Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon daily journal. (Portland, Or.) 1902-1972 | View Entire Issue (March 5, 1905)
.771 ' ' ; . V - ' - ' . . J . . .the .Oregon: Sunday:: journal; rc:m : cuijday u:c::ning, 1 matx:: i::;. 1 iiwin.-ii i JJj!J2-Ligs-gjVsT r' 1 I f ' ' moo T wu many, maffy 'years ago that Uraahlma Taro u born and lived ia the provlne ef Htnomoto, Japan. It waa ao tons ago that a thousand fantaatlo legenda and fabuloue tales -have bee ii' we van Into oaa. of which ha .:1s tha hero and- -the - aola absorbing them. ' " '..i f Votim before the mikado's bards be- n to sine or oriental troubadours be- 1 gas to chant their quaint and curious J r ica . the- legend was a national one. Ita peculiar featurea, the tale Itself ao odd and oriental, and the striking moral that It bore struck ao vibrant a chord in Japanese Imagination that it has lived through countless rears. Today It la the national story of 'Japan, as for ages It was the epic of Nippon. . What King .Arthur and the . Knights of tha Round Table are to Sazea legend and the Sagas were to the 'Norsemen, Uraahlma "Is to Japan. ' It has been told forever la Terse and story In Japanese literature, but has rarely boon translated. -. it " -r,- 1 It was long before the reign of Shoguna that Uraahlma Taro waa born. aay - the Japanese. And ' saying that means that he was born long before 'hlatsrtans began to write or bards began to sing, . - ' - - Taro ia a .term applied to the first born male child in every' family in .Japan. It means nothing, but is used as a word of endearment, of honor and 'of high regard.'. Uraahlma means little ilalands little Islands near the shore, ' Uraahlma loved the ocean. Even . aa child he loved to hear It murmuring mildly, or to see it dashing fiercely against the shorts and coral reefs,..He called it Haha, meaning mother, and talked with the waves in a strange and childish .prattle, loving and caressing them, saying that he was happy on their bosom. - , When be was five years of age they told him that he must learn of .his fathers, the Samurai. He waa taught that he must never complain, that, no matter what-overtook him or what 111a beset him he must not" murmur, but must simply endure," They placed him on a large board and in his tiny hand -they gave him a tiny blade. At that age jhe was taught what it meana to wield the sword of a Samurai for his native 'land. - . 1 He learned that neat and cold were merely to. teach him to endure and to jtemper his sword; that every stroke of misfortune' came only to make him strong. In tiny bare feet be went about his daily tasks; he knew no pleasures, 'but his pride and glory were ' in - the word that he bore. , f He learned that to his sister they taught modesty and purity. She never cared what others might do. nor spoke 111 ef her neighbor; r4 he knew that to her they had given' a tiny dagger, telling- her that it was better to die than that there Should be a stain upon the name of a SamaraL ; . - Strong of Itmb he grew; be was trained in every manly calling, and at restive' seasons took part ia. the- royal exhibitions . of Jiu-jitsu . - before the mikado.- Q tha waters he waa at home; he learned to manage his frail canoe la the roughest sea, and In tha stormiest weather he always left the shore. He told these who asked that he gathered harvest from the tumbling waters, One i beautiful 'morning Uraahlma rowed hie little beat out upon tha waters.- - The morning breese, ' Unl-no-kase. fanned hia cheeks and kissed his forehead, and he bowed and waved fare well to those .who stood upon the shore to see him-go:' The ocean rocked htm gently as the little boat went swiftly towards the sun. - Per out from shore .h .rested' on his are. ' There the fishes dwelt, the big ones that ho could not capture near the Islands. All baited be dropped his hook down into the clear, blue water. Down, , (Iewn it went until he felt It catch on omethlnx that resisted.' All h la efforts to release It were useless. Off be threw his outer garment, his kimono; lie laid the oars inside the boat and plunged into the ocean. He -dived Into , the water, following his line to loosen the tackle from the rocks. Deeper and derper he dived,, but did not find tha and. , .' '. '. '. . ., "' From the New'Tork Sua. ' '.' IT there, la one thing more, than- an other ' that excites the surprise of an American living la England, it Is ' the rigid class lines and prejudices which still obtain tn county society. - '. ...For example, not ao very long ago the wife Of a well-known London publisher, who cherished ambitions .to be smart, ' begged a friend of hers for an Introduc tion to the governor of the tower.. Now, as It happened, the governor at that mo ment was very much of a personage, and . the friend gently but none tha less de cidedly refused to grant Mrs. Publisher's request., '- ,....',-;--.- -; ., . - To a third party 1t was explslned that to yield the favor would have been a real unklndness. The personage. It seems, wss decidedly old-fashioned, and . upon finding out that the dady's husband mads books for a living, would unquestionably have asked why the devil such people .were forced. upon him, and have taken the first opportunity to give them the snub aristocratic. But to eee the ancient cast-iron sys tem st work In all Its glory ons should go to a shire-Ilka Lincoln, where the proudest gentry in the British Isles are to be found, - i . The, .neighbors were delightfully friendly, and after a call from, the -vicar and undergoing a satisfactory Inspection at church one Hunday wa were accented tn whole-hearted fashion by the beet of county society. The clergy or lour par tahea left carda. snd we were promptly Invited to at least a dosen. garden par ties. Among the 'nattvee' there could benol euastlnn that a certain Mr; X and ,( wife were the -most distinguished' looking mmA agreeable peopla In the plane. He waa a beauty of the English type, so 'tall and athletic, ao freshly tinted and -finely featured, and than he dressed with a perfection of color and rut one sees only amoag -men of his na 1 . - !-.'; Ihla couple qohp'4 a stately seat ' r ty, bad wonderful gardens, made a A I I ' ' i' 7v ' -?--V WV-f-J.im Ftnally'he reached the bottom. He aivea ounaiy-among tae .. rocks -and sponges in a vain-search for his tackle. Ia the midst of his searching ne -upturned a peculiar.' stone that fo. time seemingly resisted alt- his -efforts. . Great hia wonder on beholding when her had removed- the stone a- coral palace, roofed with pearly, glistening sheila, . . It waa far below the - water' but he could plainly see It as he paused on chanted at the -bottom, of tha ocean. '' In the garden round - the vt-coral I palaoe bloomed', strange, flowers '.that be -bad never seen before. " -'-i -...i..:. Then: from out the -palace hesaw a crowd -pressing-which stood back sa-a king and ria retinue descended from the steps -of the castle. t Uraahlma knew at once-that It. waa. tha palace. .of the' King Ryu-O. of which an old fisherman had told -him-many, years 1 before: i All I the Bshea and the mermsJda were -his sub jects: the, finny.: tribes and', turtles all obeyed him, 'ran hia errands, servtod htm and-paid him. tribute Iwhteh-they. gath ered from thO BpolIs'.ot-tbatoeean. i ' i Aa be.lOQked he saw the .gate .-of tha strange paiaos and' at1 it he gate stood a number . of beautiful. .noale:. ladles. . , As he saw them they chanced to look - ia hia direction asd-raelred rUrashlma peering : down i at them: s Then .they beckoned to him. i threw 1 welcoming glances toward the strange, youth, beg ging thatt he comae to itbam:- in their kingdom beneath the waters. ,. - i .r ' At last- he conaented;'. be listened to their pleadings. and. was Jured. Into 'tha palace of the sea klngTbey-led him Into the -great haiU-where they spread a eult.of birds and: flowers, .bred superb cattle and were noted for their "kindness to the cottage folk. I : first -.met them In an-lndustrisl. movement designed to elevate the peasantry, and was greatly surprised never to encounter tbem again In any. of . the , neighboring- drawing- rooms. i, -; Vi .'..- -, . ,-,;.- J . . ,-. In fact,-1 was so disappointed that I made Inquiries, declaring my. Intention of hunting them up. trying to exchange visits, and asked .the advice of a local magnate aa to the arrangement of a din ner I wanted to give later on, which would " Include" 1 the attractive husband and wtfa..,.-..w-'.. t . "What the X's!" she exclaimed. "Why, my dear lady, you surely have no intention of meeting auch people on a dinner footing!" .. , , -. , ... ... ' 'ut why notf I inquired; "They are far and away the most amusing man and woman about here, and -1 am almply dying to be asked to see their aviary and orrhld-houees." - -. - - j - ' Ths colonel replied rather Vtlffly that If I adhered to my rash course I might be sure hone of the eounty people could be induced to accept my Invitation, and he entreated me to desist from such' a social blunder. I- Instantly ' concluded that some deadly disgrace waa Involved. and begged to- hear the story and Jiidge for myself. ..-. ".. ! . ."..' ..'. 1 I ,; Then, with that complete absence of humor and the solemn- precision of his race my . military -friend explained.-'' He aald that poor" Mrs. x was of Isreproach. able birth' and morale; but the-commun ity had ibeen compelled to ostracise her on svrount of her deplorable marriage. The wretched Mr. X 'was not only the or. of a farnter .but snd here he eta red like a. homed wl through his glasses X wss- proprietor' of the chief auction mart In Lincoln, where the greatest rat tle - fairs- of England -are heldv weekly tbrmighaut the year. . . ' "Well, and- what of their t Inquired. "Bat my -dear rmatUmr rxclalnied that good, dull Briton, can't you aea bow: hopeless it Is bavlsg to do with v'. banquet tot him, and all made merry la honor of j hlsj?oinln0He WmsJin honored guest and lords and- ladle paid him homage. The great King Jlyn-O waa vary pleased with the. comely youth and gave to him -fcla-ooly-clajigfcter-In marriage. . .Uraahlma he i made . heir, to all his kingdom.. .There was no envy nor .Jealousy, among. .the , nobles and royal . children -when tha . .king . made known hia .pleasure. - ; , -; ., - Swlf,tly pasad' the days, for Uraahlma Taro., Iike the weaver' a shuttle in the little ' hut on the hlUslde tha happy days aped uncounted. He reckoned. not the. time .since, ha, left the- but and his people on the shore. Amid every kind of pleasure he was Jost to all hia past; ha forgot- the little - boat .that waited for him. and .the people .on ,the Islsnds, In that " enchanted under world. In- the palace of the r sea king,, he. lived with the beautiful maldeiy' ruled the . empire and thought' not. of the', time V when 'things must'dhsn'ge. Trouble was "un known 'in toe kingdom of Ryu-gu-50. 1 But Tat-last 'there 'came ev. longing, aa unquenchable' yearning to' see-his natWa village; tot see the' .people 'of the sea shore. . He r longed . to ; see' , the . 'aged mother,' to aea and bear' the people he had known In" the ' .other '-world,.' to breathe, the air above tha .waters, -, and to hear the land birds sing. He longed to llsthn' to' the jnurmur of "tha waves and ride-again in hit little boat 4 , Vainly did his beautiful 'young wife, tha sea king's ' daughter, beseech ; him not to leave her.' -All the nobles pleaded wtth him, told ' him of the vast ' posses sions he waa ' leaving ' and '. ho w , , they ,vl. suOh' caiiaUle T ' It is 'deplorabfe that 'a woman of Mrs. X's-gentle ttlood should so utterly forget the-obligatlons of her Class. - Tet If she Is dead 'to, all' sense of "decency, -we hold It-In our 'hands to protect- tha- society j of .-Lincolnshire againat" this sort of contamination. - I' then -became ''Interested' to' inquire hows. such , prejudices, work' out . and aaked .a series of , question as-to the . 1 . ... ;,4 v. , - .. ," -' ' r - - ' r g """ " TT1' 'iv"' " " " t-?-.V5--.''i''.-jlljgBt--- -' "?-' '. ? j? s'gra I. f 'From FreirfKt GbnclWtbrvto- Prdsiflent ' , rLLlXil' F.' POTTeW recentty nnanlmoualv elected by the r Lons Island railroad's board dency of 'the road." knows moat of the .0 employes on the road, well enough to speak to. He -has met them In the course of bla aeveni years', connection with the- road aa general superintendent The acquaintance' of a good 'many, of them ha has made while they were'en gaged in Working on the companj road bed or, banking the fire In an engine. . 'One. - employe accounts ; fpr his , popu larity in Oris wsyj .: . J r t, ';, ."He never condemns a man Who works for Mho road' without first hearing" his Side .of the- story,' and when, ths man la guilty -of a breach of discipline.' he never' sends him away without temper ing ,the punishment with kind words and (Wholeaome- advice."; ..,.- .; ' Mr. Potter la a man of to, UU and alender. but. with a face that denotes aa abundance" of nervous -energy, - He has been raltroadlng aver slnre he wss l, ' His father, Dr.- H. ' O. Pott ev. had large holdings 1 rallsoad properties and his grandfather wai also a railroad man; ' .- 7 . . ! ; 'J- j ' i I ' " I : ;TKE SPIRIT "' . " i v- -. tllil I llniMWIiaiil oi'TMiiai Ml ( - - k :- .r .J.- - . . V' i"A;.l . i.'-.f-'.r ! - v -" i '. could not .find another, who would 'rule as well n' hia ataad. ', , , , t . When .at laat tha princess found she could not- dissuade him aha bade t him go, giving him a little casket., but -bidding him to keep It safely, urging .that be never look within It. , It- waa a- talis man, aha told him, that would take, him safely 'on. his Journey . and , bring him beck to -her again. But aha did -net aay what it oootained, only begging that he ahould not 'look within. , . There . waa . great . lamantatloa . when Uraahlma, prepared to : depart.. -.They brought to him a - great : aea, , turtle, bridled and - saddled. - ready, for its rider. Urasblma mounted .the great !-aea turtle and, rode - swiftly 'towards, the surface of tha ocean. Safely be reached it, bearing : near- hia boapm the little casket that the princess-bad given him. .. On the -back of the great sea turtle ha . rode . safely , to abore,) Free . of; its burden the clumsy monster swam quick ly away, aaylng that ho iWouM come again: iwhen the prtnoesa8entVf or i-him.'rs,. scratched his bead and said , there,' stracism f I '. r.- '.- iT, status -of - Mrs.' X - with bar Immediate ft.rt . r, -t. .-; famllrl- ,.' 'i at' appears that she1" was 'one -of "five maiden ' and orphaned, daughters ' of k clergyman, living a mean higgling little ltfe-on cheese parings -and' candle 'ends. Big. good-looking X. courted her .boldly; she-loved him and they 'were married In- av very 'storm of opprobrium, and re proach. .-, i .'' - '1. : He has a. brother who Is practical. rail road man too. .j'1' ,-: .i-' . ' President .Potter was ,born at' Utica and received a military, aad ' technical training at a 'school ait Worceater, -Mass. He .went .abroad to complete 'his edut. cation, -traveling in Bnglahd, -France and Germany. ; and ' returned . to this country, to accept a lit .a. week place as -clerk In the audi tor" a office of the Pere Marquetta road In -Michigan. ' ' r One day an off leer of . the road who had . noticed young , PoXter,. approached hlm'and said: ........ ., .! -.-.- vi : 4 ."Poster, what do you want to stay In 't - j' ' " ' ' ' ,: 1 ,',.."...-',. tW ", a Xongest Masonry Arok ea ' Earth, The .builders are at worx.oiTa1ftono viaduct, at Pla uen. Saxony, ".over, the River Syl-a which contains :ths longest niasonrv arch In tha nrM' it. i,n-,u being lit feet t Inches, measured horljj wviMxmur, Mum hw w oara. -i ne J-.UV-embourg bridge serosa the. . valley of forufft, a-hlrh was completed a few mentha-ago. has a s?n of 77 feet Tne'neat longeet-maaonry arch Is In the United tstes, near Washington,! andv Is knoan as the Cabin John bridge. Its length of spaa U i:o feet - - Standing. Qn the shore and .listening to' the waves Urasbima , felt that the was as , young and - handsome as ha was the morning- that ha 'left it. "He -pondered much - and ' smiled 'at his'1 strange ad-: venture.') '' .' ' " ': ': .',,? ' ' Then he ' started to the? village and the' hiit r upon' the hillside. ',. He won? dered, greatly that , of ail the faoas that he, saw -not one .did. he remember. -They oast 1 strange . looks, at , him . and .mar veled when he .spoke. Much - mora sorely was. he pussled when he reached the vil lage and the little but upon the. hill side and found none who loved him or even remembered. - All " those that . ha remembered, he - Anally learned, . were now slumbering In the graveyard. -.'.Then of. a; group of old fishermen he asked If any one remembered Uraahlma, the, sonof -ocean,, who .loved - to ride upon 11m ,diaiuws. iocr - mnvum uivir heads -moufnfully, .while . an -old tman. ;m9re ancient ana. gnssiea tnan tne otn ; i -4, '. '- yA.- ! ' Jhe colonel told .with : disapproval of her 'being, now allowed, to vtslt-her, in valid mother once a month, but added that all "the rest of the famay made It a point, to be absent on. sveh-otca-slona.' Her old' friends she only met at church and ' on ' charity boards," where bowa 'were exchanged, that being ' the extent , of ' her " intercourse ' with ' '. her hera st "this desk forf tTKy'don't you get .out and .hustle somewhere .' where you can do somsthlngf. .." ,' '..'.'. A few days Uter. Mr. Potter,' with his European culture, becam,a a ..conductor on a combination - freight and gravel train on-the Pere-Marquette rood. He learned every deUll of his Job nd, bet ter still, : he 'made friends of the men who-worked with him. ; . ,' " ,; . In a few months ho became ronductof of a local passenger tfaJa and for three years worked St this Job., Then the road needed a station master at one of tha-1 large cities on ' the route, and he waa advanced to; the place. ' His appointment at division' superintendent followed a few years later, and in 18H William H. Btldwln." Jr who' was then president or the. Pere Marquette, appointed ' him general superintendent of the' road." '.. .Thin 'place he held, until ,1 Ms, when he 'became general .superintendent of the Ing' Island 'road: under . Mr. Baldwin. Whan -he-4 ft the west several hundred of the road's' employes gathered at the station to sea him off. .and the , local newspapers old how ' some of ,-theae men actually '.wept,' when . they, .ahook hands with Mr. Potter for . the" last Ume, .L; ; ; r '. .' . f ,.V.'.U- .O v ; " .iv f ' ' y ". 1 i 7- THBTHU1TDBE: 60P;1 . .' , -, '-. s - ..V - ' I seemed to him soma' faint aad .distant recollection of. the name.. - . . ' Then he thought, more 1 deeply Tand Anally told' Uraahlma that " In the - leg ends, of .his . ancestors-. -there --waa -one about a lad oalled. Uraahlma; -a. beau tiful youth, who loved tha ocean; how he .Vowed out .upon. Its- bosom and. they never mora bad seen him.- It was' only a myth, the-old 'man' sald for he -had heard It from a very old ra an,, who him self ' h4f heard it Indirectly from the lips of another.v, . ' t .', , i ', i ,-. . Poor .Uraahlma- was grief -stricken, jle Vainly tried to tell them that he him self was lUraahlma, ithat he" waa, young and handsome and 'atUl, loved "the ocean. They amlled and.abook their heads sad ly. In his grief '. he heeded, not the pre cautions of; tha prinoesa.. the. daughter of 'the., aea 'king,.. but .wildly, unclasped the' oaaket which , he; still carried, near 'his bosom.'.' 'I' . , , , .. v, ,.',' y . i ...Out , there 'flew . a," purple , spirit ..'.He seised for It but It, was gone.. It floated higher and, higher and seemed ..to. emit,' "T" . - v ' i ' ... ' .' " Oneu cousln; ." so It : seems; rebelling against .the, rigor of , the. law and hoping to effect some sort of -reconciliation,' ln vitad tha . X.'a ,once to , a ; la wn -party Happily, or unhappily, ytbeee .kindly 'at tentions . were noised abroad,' and-before the afternoon" came' afoUnd - the 1 enter tainment -was declared off, .as 1 -every other man and, woman In the 'neighbor hood sent ln-regrete." It-was a- horrible mortification - to l J(the . X. s,..who . had since then 'drawn-completely apart" ' "And what about the eon,' I wanted to know, having noticed 'a singularly attractive child with -them-at-ohureh - My friend observed - that there was the main : trouble. ,.X. waa such a atur pld.selflsh brute that he utterly refused to try and 'aave his boy.f ' .t ' .. . - The-mother"a family.' It appears, of. fered to, take, the lad, give . him ' their name to. bring him up as their own for a. handsoms money consideration on condition that he have no further Intercourse ,wlth his. father. , feeling,- If some such . precautlona were taken, there was hope, he, might yet be'a gen tleman. . , ...'.' . But no, alwaya obstinate aa a pis'. X". Insisted upon, keeping 'the child in his own clasp ,. and - some said . he did not mean4o even send his son. upwfor. the army. ' 1 That . charge, the colonel, .re fused , 'to 'believe, for' of course putting the youngster Into a good regiment and giving, him plenty of money .to spend would certainly , help matters. . ,-: ' , . 'I "And ao." I , summarised,., "the,, best looking, "cleverest. maoliestsmaj la , this community Is sbborred and thrown out Ilka a criminal because he owns , an auar Uon mart and. ranka. with tradespeople, V'l notice he heads-alt you. subscripr lion lists-for village Improvement nj church restoration, . that he., writes ev. erybody'a, public, speeches and really runs this entire. show evea. If he does sell cattle., tou freely use and freely abuee-hlm. ' ..','.',' , 1 ' ' "Well, how, will you. who -are , ao keen on social ' distinctions, explain to ,, "'. .: - " . r -' ; r"1 many tiny curious shapes as It climbed up ; toward vtha clouds., K ,1 ,,' ' Instantly there waa a ' change in Uraahlma. Ria linee of beauty changed to wrinkles; his limbs Of strength grew old and trembling; his raven hair turned white' as ' hoar-frost ' He waa an old 'mam older, than-the. oldest of the group to . whom' he Just , had,' spoken. , They gased at hlm 'ln' sorrow. Their (looks of mirth had. changed, to .pity, .they raised the' fallen figure and1 earrlad.lt to tha little, but. upon the hlllaide. ' . . To this 4lay the fishing people in tha mlkadoa, klpgddm ' tell -- about another kingdom .at the bottom . of the ocean.. They whisper . aa . they .tell it -and .their narrow eyes, grow narrower. ' Little chil dren: liuah their crying when thsy heas it When the waves .are beating wildly on. the shore .of the, little, Islsnds they say that the king below is angry. . .This Is the story of Urashima Taro, the "strange "table of old Nippon. -1 ia the Jap at see legend of discontent' .'-' J'" . :t:rA-' me why the saras people who refuse to recognise the X's .will grovel before aa American nobody married to an English aarlf .Wa t constshtly send over ; tha--scum of 1 Our cOuntry'--rlch scum,- I grant you and it la welcomed In circles of English society. It could never, hops -to penetrate in the United Statss. . . . ! U. ma t what..lt..maana, for I am often, confused over. here. at. tha eon s tan t talk -of class honor,-class obliga tions, pride o.blrth, etc and yet watch you take Yankee. vulgarians to yaur 001018 With raptuous enthusiasm.", . . Expressing hia -views-aa delicately as possible, . the 'colonel said that in tha flret .place' King Edwarors' pronounced -penchant for'Amerloans had done won- ders : to 'advance them "socially,- , Tha king . had made them fashionable, and -alwaya turned a deaf ear when any one tried to criticise Uncle Sam's offspring. . He -explained by the way that it waa one cause of - colonial bitterness that Australians, Canadians,. In fact overseas ' Britons generally; were Invariably mad to. give place to the all conquering' Yan kee. , "Colonial", waa. recognised aa a term, of . reproach, as regards accent. dress, manners,, etc,- whereas tha loud., eet voiced and moat blaarra New Torker. or . C-hloagoan was - accepted and - ap plauded a "original. "V : t. ---,-,. "And, then," with 1 an . apprehensive air, "you see. we In England realise quite, clearly . that , certain .differentia tions' do exist In .. your .' countrymen. There -.are, undoubtedly tall Americans' and, short rAgterlcana, Americans : who are rich ana Americans who are poor, and-ttls even said that some Yankees V are aharper , than others hut when it , ' comes to a . question of family,, birth or ' social rank, alaa. deir lndv.ymi,ara all - ' of you simply Americans. Helaeen.wh.it ' . you call high class snd -low clssa tha distinction is, loo subtle to be grasped -by the British, underntindlng. ,. I myself fear it la aa indeterminate quantity."' - " ". -"-. '' . , . ,'- - . -. IH- . s- ' , -. i ' ' . ' 1 1 " '. '- ' . ' .
