The Ainu group at the Saint Louis Exposition — John Shaqi
The Ainu group at the Saint Louis ExpositionStarr, Frederick
History
The Ainu group at the Saint Louis Exposition
Starr, Frederick
Ainu; Louisiana Purchase Exposition (1904 : Saint Louis, Mo.)
We had gone about three-fourths of the journey when, at Iwamizawa
Junction, we saw a white man, slender, long-bearded, with fur cap,
boots and long cape-coat, waiting, with his wife, on the platform, to
board the train. They entered the car next to us, where he left lady
and luggage, and then again stepped out upon the station platform,
where he walked up and down. He seemed to know every guard and
employe at the station and talked with all in Japanese. Seeing us, he
casually spoke to us. Having answered his question, I said to him, “I
believe you are the man for whom I am looking and the one man who can
help me in my enterprise. I suspect you are the Rev. John Batchelor?”
My surmise was quite right, but Mr. Batchelor, being an Englishman,
is socially cautious, and at once became quite reticent. Before we
reached Sapporo, we had laid the case fully before him and he was
evidently interested. He was, however, non-committal and desired me
to see the Governor before he should promise his assistance. We were
not more than half convinced that we should win his favor, but, two
days later, after he had thought the matter over and Baron Sonoda
had given us his endorsement, Mr. Batchelor cast in his lot with us
most heartily and all was then plain sailing. Indeed there were _no_
difficulties; things were disappointingly easy—because, after all,
we enjoy some hardship and opposition! Japanese boys are taught that
they should be like the carp and swim _against_ the stream; it is
good for them. But we had no chance to be like carp.
[Illustration: MEDAL OF AINU TEMPERANCE SOCIETY.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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