for you one early morn When leaves with dew were wet. Though vears have passed that simple song Rings In my memory vet: You were my little queen of flowers, £ lay low at your feet, And crowned you with a diadem Of blossums air and sweet. 1 sang for you one afternoon, A bird sang overheac HIS letter is not from a ‘“‘corre- spondent,” and is written only because I find in Japan some- thing interesting to the ladies of 8San Francisco, which they are not likely to know unless I tell it to them. But first let me preface this pleasant duty by a few remarks. I will assume—though perhaps I should not—that not every woman knows that there are only four open ports in Japan where any one may live at ‘lee.suro' and that outside of these one must have the permission of the Gov- ernment, or be in the employ of a Jap- anese. For this reason globe-trotters and newspaper writers acquire comparatively little knowledge of the peovle or country, their books and letters being made up as they meditatively stroll through the cor- ridors or loll upon the verandas of the large hotels in the ‘““concession,” or foreign quarter, soothed into an imaginative mood by a mild cigar. The concession of Tokio gives no hint of Japanese life, being in all respects a modern town, with houses in foreign style, well-paved streets,igas lighting and all the concomitants of another civiliza- tion than thatof the Orient. One hears here the same denunciation of “‘the times’” and complaint about the depression in silver which people at home indulge 1n. | i eflmuw‘\&@]\‘ Q HEL it B i eetescescssse. have been here, constantly engaged in active work for the benefit of the women of Japan, a work of which we never tire, so interesting we find it. Not that we see | such great results, but that we have faith to believe that time will bring results that now we only dream of. Japanese women only need to have opportunities given them to do every kind of good work, but they have been hampered for centuries, and it is very hard to rise out of bondage. It is not considered etiguette for a lady of rank to talk above her breath, and only at rare intervals, and our constant chatter is really very ill-bred to them. I have yet to see a Japanese lady whose manners” were not dignified and elegant, but we have been most fortunate, being received into the very highest official society. While at the school we were presented to the Em- press, and received a special message from her own lips, a compliment for which we have reason to be grateful.” Ifound my friends occupying a small, comfortable *‘foreign” house in the native town. They go to church and visit ip the concession, but are always glad to get back to their home among the Japanese. It is situated on a hill overlooking a large plein nhlled with native houses. In full view across the bay are the palaces of the Emperor and Empress, surrounded by bighly cultivated grounds. Each morn- ing their eyes are gladdened with a view of the rose-tipped apex of Fujiyama, and every evening they enjoy the view of a sunset behind the snow-tipped summits of the blue Hakone range on the opposite side of the valley. A woman cook to sweep and pull their jinrickisha, a seamstress and an interpreter constitute the family of servants, Two afternoons of the week, L am in- formed, two young gentlemen come in for conversation lessons and to dine. This gives them a knowledge of foreign man- ners. On two other evenings two other Like our cities, the port of Tokio has a gentiemen with the same intentcome to * Your song is far the sweeter song,” Those were the words you sald: T wooed you for my boniie bride, Yon gave vour heart and hand. And forth we wandered arm in srm. ‘Across the twillght land. 1 sang for you one starless night: My tears fell like the rain: You bade me sing “Abide with me,” T did not end-the strain: You closed your eves, and 1o, y our ears With angel music rang! 1 wonder if you e'er recall The earthly songs I sang! CLARENCE URMY, AN UNPLEASANT JOB, Bob Crawford’s Peculiar and Disagree=~ able Means of Earning a Livelihood. The last two years of hard times bave developed a large number of peculiar methods of making a living among the poorer population of this City. One of the queerest of these has been adopted by old Bob Crawford, who manages to get a liv- ing out of the bottom of the channel by fishing for things that have been lost over- board from vessels. Itisa most undesir- able job and brings in the smallest kind of an income, but Bob sticks to it on account of its delightiul uncertainty. Bob can be seen on the wharf along the side of the channel almost any day keep- ing his eye on the different vessels. As soon as one of them leaves her berth Bob watches the place until the tide goes down and then climbs under the wharf and commences to “fish.” He uses a rake of his own manufacture that hasa long handle and teeth very close together. ‘With this he scratches around in the foul- smelling black ooze and if it strikes any Crawford Scouring the Channel for Lost Articles. [From a sketeh.] sort of a hard substance it is soon lifted to the surface. Sometimes he only gets a teaspoon or an old knife, and sometimes not even that. But there are occasions when he findssuch things as hammers, chisels, saws and other tools that have been dropped by men working on the side of the craft. Bob will stick to anything he can get, if it's only a rusty nail. 3 In addition to obtaining lost articles, Bob often gets a good-sized crab.or an oyster that has fallen overboard from the schooners of the Morgan Oyster Company, and he does not take long to swallow it. He has been around the channel wharves for over a year, and the only money he has been known to earn was 25 cents, which a captain gave him for finding a copper saucepan & cook had lost over- poard. e Of all countries in the world, save China, labor is probably cheapest in India, where the wages of the laboring classes average something like 3}¢ vence a day. A fairly skilied jourpeyman can earn about 12 shillings a month, and a good mechanic about 16 shillings, or twice the pay of a native soldier, ISABELLA AND |From @ photograph.] MARY PRINCE, mixture of peoples from everywhere, and of every class. But the official class and those who can show some good reason for being here are very closely united, mak- ing a most agreeable social atmosphere. Just here I wish to introduce two San Francisco wonien, the sisters Isabella and Mary Prince, who were, not very many years ago, well known in our City as edu- cators of our society young ladies, by whom they will be gratefully and pleasur- ably remembered. Itchanced thatamong those who sought their aid was Mrs. Yanagaya, wife of the then Japanese Con- sul, with other members of the consulate. The acquaintance and friendship thus formed led to the appointment by the Jap- anese Government of the Misses Prince as instructors of the ladies of the court circle in Japan in foreign customs, dress, man- ners, language and literature. It was my privilege to be a member of the Prince bousehold during the progress of the events which led up to the appointment of my friends to official life in Javan. With this introduction I invite my readers to fancy themselves being entertained by these ladies in the characier of an old friend, as I am being. In reply to my request to be told something about life in the Orient the talk runs in this wise: “If we undertook that, we should fill a four-volumed book full of the most de- lightful experiences, and leave omitted enough to have made a sequel of consider- able length, and then not be done. Our friends, who sent for us, did so only when the way was open to make our coming all that we could desire. We stepped at once into official life, and have never ceased to receive its benefits. After four yearsthe special school we came to be connected with was abolished by the Govern- ment, but we were requegwd by private parties to remain in Tokio, were placed under thecare of the Foreign Office and are still retained for private work among officials. Twice we have been on the point of going home at the close of certain periods, bat before that time was reached new educational ties have been formed, and we could not get away. “The Japanese are the most delightful people to be among—that is, the class among which we haye been thrown. Every one in Tokio has a reason to be here, and a position which commands re- spect, and accompanied by a salary which insures all the comforts of life. This, of itself, makes life agreeable, and anited with ripe scholarship, rich experiences and earnest work, when we meet each other we find plenty to talk of and about. “We are, and have been ever since we lesson and dinner. They are young mer- chants, and are learning, among other things, to write business letters. For one of them one of my friends does the corre- spondence with two New York houses, where their business runs up to $10,000 or more per annum. The lessons of these gentlemen begin at 5p. M. On three afternoons of the week, at an earlier hour, another young man, son of a millionaire of Tokio, comes for conversa~ tion, and on three mornings of the week two ladies come at 10 o’clock to study Eng- lish, take lunch and learn how to cut and make children’s clothing. These pupiis are under the care principally of the elder of the sisters. The younger has her set of private pupils, going out three mornings and receiving pupils in French and elocu- tion in the evenings at home. In addition to all this industry these ladies find: time to give to all manner of good works, in which thie Japanese ladies of rank are very active. Mrs. Yanagaya is mentioned as being particularly interested in the educa- tion of women. The wife of the Marquis Oiyama is president of a literary society which meets at the house of my friends every month, they being the ‘‘foreign ad- visers.”” Miss Prince says the Japanese are born writers. Within a short time a new law has been passed in_the Diet allowing women to print and publish their writings, and to edit newspapers, Next thing we shall hear of will be press clubs and wo- men’s congresses. It really is very wonder- ful that in one generation such long strides forward have been made. Miss Prince speaks in admiring and af- fectionate terms of ber younger pupils, some of whom have been in her care for eight years. She says: ‘‘One I have just helped send off to San Francisco is'the daughter of Marshal Marquis Yamagata, the hero of Manchuria. Miss Iwasaki, another pupil for the full time, is to be married soon to the son of Count Matau- kata, who, it _is expected, will go abroad asa Consul-General. Thus carefully are both men and women prepared for the po- sitions they are to fulfill in societv—an ex- ample wbich we would do well {o follow. My friends mention that Mr. Yanagaya is still in official life, in the Department of Agriculture. His eldest son, who is learn- ing banking, will soon goto Europe for three years. The second went to the Chi- cago Exposition, and is in business in Tokio; while Miss Somi, whom we used to see as a little girl in San Francisco, is mar- ried, and three younger children are at school. “Mr. Murota,whom we remember as sub- Consul in San Francisco, fills the office of Consul-General of the Unitea States and | Mexico, and resides in Mexico; and Mr. Nossi, who was secretary to Mr. Yanas | gaya, is now Consul at Victoria, B. C. Mrs. Funakoshi, who is at present in San Francisco, is a lady of the highest rank in Japan, and my friends exgress a hope that she may not be shocked by the bad man- ners of some whom she may meet in society there! As etiquette is compara- tive and arbitrary, I fear she wiil not escape being shocked.” _Amon;i:> the many things given the Misses Prince to do was the prepara- tion of some literary-statistical matter for the Columbian Exposition, Isabella writing a report for the Agricultural Department in Tokio, and Mary for an association of merchants in Kioto. These reports are very interesting. Of Kioto the latter says: ‘‘Some of the most stirring events in the history of the empire have been enacted here, and tradition and legend have handed’ down many & touch- ing incident connected with the lines of warriors and statesmen who once ruled tie destinies of Japan. **A wide field of research is thus offered to the student of history and antiquities. * % * Kioto is a world of wondersin art and nature. Here peace always reigns—as we are told it does in Paradise— and strangers coming here from distant lands will always receive a cordial wel- come.” Add to this panegyric the motto of this book, “If a man ask for the spirit of Yamato (the ancient name for Japan) in the wide-spreading islanas of Japan— behold the mountain cherry flowers givin forth fragrance in the morning sunshine ! and one is lifted up out of the dry atmos- phere of commerce into the regions of poetry; but in descriptions of the art- manufactures of Kioto there 1s much that is pleasant reading, as ceramics, paintings, fanmaking, embroidery and silk weaviog and dyeing are treated of. The decoration of ve{ve( yuzen is particu- larly interesting from the skill and pa- tience required. The authors of these reports say of their work: *‘For this we had no contract, every- thing being left to the will of our em- ployers. We were handsomely paid, how- ever, besides a great deal of ceremonial etiquette expended in banquets, etc.”’ These writings were thus ordered and raid for, because they had to be in Eng- ish, “‘but now,” they add. “there is no more need for English scribes.” Lest any adventurous soul should flat- ter herself that by coming to Japan she is to enter upon an experience similar to that of the Misses Prince, or even find employ- ment for an industrious pen, let me say right here that there is nothing to do un- less one comes prepared for a stay of one or two years, with money for traveling ex- penses and an interpreter—prepared, that 1s, to penetrate to the interior and study the life of the people at first hand. This requires means and the consent of the Gov- ernment. The languase takes so long to learn that itis less expecting to get on by study- ing it with the design of using it as a means of communication; therefore, one must be content {o see through Japanese eyes to a very great extent—either that or do as most of the visitors here do, write a pack of lies. The Misses Prince are quite as indignant as the natives over these fabrications. They burn them more often than they preserve them, so false and im- moral are the majority. The appetite for a foul sensationalism 1s not as strong here as it is in our own country or Europe. Life flows on very evenly and with very little excitement. Everybody takes plenty of time, and that is the secret of a serene disposition, good manners and good health. Sad will it be for Japan when her people have become imbued with the hurry and consequent worry of our civilization, Notwitlestanding the great deal of work which our friends actually do they find time to consider their toilets for ceremo- nious occasions, such as legation balls and swell dinners, for this is a care which women can never escape and preserve their social charm and prestige. But imagine a dinner conversation where both parties must altogether avoid their own tongue and meet on ground foreign to both—say French. Or imagine a calling expedition where one lady cannot speak Japanese, the other cannot speak English and does not know much French. Says Isabella; “I cannot yet speak more than a few necessary words and do not attempt to construct a sentence grammatically. Sister can do much more, and we often go calling on Japanese ladies, when she does the talking and I sit and smile, throwing in now and then an exclamation or a French word, which I consider better than nothing.” Those who remember Miss Prince will appreciate how gracefully she could do that. Having to teach English constantly prevents much advancement 1n Japanese. But with Mary it is different, she devoting herself to linguistic accomplishments. If she lives long enough she will speak the language like a native. Ts:w Misses Prince are direct descend- ants of Miles Standish, and came later from the seafaring merchant class of New England, their father, Captain Cushing Prince, commanding a vessel which ran to Liverpool, and irequently taking his eldest daughter with him. On these voy- ages and while living temporarily abroad her education, obtained principally in New York, was aided by observation and contact with a variety of individuals and classes, all of which was really a fortunate p;epamlicn for her life among foreign peo- ple. I have witnessed one national holiday in Tokio. Fiags were flying from every house front, the sun was shining although it was January, the air was mild and the numerous children were out with kites and other playthings celebrating after their merry fashion and furnishing enter- tainment for their elders. The Japanese have large families, to which they devote themselves with much solicitude, and the children return this care with filial obedi- ence and affection. All of this constitutes an atmosphere congenijal to the ladies of whom I have written, and whose names deserve to go into history as the first American women to be offered appoint- ments at a foreign court. To avoid any complications of etiquette let me here state that 1 writeand post this letter without consulting my friends, feel- ing that it may give pleasure to former pupils and acquaintances in California. SAN FRANCISCAN. . Tokio, March 15 1896. The Oat Lives on the Train, Captain Tom Hanlon, the popular con- ductor on the Louisville Southern Rail- road, has a mascot in the shape of a brindle cat, which some one threw into the bag- gage-car over a month ago. The captain at once recognized his feiine omen of good luck and adopted her. Pussy appreciated this love at first sight and stuck to the train. When the train gets to Louisville or Lexington she jumps off with the pas- sengers, visits and gossips with the other cats in the neighborhood, just like all females wiil do, and when the bell ringa she gets aboard again with the crew. Cap tain Hanlon refuses to part with his mas cot, saying his train can never,run off ¢ track as long as she is on boatt.—Lexiz ton Argonaut.