ff at the door. Entering a small
vestibule of the hotel a servant bowed, seated us, took off our shoes,
put them up like checking one's grip, brought slippers and assisted in
putting them on, then invited us in. The proprietor bowed and began to
apologize. The Japanese always apologize. A friend was with me and the
landlord said that he was very sorry that he had no rooms good enough
for such dignified guests to sleep in, but he would give us his best.

Bidding us follow him he led the way upstairs. I simply could not keep
the slippers on my feet so took them off and carried them, one in each
hand. At the top of the stairway a door slid open and a Japanese lady
began laughing. I expect she is telling yet about a foreigner who once
came to the hotel who thought slippers were to wear on his hands. On
reaching the rooms, amidst profuse apologies, he named the price which
was double the amount named on the printed card. When my friend called
his attention to his published prices he said: "Yes, but I will make you
fine gentlemen a discount," and proceeded to discount the price to that
named on his card.

The city of Tokyo is a little world in itself. It contains nearly three
million people. It covers more than twenty-eight square miles of
territory. Its streets are generally narrow and in much of the city
there is practically no sewer system. The refuse and night soil is all
saved and sold for fertilizer. If a fire should get well started it
looks like a great portion of the city would go up in smoke for most of
the houses are of flimsy material and would burn like haystacks.

They have no system of numbering houses and to hunt for some certain one
is like hunting for a needle in a haymow. Like in all cities the people
are pleasure loving and the parks and shows are well attended. In the
very heart of the city is a square mile of territory given entirely up
to the lowest form of evil. It is undoubtedly one of the most wicked
spots on the globe.

One must not judge the Japanese people or even the people of Tokyo by
this standard, however, for no people ever made such tremendous strides
as have the Japanese nation since the days of Commodore Perry. The great
Imperial University of Tokyo makes one think of Yale or Harvard. The
buildings are modern and the campus beautiful and well kept. Passing
through these grounds a friend pointed out the most noted buildings.
Entering them I found the most modern and up-to-date equipment.