Page 960 : JANESVILLE — JAPAN
and at an early age showed great artistic talent. Her life as an actress began, with much success, at Cologne. She appeared in the principal cities of Germany, Great Britain and the United States. She was an actress of great power, but lacked the finer touches of her art. She died in 1904.
Janes′ville, Wis., the capital of Rock County, 71 miles southwest of Milwaukee and 91 northwest of Chicago, at the junction of four railroads, lies mostly between bluffs in the narrow bottom land of Rock River, which is crossed here by four bridges. The river is also crossed by dams, and its water-power is utilized in the numerous manufactories. There are a number of flour, cotton and woolen mills, two foundries and over 50 factories of various kinds. Janesville is the center of a large tobacco-growing district, and large warehouses for sorting and packing tobacco furnish employment to many laborers. It is the seat of the Wisconsin School for the Blind, and has public-school property to the value of nearly $260,000. Population 13,894.
Janizaries (jăn′ĭ-zā-rĭz) (a Turkish word meaning new soldiers), the first regular standing army of the Turks, formed by Sultan Orkhan in 1330. They mainly were young Christian prisoners, who were compelled to believe in Mahomet. In 1362 the army numbered 10,000, and for some time prisoners were added, but the force became privileged and honored, so that many young Turks sought to be admitted into their number. At the head of the force was an aga or chief. In peace the janizaries acted as police, and in war they served on foot, being noted for bravery. The sultan’s bodyguard was formed of them. Their history is replete with conspiracies, assassinations of sultans, viziers and agas. More than one sultan attempted to reform or disband them. At last Sultan Mahmud II, in 1826, having organized a new force after the pattern of the European armies, displayed the flag of the prophet, and after hard fighting drove the janizaries into their barracks, which he burned, 8,000 perishing in the flames. Not less than 15,000 were executed, and more than 20,000 were banished. By a proclamation, June 17, 1826, the janizary forces were finally disposed of, and their place taken by the nizam, the modern regulars, formed on the European plan. See Pooler’s The Story of Turkey.
Jan′uary, the first month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It was named from Janus, the god who in the Roman mythology presided over the origin of things. To the Scandinavians it was the month of Thor. January was in England made the first month of the year by an act of parliament in 1751.
Janus (jā′nŭs), an old Italian god, who was supposed to guard the gates of Rome. In every undertaking the pious Roman prayed for the blessing and help of Janus. He is represented with a scepter in his right hand and a key in his left, sitting on a golden throne. He has two faces, one youthful and the other aged, the one looking forward and the other backward. Numa devoted to him the passage close by the Forum at Rome. This passage, often called a temple, was simply a gateway, which was sacred and contained the statue of Janus. This was open in time of war, and closed in time of peace. So constant were the Roman wars, that this gateway was only three times closed in 700 years.
Japan′. The Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05, with its astounding results and the consequent readjustment of world-policies in the Far East, is of so recent a date that it is difficult to realize that a half century ago the “Empire of the Rising Sun” was terra incognita, its image in the popular mind colored by the tales of Marco Polo. It seems incredible that the Japanese should have overcome oriental conservatism and inertia and leaped forward 500 years in the space of 50. The awakening was national, spontaneous, self-directed; western civilization was assimilated intentionally, intelligently and so quietly that the rest of the world was scarcely aware of it. It was confidently expected that Russia would occupy Pekin and Seoul, and the partition of China among the great powers was considered to be a question for settlement in European capitals. Japan’s beautiful and distinctive arts and crafts, her exquisite manners, her elaborate social and religious systems, all proving a very ancient civilization, secured for her no substantial recognition. Her eager ambition and efficient adoption of advanced ideas, devices and scientific principles were looked upon as the activities of a precocious child, from which little achievement was to be expected. Up to 1895 and her successful war with China, Japan was humiliated by the maintaining of consular courts with jurisdiction over foreign residents; and hampered financially and exploited by the nominal duties that foreign powers chose to pay in the treaty ports.
Japan was like a man laboring with one hand tied behind his back. The leap into the arena was, therefore, all the more startling. When Port Arthur was fired upon, in February, 1904, and troops landed in Korea, the world cried: “Bravo! magnificent but suicidal.” It was thought that the Great Bear of the north would make just one mouthful of the plucky little oriental terrier. A year later, when Japanese bonds were eagerly bought in London, Paris and New York, Marquis Ito, the Japanese Bismarck, is reported to have commented upon the singular fact that western civilization still made force of arms the standard of equality among nations. To-day there is a very general disposition to accept Japan
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