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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 19, 1908)
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX, POBTLAND. JANUARY 19, 1908, 5 curious RACl Annie Laura Miller Tells of Aborigines Driven, Lite Oar Own, Into Uncivilized Sections WW1 P f te-s if! it I , 5 jf 3 ii I I H .A-'"'NC3&. 5a-x Pile. "iff" J - I , sfZ- - - " T i jri i- (4 Vr i ' - 3VN r . , Mil iff 1 fc VMs . . . Jf. -tl ft i , .J -tf zilovi of juzrtr u&GAHfSr jBAc&ziozzm of sacked lvac BT AN'S'IB IAURA MIIXER. IT Is perhaps not a froncratly known fart that In Tezo, th northernmont Island, there Is a fast disappearing rar of people, the, original inhabitants of Japan, known aa the Ainu. Very few travelers pjo so far north, but missiona ries have told us of them, and a Mr. Batchelor, who has done mission work among them for J5 years, has written a most interesting book about this curious rare. In reading "The Ainu and Their Kolklore" we were so struck by many likenesses between these people and our own North American Indians that I want to tell you a little of their childish be liefs and half-savage lives. Back in the dim historic days the Ainu lived all over Japan, but now they are crowded out of the main thoroughfares of civilization by the more progressive Japanese who are, according to some authorities, a mixture of the Ainu and the Malay. The Ainu race Is dying rap Idly: clashes between the clans killed many of them: the Japanese rulers of the country no longer allow them to hunt deer and to flsh in the best places, so they have been forced to give up the animal food they have always had and to cat vegetable food, while strong drink, the curse of the Indian, is their curse, too. Then, perhaps, like the Indians, they eannot endure the mere restraints of civilization. Mr. Batchelor says that the servants he had several years ago used to leave the house with or without permission occasionally and go oft for a day's fishing or racing through the woods, coming hack again much Im proved In temper by their brief visit to mother nature. Odd Account of Creation. The Ainu account for the creation of the world as what rhce does not? Ac cording to them the wdrld was an un formed, floating mass of earth and water with no life in it. amf God above decided to fit the world for plants, animals and men, so with the aid of tools he fash ioned It rudely, turning over the finishing work to the water wagtails. The wag tail beat with Its wings and tail and scratched with Its claws until It made the level places. That is why when you see the bird he Is always beating the ground with his tail. Only the other morning looking from my bedroom window I saw one beating the sod in the garden. The Island of Yezu. however, where the Alnus live, was made by two gods. . a brother and sister, and the west coast is rugged, wild and dangerous because the sister stopped to gossip by the way and so made her portion hastily. This is the legend of the first man: "When God made man in the beginning, he formed his body of the earth, his hair of chickweed, and his spine of a stick of willow. When, therefore, a person grows old, his back bends In the middle." The backbone Is, therefore, the seat of human life, and so when a child Is born a totem of willow is made to guard him. The chief god, "the divine keeper of the house." Is believed to have life. He is made of a piece of green lilac two feet long with, a cut for the mouth and an other for the heart, which- is a coal" fas tened in with willow shavings. More shavings cover the mouth and heart and the god is set up and worshiped. Other inas. as they are called, are made and offered to the goddess of Are and gods of mountains and streams. Others are offered to propitiate the demons of dis ease, for what are germs to us are to them veritable living, thinking evil beings.- Other inas are made and set up with a prayer to the gods for a good catch when men set out on fishing trips. Strange Superstitions. It is difficult. to see what joy the Alnus have In life, so full are they of supersti tions that they fancy themselves moving In a world filled with spirits to be wor shiped, most of them spirits of evil. Life which is sometimes difficult for civilized people who must walk warily to keep from hurting their fellow-men, must be a fearful thing to an uncivilized people who have not only their own kind to treat with consideration, but also count less unseen powers perpetually about them. The Alnus are haunted by demons of their own creation who inhabit the air or the bodies of animals. Is there anyone without some pet su perstition? Would you leave unpicked a four-leaf clover, walk under a ladder, or sit with 13 at table? Tet how we outgrow superstitions and shuffle them off as the years pass and we train natural powers to our use! We have traveled far beyond the Ainu and the road ahead is full of undreamed-of possibilities for the races who move along conquering their fears. The Ainu worship the bear, snakes, trees, mountains and many kinds of birds, and have innumerable legends about them reminding one of the Indian legends. They believe that the very elements of the earth have lives of their own as in dividuals have life. A few years ago they believed that a photograph or sketch shortened their lives. This. too. is a belief with some of our Indians. Several years ago I was pre paring to take a photograph of a Warm Spring squaw in a hopyard on the Wil lamette. A most picturesque figure she was with a papoose tied on her back and a tiny kitten perched on one shoul der. When she came toward me, throw ing clods, holding a hopknife in her hands and demanding the picture inside the kodak that she might destroy It and so regain the days that she imagined had been taken from her and her child. The Ainu burial custom also reminds one, of the Indians, for both races put im plements and utensils on -the grave to be used In the next world. Perhaps you have seen Indian graves covered with things used in the life of the deceased. In a little graveyard at the mouth of the Siletz, I remember a woman's grave cov ered with teacups and saucers and a child's grave covered with clothes and toys. Sacrifice of Animals. There is, to us, something revolting in the Ainu Idea of sacrifice of animals. Often young birds and bears are kept and cared for, then killed with prayers, the people thinking that the victim will be so pleased to be sent to his ancestors and to take with him as a present the food provided that he and his ancestors will reward the makers of the sacrifice. More over, by killing the victim they give him an opportunity to come back to earth as an animal and to be killed again. The people think that they are nearest these gods while killing and eating these vic tim. Such customs are the chief barriers to mission work. The chief worship is the worship of the bear. A young cub is caught in the woods and kept until 2 or 3 years old. Then the owner sends out Invitations and the guests gather, all clothed in their holiday dress and orna ments. All seat themselves about, the fire in the hut. drinking sake, or beer, and eating millet cakes. Then the 'men make inao, put them by the hearth and invite all of the goda to attend the feast. The Jnao are taken outside and the peo ple march In solemn procession to th bear's cage where an address is made. Here Is an address: "Oh, thou divine one, thou wa?t sent into the world for us to hunt. Oh, thou preotous little dl- vlnity. we worship thee: pray hear our . prayer. We have worshiped thee and brought thee up with a deal of pains and trouble, all because we love thee so. Now. as thou hast grown Pig. we arc about to snd thee to thy father and mother. When thou comest to them please !peak well of us, and tell them how kind we have been; please come to us again and we will sacrifice thee." Worshiping and Killing o Bear. All the guests form a ring, the bear is led in, and then the spectators shoot blunt arrows at him until he becomes tired, whereupon he is tied to a stake, more arrows shot at him, and finally he Is held by poles . and shot py a i sharp arrow, waereupon the people rush forward and squeeze the life otit of him. ; Then tlie head is rut off, a bit of its own i meat put before it. together with other offerings, after which a prayer is said. There is a dance: the head is worshiped and then a feast of the bear's meat is eaten. Afterwards the skull is set up in a sacred spot outside' the hut. One of these -feasts, must be a crude, disgusting sight to witness. One turns from such degrading worship with some relief toward the practical side of Ainu existence. Game and fish were so plentiful in former years that but lit tle skill was required to obtain them. Poisoned arrows were made and strong hows of yew, many 'of them spring bows. The Ainu were clever, too, at trapping otter. Now, however, the Japanese rule the country with a firm hand.oso that the original Inhabitants are pushed aside in small villages and settlements, where they eke out a miserable existence raising vegetables, cutting wood, weaving and fishing. Before the Japanese occupation all rule was by the chiefs of villages, and many, curious and cruel were the punishments -devised for offenders. For tunately for the Ainu themselves, such punishments have been done away with now. Domestic Iilfe. Clothing is 'made of elm bark, which is soaked until the fiber is divided into threads, which are woven Into a coarse cloth. Some of it Is dyed a dark brown and sonie of it is embroidered in curious, geometrical figures, that suggest Indian designs. The men make for themselves crowns, ornamented with birds or snakes, which are worn at religious festivals. Ainu widows" wear bonnets made of heavy Japanese cloth. The huts are most uncomfortable and so badly built that the wind whistles through them. First the roof is built of poles tied together with rope made of the inner bark of the elm tree or of creeping plants. When the walls, which are made of poles placed upright, tied together and covered with thatch, are 'T ' ' ' ' v . r? TJORS3 OF TTE JHNT7 finished, the roof Is lifted up and fastened on: later the roof is thatched, usually with reeds, and the house is ready for its occupants. Then the household sods are installed. Two windows and a hole in the roof allow the smoke to escape from the fireplace in the center of the room, but much of it floats about the huts and aggravates the eye disease that is bo prevalent among the Ainu. Vhe east end of "the house is especially sacred, with a place reserved for guests and all the family treasures. It is believed that not only the hut, but also all Its contents are imbued with life, and will live hereafter. Etiquette is elaborate, the women tat too themselves according to time-honored custom, the men salute one another with, great ceremony; all women except widows, take off their headdress when meeting a man, and a wife never says her husband's name. Formerly everyone had only one name, and that was not given until the child was 2 years of or older, but now many of the ptojle call themselves by Japanese surnames. The Ainu have no literature.- Legend says that long ago they had a book, but it was stolen and carried away by Tos hltsune, a Japanese hero who had some strange adventures in Yezo. An Inscrip tion in a small cave once caused great ex citement, as the characters were un known to all who examined them; but they wore away rapidly, and it was con cluded that they were the invention of some funmaker. There are a few crude musical instruments and a few sacred dances, but in the main life is a very joyless kind of existence. It seems that the Ainu are like the In dians, a race who have' almost served their time, and will soon be gonav making way for better and more progressive race. Yokohama. Japan, December 21. J" ' ! HERE'LL soon be another bari tone In the resident-chair of the Federal penitentiary," said the Hotel Clerk. "The paper says they re bringing back the latest bank defaulter to stand trial." "They ketched him down In Mexico, didn't they?" asked the. House Detective of the Hotel St. Reckless, with a touch of professional interest. "Yes. and I guess it wasn't a job re quiring the exercise of more brains than you could carry in a large tin bucket." said the Hotel Clerk. "It's very liard for a party who's been addicted to side whiskers and the lawn-tie habit for 40 odd years . to disirulse himself in such a way as to deceive the casual eye. He may put on a slouch hat and the same kind of leather leggins that the villain wears at the beginning of the second act, but If you peel off the outer shucks you'll find he's still faithful to his health un derwear and his felt insoles. He's proper meat for the first correspondence-school detective that comes along wearing a brought-on mustache and a German-silver badge of office the size of a bock beer sign, and carrying one of those three dollar pistols that will put a bullet-hole almost through a charlotte russe." "This last one had blowed nearly all ihe swag, accordin' to what I seen about 11," said the House Detective. "Sure thing," said the Hotel Clerk. "They all do. It's according to the pre cedents. There are just two kinds of money In the world. Larry money you get honestly, and money you get dishon estlyand one kind is very hard to get, and the other kind Is very hard to keep. By judicious and praiseworthy violations of the penal code and the state banking law, a trust company accumulates a large and gratifying surplus. The cashier quietly creates a perceptible hiatus In the funds. He then passes It along to the boss-copper of a downtown bucket shop, who. In turn, confers It on a struggling and dependent bookmaker that hasn't got anything except a few race tracks to sup port him, who. In turn, hands it over to a low-voiced party that deals faro, who, in turn, gives It to a member of a wire tapping syndicate, who parts with it to a Rentleman Interested in the great Indoor sport called poker, who presents it, un der duress, to a rough person with a as pipe, who pays It over to a criminal law yer who uses It for the purpose of cor rupting a Juror, who puts it back into the trust company and Utses it. Swiped coin Is the only circulating medium that really circulates. I-arry." "The one they Just found down in Mil- 'JZEAH-ZZB ' CAN' J)OJVAZ.2 SB ? AT THAT 2HXKENT DONALD 13 SEATED JUT SHERRY'S, GAZING INTO THE SOULFUL VIOLET EYES OF JL WINSOME LITTLE JZCEEPSAKB ica had been having a lovely time ever since he fled. He was established In a semi-detached or two-family cave. living on the regular food of the natives which consists of red pepper with a little black pepper stir-ed into It. Kvery time he heard a passing footstep, his vital or gans moved up into his throat, where he could taste them, and every time any one sneezed in his vicinity, he goose-fleshed until her lookel like a half portion of honeycomb tripe. He was having a pex- mectly lovely time, by all accounts. He couldn't have had a better time If he had been sitting in a red-hot stove. "When the Plnkertons. finally arrived, he ran to meet them with loud cries of joy. It would seem that he had been under some suspense. The first reauy restful moment he had was when they adorned him with that style of sleeve links which prevents a man from putting his hands Into his own pockets, or any body else's. But they only found the sum of $9.75 on him. "He'd transferred the remaining J94.992.25 that he swiped, upon . number of gentlemen who'd inter ested him in a system for tying up Wall street Into a true lover's knot. It's truly astonishing how many of these fatal blows Wall street has endured." "I s'pose he was a Sunday school teacher, of course,'- said the House De tective. "Yep, he ran true to form in nearly eery particular," said the Hotel Cleric "Tradition tells us that when he was a small boy he had pale young eyes, and those large, outstanding mother-of-pearl ears with opalescent shades playing In them when he stood in the sunlight. He always minded every word his dear teach er said to him and there is no record ex tant that he ever mussed up his white collar or failed to have his recitation per fect of a Friday afternoon. A little later on he rated 100 in mental arithmetic and zero in town ball. As a youth, he .ever shunned the alluring rum-holes of his na tive village, because wine is a -mocker, and strong drink is raging, and it costs less, anyhow, when taken out of a bottle behind the closet door. All the mothers In town pointed him out to their daugh ters as a type of what a young man should be. and all the daughters promptly went and took-up with the colty boys who holds down the ends In the amateur min strels and belonged to the poker club that met upstairs over the livery stable every Saturday night You take a lad, Larry, that's reached the age when -he has a faint trace of camelhair paint brush on his upper lip, and walks like a pair of button hole scissors on approaching the presence ef the opposite sex take such a lad, say, and let the report spread that he leads an absolutely blameless life, and you'll find that lad bringing his own sis ter to the play-parties and going slcigh rlding with his aunt. "But to resume. Our hero, having lived up to all the precedents, was exactly fitted by training and environment to get aojob in the bank when he' left the high school. About the same time he began to take an active interest in Sunday school work an interest which never languished until that bright morning last Spring when he quietly and unostentatiously caught No. 4 going west at 3:45 A. M., leaving behind him a large, palpitating vacancy in the available assets. "But you don't want to be putting the black bean on the Sunday schools just for that, Larry. It ain't the Sunday school's fault. ' "You know how it is In our owrt dear Wall street. Every now and then a piercing shriek of poignant anguish Is emitted from.' that bosky dell, where grows the dark green to yellow fruitage. A void has been discovered In the cash in hand. It's the cruelest shock that can possibly befall a bank with eleven millions in assets to learn that one of Us em ployes has cut a gash to the extent of about nine hundred and seven dollars In the funds. A death in the President's family Is nothing to it. ' "So when the directors meet to hold the Lodge of Sorrow, they nearly always make the astounding discovery that the trusted clerk who is responsible for the deficiencies was a faithful member of Sunday school. "And, like you, Larry, they would blame it on the Sunday school, which is very wrong. The trouble Is that they will in sist on hiring youths who haven't been acclimated to Broadway's fitful fevers. The temptations of a great city, or a small one, eitner, are not especially dan gerous unless you take 'em in a lump. Wild oats are easiest digested when served as breakfast food in the morn of life. It's later on that they get dan gerous. "Usually it begins like this: Domesti cated Donald, the third assistant paying teller, starts for uptown some eveninc to take part in a debate at the Harlem Self-Help Club on the issue that intem perance has caused more suffering than Concluded on Paga 11.)
