The Sunday Oregonian., October 18, 1908, Magazine Section, Image 48

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BV WALTER B. NORRI3.
riIG VISIT of the battleship fleet to
I Japan recalls the fact that it was
only a few miles from lis present
anchorage off Yokohama that Commo
dore Matthew Calbraith Ferry, com
' manding our first fleet to visit Japan,
anchored his few sidewheel steamers and
Balling frigates on July 8. VIA. In the
very harbor where the battleship fleet
row lies at anchor. Perry persuaded Ja
pan to sign her famous treaty with the
Vnlted States, the beginning of her de
vrlopment into a powerful modern na
tion. At that time Japan would not allow a
foreigner on her shores, and even re
fused to receive representatives of other
gnvermnerts. Many American whalers
who had been shipwrecked on her coasts
had been Imprisoned and harshly treated.
The Government at Washington had In
structed Perry to force Japan to make a
treaty guaranteeing better treatment of
our shipwrecked sailors, and also allow
ing us to trade in a few porta of the
empire. Perry's request was expressed
In a courteous letter to the Emperor,
but the loaded gmui of his ships and hia
own aggressive attitude showed plainly
that he was determined to secure what
he was after. Although he did not fire
a hostile gun. the Japanese had to yield,
and for tlie first time In history treated
a foreign cation as tlieir equal and
agreed to negotiate with it. ,
Trickery and Insult.
In their treatment of foreigners the
Japanese had been accustomed to use
every kind of trickery and Insult at their
disposal. They tried the same method on
Perry, but soon found that he would not
brook insult and was easily their equal in
diplomacy. They did, however, manage
to deceive him in several matters, all
unimportant In the end. For example,
the letter he carried never reached the
Emperor, and the latter probably did not
know the American fleet had arrived.
Peny ,dld not know that tlie Emperor
did not live at Tokio. which he thought
was the capital, but at Kioto, far away.
In fact, tlie Emperor took little part in
the government, for he was regarded as
divine, and as so sacred that he was
never seen by his. subjects, even convers
ing with Ills nobles through a screen.
From Tokio his chief minister and gen
eral managed the government for him,
and was so powerful that when Perry
arrived with his letter he even decided
lo play the part of Emperor himself.
Ferry's ships had no sooner anchored
than they were surrounded by a cordon
of guard boatsi. But Perry Intended first
of nil to make the Japanese respect him.
Accordingly, the guard boats, when they
attempted to make fast to the American
vessels were roughly pushed off, and no
Japanese waa allowed to come aboard
MANY USEFUL
Some Would
WOMEN are going in for mechan
lca. Their inventions prove it:
and they are taking out a great
er number of patents every year. When
they first ventured with some timidity
Into tlie Inventive field, they devoted
their attention almost exclusively to
things which had to do with their every
day environment, particularly dress and
household matters. It is different nowa
days. More than patents have been
taken out by women up to the present
date. These ratents cer the widest
Imaginable field, and not a few of them
re of great industrial value. Two rep
resent inventions that mark steps in the
progress of civilization. One of these
is tbe Coston licht a pyrotechnic con
trivance for nigiit-signaling purposes
which Is In use on board ships and by
life-saving patrols all over the world.
A Washington woman, after whom it
was named, originated it. The other
contrivance is the familiar Ice cream
frexer.
The lee cream freeter may not seem
to be of great importance to our civ
ilization, but how should we get along
without it? Nothing else has been de
vised that would serve the purpose. The
machine today is almost exactly the
same as the original, which was patented
as long ago as to by Mrs. Nancy M.
Johnson, the widow of a naval officer,
residing In Philadelphia. Her model is
preserved at the Patent Office, among
its most h'ghly prized treasures. Mrs.
Jolinson so!d her invention for 11500. If
she had held on to it she might have
made ll.wv.i.i) out of it.
The first woman to whom a patent
was granted in this country was Mary
Klc. of Connecticut a state which has
more inventors In proportion to popula
tion than any other in tlie Union. Her
idea tdiited was for weaving straw
with silk thread. The gentler sex had not
bocome creative at that time, and six
ears elapsed before the second patent
was Issued to one of its members, named
the ships. When an Inferior official ap
proached and ordered the ships to leave,
the Americans replied that they had a
letter from the President of the United
States for the Emperor of Japan, and
that they would deliver it nowhere else
and only to officials of the highest
rank.
Dodging a Message.
Finally, the Vice-Governor of the prov
ince. Mr. Nakashima Saburosuke in
English. Sir. Middle Island. Darling No.
3 arrived and was allowed to come
aboard. Terry, however, would not al
low him to enter his cabin, but deputed
a mere Lieutenant to talk with him.
The Vice-Governor insisted that all ne
gotiations must take place at Naga
saki. The Americans not only refused,
but also threatened to fire on the guard
boats unless these were at once ordered
away. The astonished Japanese official
did this at once, and then left, promis
ing that a higher official would come
the next morning.
Although the Vice-Governor had said
that the Governor was forbidden by law
to go on hoard foreign ships, tlie next
morning he arrived, a short, stout man,
resplendent In embroidery, gilt brocade,
sword, and lacquered helmet held by a
ferocious-looking chin strap. His form
idable appearance was lost on Perry, for
the American Commander refused to see
such an Inferior official and appointed
three of his Captains to treat with him.
The Governor Insisted that the Ameri
cans must go to Nagasaki, but they
again refused, and, as they noticed he
used different title for the President
and Emperor, at once protested and de
manded that both should be treated
alike. This greatly impressed the Gov
ernor, and he at once complied.
At last the Governor asked for four
daya in which to send to Tokio for in
structions. But the Americans knew
they were almost within sight of the
capital, and threatened, if an answer
was not received within three days, to
weigh anchor and move nearer the city.
Impressed by a Vnlform.
During the days of waiting. Perry, In
spite of protests, had his men take
soundings of tlie bay. As one boatload
of seamen was approaching the shore
where a rude earthwork had been erect
ed, the Japanese soldiers appeared on
the beach with spears, lances and a
few flint-lock muskets. Just then the
Lieutenant In charge of the boat hap
pened to lift his field glasses to his
eyes with a quick, sudden movement, in
an instant the whole gathering of Japs
turned and fled, with garments nutter
i ..nilnla tl S Tl nin IT. a UlOb Of
frightened Celestials.
THINGS INVENTED BY WOMEN
Have Won Fortunes Had Articles Been Patented.
Mary Brush, for an Improvement In cor
sets. Nearly all of the early patents granted
to women were for Improvements in
articles ot clothing or domestic useful
ness, such as cooking utensils, picture
frames, etc But suddenly a Philadelphia
woman started the ball rolling in a new
direction by Inventing a beehive. An
other, from the same city, popped up with
a railway car heater. A California wo
man suggested a novelty In the way of
a dumping wagon; a Georgia woman
offered a plow, and an Ohio woman a
car coupler. A Philadelphia woman
came forward with a life raft, and a
Pittsburg woman with a car wheel. Femi
nine ideas had begun to expand and
presently a Chicago woman took out a
patent on a process for concentrating
ores, and another from Buffalo produced
a machine for manufacturing ozone.
Let it not be said that women do not
have practical ideas; they have proved it
by tlicir Inventions. Who was It who
first hit upon the notion of syllabic types
tvpes. that is to say, which represent
svllables. for printing purposes. Instead
of letters? Inquire at the Patent Office,
and you will find that it was a woman.
Who originated the typewriter for the
blind a machine which has proved a
godsend to the afflicted? A woman. Who
patented a slate for the blind, on which
they could write without seeing? Again,
a woman.
One of the most valuable of women's
Inventions up to date is a machine for
making comb foundation for bee-hives,
patented by Frances A- Dunham. It
saves the bees half the labor of comb
construction by turning out wax sheets,
which, suspended in the hives, serve as a
basis to build the combs upon. But the
most remarkable thing about It, perhaps,
is that all the cells are made of "worker"
size, so that they produce only worker
bees, and no drones.
Who is there that has not admired
the Ingenious method by which eggs as
they come to market are packed in neat
pasteboard trays, each one occupying a
separate compartment? It was a farm
ers aauKnifr wnu ' 1 " , " " 1 "
Then there is the familiar luggage car- I
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAy. PORTLAND. OCTOBER 18, 1908. , .
HOW COM NODOSE PEimYgMj
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The Japanese replies were unsatis
factory, and only after Perry had
threatened to land his men and march
to Tokio was it agreed that two
Princes should receive the letter In
a house especially to be erected on the
shore nearby. On the day named, July
14, the ships mor-d along the shore
until they were where their batteries
could command the place of meeting.
Soon there appeared from the various
American ships a line of boats loaded
with sailors and marines. At length.
Commodore Perry, in the full-dress
uniform of his rank, stepped to the
gangway, and, to a salute of 13 guns
from each ship, entered his barge and
was rowed asiiore. On land 100 ma
rines led the way, followed by 100 sea
men. Then came Perry, guarded on
each side by a gigantic negro, a race
never before seen In Japan. Two boys
followed, bearing the President's let
ter, which was engrossed on vellum
and rested In a golden box richly dec
orated.
The letter was received by the two
rier that fits on tlie front of a bicycle.
It was a woman who invented this. To
whom Is to be attributed the kind of pa
per bag in common use. which' is made
with a bottom like that of a satchel?
Again, a woman Miss M. B. Knight by
name.
It was a woman who invented the
pocket sewing machine an entirely prac
tical contrivance, which may be carried
In the pocket and which does very good
sewing, indeed. One may see the orig
inal model in the Patent Office in Wash
ington, with the name Sally A Rosenthal,
of Dubuque, attached to it- Apparently
the reason why it has never come Into
general use is simply that when women
want to sew they usually prefer to sit
down to it seriously rather than to do it
incidentally to other things.
One woman has tilled a long-felt want
by devising a window sash that will not
stick. Another offers a trunk that may
be transformed Into a .bed. Vet another
has patented a trunk that can be folded
up when empty. These are contrivances
of obvious usefulness In flats, as are
likewise a bureau that becomes a writing
table, a traveling bag that turns into a
bathtub and a dressing table which,
when pulled out from the wall, reveals a
tub and all the other equipments of a
bathroom.
Most women are very much afraid of
Are. and thus it is not surprising to dis
cover that they have patented a good
many fire escapes. Some of these take
on queer disguises. One of them mas
querades as a window-cleaner, another is
a spring bed under ordinary circum
stances. A thermometer that gives an
alarm of fire when the temperature rises
above a certain point is a woman's idea,
and so likewise is a scheme for making
the doors and shutters of a dwelling fire
proof, so that they may not catch and
impede escape, whatever happens to the
rest of the house.
It Is noticeable that the inventions of
women In a large percentage of In
stances have the comfort of men in view.
For instance, it is a woman who has
patented a "device for lowering a latch
key from a window." This ought to be
a great help t husbands kept out late
at night at lodge meeting or by the
duty of sitting up with a sick friend.
Other things in the same general line are
a combined beer and water cooler, a
lantern that can be turned into a dinner
pall, a perspiration-proof shirt, a pocket
spittoon for tobacco-chewers, a mustache
spoon, several styles of mustache guards
to keep the masculine ornament out of
the soup or coffee, and "mustache train
ers," to be worn at night.
A Chicago woman has invented a scarf
Jewel wliich is made to revolve by a
clockwork mechanism Inside of the neck
tie. For keeping "pants" in shape there
are quite a number of contrivances de
vised fy persons of the gentler sex, and
one more elaborate affair of the kind is
described as a "garment-stretcher," that
simulates the human form. Women, too,
have patented several "improvements in
cigars," one of which consists in making
tlie "weeds" of eucalyptus leaves instead
of tobacco. Cigars of this kind, the in
ventor claims, leave a clean and pleasant
taste in the mouth so much nicer than
the disgusting herb nicotian. And, if
desired, they may be crumbled up and
used for tooth powder.
So many interesting things have been
invented by women, however, that it is
Impossible to mention more than a few
of them here. Among them are a- self
heating sadiron, an implement for hold
ing green corn when one eats it, a re
frigerator with revolving shelves (surely
an excellent idea), a folding car-step to
render access to railroad cars easier for
the fat and elderly, an egg-cup that fits
an egg of any size, a deep-sea telescope
for examining the ocean bottom for
wTecks, a robberproof chicken coop, a
musical skipping-rope, a trap for bed
bugs, a pair of scissors and tape-measure
combined, a stepladder that is an
ironing-board In disguise, - a sofa that
can be transformed into a bathtub, a
machine for hanging wall-paper, a
rocking-chair with automatic attachment
for keeping the flies oft the head of a
bald-headed man, a means of detecting
tampering with sealed envelopes, a com
bined collar and necktie, a doorplate that
is also a card receiver and a carriage
with one wheel.
Betsy Jane Martin, of Pomona, Kan.,
has invented a fireproof asbestos suit of
clothes, sewn with abestos thread; and
Augusta M. Rodgers, of Brooklyn, has
patented a locomotive which dumps all of
its cinders on the track behind-
MS H v-r JUL- --x
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Br-4&V aian
15,000 New
BIG Tim Sullivan, who is going back
to the State Senate next year has
pulled off his annual racket at Donnelly's
Grove and every gent bjlow Fourteenth
street who could lay his hand on his
heart and swear he was a friend of Little
Tim or Florrie or Christie or Larry Mul
ligan, or of any scion of the reigning
house, left his pick in the air, provided
himself with a pair of trained dice and
got aboard the Grand Republic or the
Pegasus.
The going along the Bowery has been
pretty lumpy these many weeks, since
none of the gang has had a chance to pick
up change by coppering Big Tim's tips
at the- track, but there is always one
event the Sullivan's hold out for the big
picViic at Donnelly's.
What lesser. Tammany picnics are to a
May party in Central Park the big fel
low's blow-out is to other Tammany
rackets. Everybody, from Charley Mur
phy to Joe the Bug, has a hangup, good
time, and if the bones roll well and the
bank dealer's work isn't too coarse, many
a deserving citizen has a chance to
gather the makings of a stake.
Long before the rays of the early morn
ing sun lit on the top of Paradise Jimmy
Oliver's ancient silk hat and heliographed
excited messages to other little sun slants
that were whirling about Colonel Mike
Padden s J1700 sunburst, 7000 husky Bow
ery boys, who are good for at least one
vote anv time the big fellow winks, boiled
In front of the Sullivan headquarters,
calling to Big Tim, Little Tim, Florrie,
Johnny White, Paddy Roche anybody
for tickets; grub tickets, boat tickets,
beer tickets anything, so it was a ticket
and free.
It took two-police captains, two Inspec
tors, 50 cops and a lot of plain clothes
men to. shepherd the cr.owd into any sort
of order.
Eventually the parade was headed for
the dock where the Sullivan fleet at an
chor lay.
"Let 'cr go!" yelled Big Florrie at 1L30
Away went the Pegasus, upstream, and
back of her steamed the Grand Republic,
flags flying, whistles tooting, everybody
the steamers Susquehanna, Mississippi
and Powhatan and the sailing frigates
Macedonian, Southampton, Lexington,
Vandalia, Plymouth and Saratoga. Ar
riving off Yokohama on February 12,
he maintained his aggressive attitnde.
Wo refused to use his former anchor
age, and insisted on one nearer the
Yorkers Knjoy River Kxcursion Host
yelling all at once, and 60-foot banners
on the sides of each boat bearing in high
red letters the name of Sullivan. All the
way upstream to Donnelly's there was
one big noise. Tlie tugboats kowtowed,
the little excursion steamboats shrieked
hello to the big fellows, every factory
whistle for miles along the river let loose
stridently. The steam pressure in a big
brewery up near Eighty-first street must
have gone down 50 pounds In five minutes.
Blackwell's Island was flossied up es
pecially for the occasion. The green lawn
stretching away from the river wall was
studded with whitewashed stones, which
made in letters 10 feet long "T. D. Sulli
van." A dozen gentlemen engaged in the
healthful occupation of wheeling stone
dropped tneir barrows and cheered
lustily.
Up in the captain's cabin Big Tim.
Sheriff Tom Foley and three or four of
the royal suite were busy trying to hook
up a third queen to a pair of the excel
lent ladies, or to seduce from the deck
the fifth heart to a flush. Big Tim. it
may be mentioned, in strict confidence,
had better luck than usual. When the
Grand Republic bumped Into the dock at
Donnelly's the big fellow was about J1800
to the good.
Down below on two decks the passen
gers of the Grand Republic and of the
Pegasus, too. were In groups of ten or a
dozen, shooting craps, playing the bank
and playing draw at every limit from 10
cents to Jo. Forward of the main" saloon
you heard the monotonous voice of the
bank dealer.
There was a redhot crap game every
five feet of the deck. As for the poker
games, you stumbled over one wherever
you walked.
At 1:30 in the afternoon the Grand Re
public and the Pegasus had emptied
nearly 8000 Sullivanjtes into Donnelly's
Grove The Grand Republic, loaded to
within an inch of the law. carried nearly
5000 up the river. Later, of course,
trains and ferryboats brought up at least
7000, making it the biggest picnic Big
Tim has ever had.
For a few minutes only the big fellow
SHIPS OF 2:H73Y!5
(mar oud ehZraxin& )
capital and just off Yokohama.
The Japanese had wisely decided to
concede something, but the negotia
tions occupied more than a month. At
one meeting, when the Japanese pro
posed that men be allowed to land In
one or two cities of the empire, but
no women. Commodore Perry suddenly
started up. threw off his cape excitedly
and exclaimed: "Great heavens! if I
agreed to that the women of America
would tear all the hair out of my
head." The Japanese, not knowing
what he was saying, but seeing his
manner, were much frightened till It
was Interpreted to them, when they
laughed heartily.
The Americans also had their share
of false alarms. When Captain Adams
was inspecting a site for a treaty house
the Japanese official with whom he
was talking closed his fan with a
sudden crack. Instantly suspicious of
treachery, the American officer and
his companions clapped their hands to
their revolvers, much to the amusement
ot tlie Japanese.
Presented Gifts.
i
The Japaneso did not lack for adroit
ness. All the time the negotiations
were going on, conducted through in
terpreters in Dutch and Chinese, a
Japanese who had learned English from
a shipwrecked whaleman sat nearby,
unknown to the Americans, and re
ported every word he could hear.
During the negotiations and before
the fleet sailed away. Perry presented
the many gifts he had brought from
the United States. A miniature railroad
was laid, the electric telegraph ex
plained and operated, sewing machines
and guns distributed and the Japanese
even tasted American food and grew
tipsy on American liquor. Though
there were fanatic Japanese who' had
vowed to Kill Perry before the treaty
should be signed, the officials grew
more friendly, especially after Perry's
fleet was Increased by the arrival of
other ships. By the treaty, signed
March 31, 1854, Japan agreed to treat
our shipwrecked sailors humanely and
to open two ports to foreign trade.
No ships of our first fleet to Japan
remain. The sailing frigate Saratoga,
the last to disappear, was long used as
a schoolship at Philadelphia, but a year
ago was sold and removed from the
Navy lists. Commodore Perry died in
1S58, and is buried In-Newport, R. I.
In Touro Park, Newport, stands his
statue, modeled by J. Q. A. Ward, and
presented to the city by Perry's son-
in-law, August neimom.
Wins $1800.
showed himself to tremendous cheers,
and then retired for the rest of the day
to an anteroom a.t Donnelly's to see II
his luck would hold.
They began to serve the grub at 2
o'clock hot corn, fried clams, boiled po
tatoes, roast beef and about 17 other
kinds of plain and substantial dishes.
Little Tim figured out that about 10,000
managed to crowd into the two big eat
ing halls. And with all the demands for
dinner, with all the beer and hard stuff
and all the irritability that a big crowd
is always liable to generate, there wasn't
a fight worth mentioning. The man who
was foolish enough to start trouble at
Big Jim's outing would have been, in just
38 seconds (the figures have been set by
precedent), a fit candidate for the hos
pital. They started home about 7:30 o clock,
and at a little before 10 the Bowery and
its environs blazed redly. It was also
along the Bowery a very wet night; very
wet indeed. North American.
An Insistent African Litigant.
Diamond Fields Advertiser.
A native had fought and lost an ae
tlon in the magistrate's court in one
of the small towns In Griqualand East,
the articles in dispute being a slate
and an alphabetical primer of the total
value of 6 . pence. He, immediately
after the judgment was given against
him, started on a journey on foot to
the chief town, about 30 miles distant.
In order to instruct an attorney there
to appeal from the Judgment given.
The attorney laughed at the man and
told him he should desist, as he would
only be wasting: his money over a triv
ial matter, but he tendered the costs
of the appeal to the attorney and in
sisted, otherwise he would consult an
other lawyer. After a . long consulta
tion and endeavor to advise his client
to act as was thought best, the attor
ney complied with the native's wishes.
Tho native won his appeal.