THE WEST SHORE.
293
lose the money they have invested. Tho charter of tho
company will provide for Uw rotiioiuuut of ,U.l u.
rapidly as tho profit of tho company can tlo it When
ever, nt stated periods, the tronKiiry contains more than a
certain amount held as a fuml to meet current expense
and coBt of repairs, improvements, etc., as many shares
of stock will bo repaid to the holders as the amount will
cover. Stock thus paid will be selected by lot. This
process will Ihj continued until every stockholder has
hud his original investment returned to him. He does
not cease, however, to Imi a stockholder, but participates
in the subsequent profits of the company in pnixrtioii
to the number of shares he originally owned, which
profits will bo distributed in the form of dividends.
That it will bo soveral years before this process of liquid
ation cnn bo commenced is evident, and tho scheme is
not advocated as an investment for tho puriose of making
money. It is simply devised to give tho people an op
poitunity to bring alout tho era of prosperity we all King
for, and to finally receive back tho money they originally
contributed for that purpose, together with any future
profits that may accrue. It is not promised that this
shall bo tho work of a few individuals, but a jsipulnr
movement, in which every one interested in tho welfare
of the city will take a hand. Subscriptions for shares
will be received in any sum ranging from one to five
hundred dollars, giving all a chance to aid. Tho charter
will set a limit to tho uumlcr of shares one individual
may own, so that it will bo iuiMssible for any unscrupu
lous capitalist to "gobble up" the concern and thus do
feat the object of its suppler, None but men who are
generally recognized as among the most hoiiorablo and
trusted in the city will bo permitted to participate in
organizing the company and form its first board of direct
ors. After that tho stockholders will be responsible for
the character of the o Ulcers they elect Every safeguard
will bo thrown around it that can l devised for the
preservation of the fundamental character of the com
pany. If our citizens do not tike hold of this entaririso
in a lilsiral spirit, then wo would better cease finding
fault with our wealthy men. If we are not willing to do
anything ourselves we should bo modest enough not to
complain of tho inaction of others. Here is an oppor
tunity to accomplish something without relying upon our
reluctant "rent per cent" millionaires; let us see if we
embrace it
AMERICAN FALLS.
ONE of the prettiest sights in the West Is the American
Fulls, at the crossing of Hnuke Iliver by the Oregon
(Short Line, in Southeastern Idaho, The falls and the
splendid iron bridge by which the rood ensues are shown
on another page. Only the early riser will obtain a view
of them from the east-bound train, as it orosses tho river
bout six o'clock in the morning of the second day out
from Portland. At nine o'clock in tho evening of the
third dty from Omaha the west-bound traveler will reach
them, and if it chance to bo a mooulight night he i!l
view a sight he will never forgot
OLD AND NEW JAPAN,
NO 11.
STRICT orders had boon issued to the commanders of
the squadron to use unremitting vigilauoo night and
day to prevent any surprise by tho natives. The niarinos
wore kept under arms continually, while sentinels below
and lookouts aloft kept ceaseless vigil. How neoessary
was all this watchfulness and preparation for emergen
cies whs plainly evident from tho conduct of tho Japanese
themselves. lionts filled with armed men surrounded
tho lleet at night, and had vigilance been in the least
relaxed, they would have made a sudden dash upon tho
ships, swarmed over their sides, and made short work of
tho defenders with their sharp swords, slashing halberds
and battle axes. In tho daytime thousands of them were
seen on every headland and along the beach, each man
oquipod with t wo swords, while thousands more darted
about in boats Ismring tho Hags and banners of the vari
ous princes and sub-princes of old feudal Japan,
lu later years, when any of these native olllcers
chanced to meet some one who was in Terry's expedition,
they would chat iu the most friendly mood of these event
ful times, the most exciting and jHirtentious that had
visited tho Island Umpire for two centuries. As they
sat together over a fragrant cup of tea and mingled their
clouds of tobacco smoke, they would relate how at the
timo their very blood boiled with hatred toward those
foreigu barbarians who invaded their bays and harlsjrs,
ami as if in oontempt of the utmost the natives could do,
wont whithersoever they pleased, equally unmoved by
exsstulations or threats; how the whole nation, from
the holy Mikado to the most insignificant beggar, was
aroused to such indignation that they would have glveu
their lives to destroy even one of those dreadful " flro
ships"; how they thought the great American Admiral,
who like their own Mikado kept himself sacred from the
view of tho common herd, must be of race of gods even
siqwrior to their own ruler, since the wisdom and deceit
of tho wise counsellors of the Hhin-Kokn (Land of the
Ocsls, a native name for Japan,) was of no avail agaiust
his superior wisdom and siwer when they planned the
destruction of his fleet They often asked, "Did not you
Americans look usin us as no better than a hit of chat
tering monkeys, when we were so vainly trying to drive
or frighten you away from performing an act of friend
ship toward us?" Hut that was afterwards, when they
had learned to appreciate the benefit of communication
with the Caucasian race.
Although Commodore I'erry was secure agaluat any
force that might attack him, so long as he maintained
rigid vigilauoo, still there is no doubt that his big guns
and the other unknown terrors of his "fire-ships" Im
pressed the natives with less force than his policy of
seclusion. This was great stroke of diplomacy, and
gained the respect and even reverence of both high and
low resjsict for his government and countrymen, aud
reverence for himself sa being similar to their own
holy Mikado. This feeling has by bo means died out,
and his memory is still verdant, while bis name is a