The Japanese At Work At Philadelphia

The most cunous part of the aay s work was the driving of a nuniber of piles, each gix feet long and 10 inohes in diameter, upon whioh is to rest, like a corn-crib, a rectangular structure, 84 by 44 feet, and ia general appearance like the piotures of Japanese houses that children see in their primers. Tho way in whioh the Japs raanaged the pile-driving brought many a buret of laughter from the bystanders. They had a portable tripod, about 20 foet high, with two fiied pulleys under the apex, froni which was suspended by a grasa rope a cylindrical iron hamnier, weighiug 300 pounds. Six Jupa on each side of the machine seize a grasa rope which passes over ono ot' the pulleys, tbe foreman stands at ono side, holds up one finger, closes one eye, and then, apparently not satisfied with this, picks up a short stick, holds it in a vertical position between his two forefingers, sighth the pile with it, and at last wiiika with both eyes ag a signal to the workmen that the ceroinony of Japanese plumb-bobbing is concluded, whereupon tbe haminer moves up and down very rapidly, driving the pile an inch into the earth at every descent, until it is time for the foreman to do a little more plumb-bobbing. One pile struek a rock, and while everyone was wonlui ing how things were to be managed, one of the gane ran oft' and brought back soniething that had teeth hke a siiw, but whicli was Bbaped like a butcher's cleaver, but tbo panting Jap had severed the atick in about half the time required for a saw of American make to do the same work. The Japs draw their planes toward them instead of pnshing them from tbem, and use ati ink line instead of a chalk line. It resembles a tape-line case, and contains a apongo which may be satura ted with ink of any color ; through this sponge the cord muy be drawn and then wound up, dispensing with th tedious process of chalking. The holes of the piles were marked out in this odd way : two posts, one at each end of the foundation, were connected at the top by a tightly drawn cord ; from end to end o) thig the mandarín foreman walked with his rule, marking off spaces, which he marked by tying bits of string in bow knots to the main cord, and tben standing to go through his delicate operation of plum-bobbing, which ha repeated every time that his men removed the tripod to drive a new pile. Their adz is a remarkable tooi, chiefly on account of its handle, wbich is shaped as Hogarth's line of beauty might be il wnrnfld bv torrid weather. The _ - _._ .._ er of this tooi stands over his tiinber and hacks awny, driving the steel far underneath hig foot at every blow. When the ropes of the pile-driTers were too long the foreman fastenec blocks of wood in glip nota to shorten thein, but one of these slipped anc dropped on the head of a young Jap oausing him to lot go the ropo, fall backward, and roll over to a big log, upon which he sat down to rest himself anc laugh. The Japan ese square is 18 1-2 inches long and 9 1-4 wide, and is graduated like the rule, by the decimal system 9 1-4 of their inches being equal to 8 o: ours. In the bamboo building not a nai will be used, all the material is there dovotailod, bevelod, and mortised, ready to be fastened together with wooden pin s. The artisans live in a frame structnre within the inolosure, do their own cooking and laundry work, anc live on soup, rice, and dried meats which they brought with thoni in hermetically sealed cans. Tbe officials liaving charge of Japanese operations in the park refuse to give the slightes' information as to wbat they are doing When asked about their building anc intended exhibition the questioner is invariably put off with, " Wait till oomes time ; you then see." It displeases them when spectators laugh at the uncouth meohanical operations of the flat-nosec and tawny-featured Orientáis.