Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 July 1892 — Carpentering in Japan. [ARTICLE]

Carpentering in Japan.

Japanese carpenters are ingerious workmen, and their work is done with marvelous neatness. A curious feature of their horned is that they do not contain a nail, all the joints and timbers being dovetailed together by many ingenious devices; and the whole of the work, even to the rafters. is as smooth as if it had been polished down with sandpaper. And the Japanese are a neat people, for they use no paint to hide any blemish of construction or ornamentation; no filagree work or plaster of paris gewgaws; but every stick in the, building is exposed. Every morning, as regularly as she cooks the breakfast, or sweeps the floor, the Japanese housewife takes a wet cloth and scours the whole interior of the dwelling, leaving no part untouched, and no stains or dirt spots to mar its cleanly appeal ance. Then the Japanese do not come

Into the bouse with muddy boots, but, having covered the floor with neat matting, always remove their dirty sandals before stepping upon it It is Interesting to watch the Japanese carpenters at their work, and the peculiarity of their movements. The Japanese carpenter works toward him—that is, instead of shoving a plane upon the board at arm’s length, he pulls it towards him; and he cuts, saws, and chops in the same way. His saws are fixed in handles like a butchers cleaver, and the teeth slant toward the handle. The planes are constructed like ours, but the wooden portion is very thin and wide. The adze is- fastened to the end of a hooped stick; yet although their tools are different from ours, they are neither awkward in appearance nor awkwardly handled.