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Show Invented Japanese Taxi Thousands cf coolies tret between the shafts of Jinrikishas on the streets of Japan, China and Singapore Singa-pore to earn a few cents a day. Yet strange as it may seemi, these two x heeled taxis are the invention cf a C. S. Marine, according to a release by Postmmaster Ray K. Bohne. it came about in this fashion. Private Jonathan Goble iwas a member mem-ber of the U. S. Marine detachment cn the U. S.S. Susquehanna, one of ships with Commodore Perry's fleet which visited Japan in 1854. A native of New York State, Goble had followed the occupation of farmer before he entered tr.e Marine Corps in 1851 at the age of twenty four, remaining inthe service about four years. Perhaps Goble conceived his idea of the ricksha when he was abroad with Perry, but it was some years later, after he had returned to Japan as a missionary that he suggested to the Japanese his idea of making, these go-carts a means of conveyance. convey-ance. Goble was deeply religious and his return to Nippon iwas prompted by a desire to instruct the Japanese in Christian beliefs. The first ricksha i ma.de its appearance in Japan about 1867, and subsequently its use spread rapidCy to other Oriental countries. Inazo Nitofce a. Japanese hiseorian credited the ex-marine iWith the i'teventirn cf the ricksha., an opinion which has been confirmed by other historians. "His thought," wrote INitobe, "resulted in the so-called man power carriage." Regardless of this vehicle's comparative com-parative convenience and coxtfort, the lot a ricksha puller is not a nappy one. Several bh cooles earn a precariourf,113 rlcha Shanghai alonaj timss averagng ites trS,50 month, while the death ? Ho a them is high. eath ra anion! |