No.13 (March 15, 1912)

Change in Fernie 

As Old Kishida is currently located in Fernie, to follow the right order we will work on Fernie from now on. The situation in Fernie tremendously changed since the fire of 1908. Those who read the first series of Exploration of Devil Caves may still remember it. Okiku was in Fernie and was with a black barber, but she left for Japan two years ago and we do not know when she will come across the ocean again. Her black husband misses her and is waiting for her return, stretching his black neck*. Okiku is a Christian and at the same time was wily enough to get involved in the business, which you know. She first landed with her former-husband Hasegawa and at one time she had a western restaurant in Three Valley. She then returned to Japan with him, coming back to Canada by herself the next time, and became a madam of a prostitute cave in Fernie with four or five prostitutes. She has a scar shaped like a cross on her forehead, which she got from her prostitute’s husband. She believes in Christianity, teaching others that those who do good deeds go to heaven, those who do bad deeds go to hell and those banal ones who do neither good nor bad deeds can go to neither heaven or hell so they will be reincarnated; From what we see there is no chance for Okiku to be reborn, indeed. While she will not live another life, it seems that she will come back from Japan again. But there is no guarantee of this. 

There are two houses owned by Old Kishida. He also has a small shack. He rents out his two houses to white people running brothels and he manages and supervises his prostitution business in his shack. Okuni, who died recently, was once working there. Okuni is indeed one of those who had an unfortunate fate. After devoting herself to life in a devil cave to take care of her husband’s gambling expense and his imprisonment, she passed away. She would not be able to rest unless her husband’s reformation is finally proven fruitful. He is from Gōshū** and called Hyōsaku Matsuno. 

Most of the prostitutes in Fernie are white and there are only few Japanese. But here I would like to say a few words about the fire of the summer 1910.