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He bought rakes and hoes and was going to level the land by hand, but after much persuasion from local rice farmers, he purchased a land leveler. He bought mules and when he outfitted them with harnesses, he put a saddle on each one, thinking it part of the gear. He and his men furnished much amusement for the local townspeople, for regardless of how much he desired to learn the American way of life, he still clung to the ways of his native country. He lived here six years and at no time was he ever disrespected.
In 1903 the Moore-Cortes Canal Company contracted to have a hotel built to lodge the boom town's important business visitors.
In 1905 a banker and unmarried businessman from Illinois named William Alard Furber bought the hotel as an investment. His widowed sister, Caroline B. Fisher, came down from Illinois with her daughter to run the hotel.
Caroline Fisher had a knack for entertaining. A story has it that she kept a red carpet in the hotel to be rolled out to the street to welcome prominent guests during the rice and oil boom days. Katayama was reported to have been the hotel's most distinguished guest.
Historic Matagorda County, Markham history |
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FOR SALE—About eighty sacks of Japanese rice seed, specially cleaned and selected after home system by the Agricultural Society of Okayama province, which is famous in Japan rice land. Has been shipped and will arrive about January 6. Owner has decided not to go in rice business and desires to sell his seed. Write or call on Hirato Katayama or T. Okajaki, 1111 Congress Ave., Houston, Texas.
Houston Post, December 21, 1905, Vol. 21, No. 281, p. 10 |
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Beaumont, Texas, December 22.—Huroto [Hiroto] Katayama, a wealthy banker and member of the municipal council of Tokio, Japan, who is touring this country to become informed on conditions in the United States, spent the day in Beaumont and left this evening for Washington, New York City and other points.
Mr. Katayama was seen by The Post correspondent, with whom he talked interestingly on conditions in his country and modern impressions of the United States which exist in Japan.
With reference to the Japanese colony to be located on the Taylors bayou section of this county, Mr. Katayama expressed the hope and opinion that the proposed colony would be a success, as Mr. Mayumi, the promoter, was a man of large and successful enterprises in Japan. Not all the colonies of Japanese in this county have been successful, and one of the reasons which prompted his visit to this country was to make personal inquiry and investigation into conditions as they really exist, with a view of determining the underlying causes of the failure of some of the Japanese projects in the United States to come up to expectations. As he had been in this country only a few weeks, Mr. Katayama said he “was not yet ready to express his conclusions in this matter.”
“I came to Beaumont especially,” he said, “because the place is famous throughout Japan as a great oil center. We read with much interest in Japan of the great Lucas gusher and the magnificent oil wells brought in on Spindle Top and in our country there is much curiosity regarding the Texas oil industry.”
Speaking of the Russo-Japanese war, Mr. Katayama says that directly after the peace of Portsmouth there were manifestations of disorder and discontent among the lower classes of the larger cities of Japan, but that all this has subsided, and the sober verdict of the nation is approval of the settlement of the great conflict according to the treaty terms and gratitude toward President Roosevelt for this timely and successful intervention resulting in the cessation of hostilities and the peace of Portsmouth.
He says that the Japanese feel especially grateful to the United States and England, for without the moral sympathy and friendship of these two great nations it is extremely doubtful if Japan could have waged a successful war against the great Muscovite empire. As a result of the war, he says, business in all channels has been enormously stimulated in Japan and the business interests in that country have reaped a golden harvest. The national debt of the empire has also increased enormously, owing to the huge expenditures of the war, and for many years it will be a burden on the empire.
Mr. Katayama referred to the recent visit to Japan of Miss Alice Roosevelt, Secretary Taft and the distinguished party of representatives of this country, and says that as a result of this visit the friendly ties between Japan and the United States have been cemented and strengthened.
He also recalled the recent visit to Japan of William Jennings Bryan, whom he met in Tokio. He says that the people of Japan have the highest regard and esteem for Mr. Bryan and consider him one of the greatest living Americans. He told a story showing how Mr. Bryan had won the heart of Japan.
Seven years ago, he said, a young Japanese went to Mr. Bryan’s home town in Nebraska and entered as a student in college. During this time he met Mr. Bryan and a friendship sprang up between the two. Later this Japanese, whose name was Yamashita, returned to his native land and became a professor in one of the universities. When Mr. Bryan visited Japan he met his former friend at Nagoyea and journeyed 1000 miles to Satsuma to pay his respects to his friend’s mother. In Japan the Oriental custom of respect, esteem and veneration for parents and ancestors has a strong and deeply rooted hold, and Mr. Bryan’s courteous action won him the love of Japan.
Houston Post, December 23, 1905, Vol. 21, No. 283, p. 13 |
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Mr. G. A. Dobbin, colonization agent of the Santa Fe, in company with Hinoto [Hiroto] Katayama, a Japanese banker of Tokio, Japan, spent last Friday in Alvin. they made a visit to Mr. E. S. Stockwell's orange grove and to several of the largest truck and strawberry patches to examine agricultural conditions. Mr. Katayama was very much pleased with the country, but he thinks too little attention is given to the science of agriculture. He brought three tons of the finest hand picked seed rice with him ever brought to the country. He represents large interest in Japan and is looking into conditions here with the view of investments.
The Alvin Sun, January 5, 1906 |
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ALVIN, Texas, January 8.—Mr. G. A. Dobbins, colonization agent of the Santa Fe, in company with Hinoto Katayama, a Japanese banker of Toko, Japan, spent a day in Alvin looking over the town and county.
Houston Post, January 9, 1906 |
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H. Katayama, a banker from Japan, who has been traveling in the United States for a number of months, is in Houston this week, stopping at the Houston hotel.
The Houston Post, February 16, 1906 |
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Hiroto Katayama, a Japanese nobleman and banker of Okayania [Okayama], Japan, passed through San Antonio last evening, en route from San Francisco to Houston, where he will study Texas trade relations with Japan. In this study he is the agent on the Japanese Government and is accompanied by seven well educated young Japanese, who will remain several years in this country in order to return to Japan with a good knowledge of rice farming in Texas.
Mr. Katayama is making a trip straight across the continent to Houston. He landed a few days in San Francisco from Japan and immediately took the transcontinental train for Texas.
Mr. Katayama made a trip through Texas last year, experimenting with rice, tea, spices and cotton. He was very much pleased with experiments in Southwest Texas and says he intends that many Japanese shall come to this country when they hear of the success of the seven young men, who will buy farms in Texas.
Interested in Texas Rice Lands.
The Japanese expressed much surprise that the rice fields of Texas were not better known in all parts of this country. He said they are probably better known in Japan than in the northern part of the United States. “The Japanese army ate much Texas rice during the war with Russia,” he said. “I was in the war.”
He smiled with the last remark and pointed to a scar on his chin received in a sword duel at close quarters.
“Japan is sending her brightest sons to America to have them learn from the greatest people in the world how to be great in the Orient. We cannot compete with Chinese or Manchurian laborers in Manchuria and China. What those countries need is capital and captains of industry. We can supply those by going to school on American farms and in American cities.”
“I am delighted to feel that no unfriendly feeling will ever exist between the Americans and the Japanese, even though their interests in China must clash at some time in the near future.”
“The Japanese have had a friendly feeling for Americans ever since Commodore Perry visited the island. That feeling has been greatly increased during the recent war and the Portsmouth peace conference. The Japanese have a good knowledge of American history and worship the heroes of America. An insult to the American flag is resented as quickly in Japan as in Washington.”
Hiroto Katayama was educated in Japan in a Methodist missionary school, where he became a Christian.
He is accompanied on this trip by his wife and little boy and girl. They dress in native Japanese fashion, but he wears American clothes. He reads and writes English with ease and speaks the language slowly, but with absolute correctness.
Daily Express, San Antonio, August 8, 1906, Vol. 41, No.
220, p. 3 |
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Hiroto Katayama, accompanied by his family and seven young men---M. Okura, M. Ogama, H. Mura, S. Ohta, T. Nishiyama, H. Fugihara and K. Nakamura—and attended by a retinue of servants arrived in Houston yesterday from San Francisco. They are direct from Tokio, Japan, where Katayama is a nobleman and a prominent banker.
They were met at the Grand Central depot by R. Onisni of the Southern Pacific immigration bureau and who is at the head of the Webster Japanese colony, and escorted to the hotel, where a reception was held. They were latest banqueted at a Japanese restaurant. They will go down to Webster today and will spend several days in this section of the State. As was stated in yesterday’s Post in a dispatch from San Antonio, Katayama comes to this country as the special agent of his government to study Texas trade relations with Japan, and more especially the rice industry.
The seven young men will not return with him, but will remain in this country for probably a number of years, and they may eventually become imbued with the American spirit, as have those who are now here and why have purchased lands, and have signified their intention of becoming naturalized citizens of this country if the laws of the country will permit it.
The result of the visit, coupled with the investigations covering what the Japanese are doing here, may have the effect of bringing over a large number of Japanese. In fact, it is hinted that there is an extensive colonization scheme on foot.
Houston Post,
August 9, 1906, Vol. 22, Ed 1, p. 10 |
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In order to study the rice situation of Texas, Hiroto Katayama, a prominent Japanese gentleman, accompanied by his family and several other Japanese young men, arrived in the city last night. They were met by local Japanese and entertained. The party is direct from Japan and while Mr. Katayama will spend but a short time here, the young men accompanying him will spend probably some years in Texas. Today the whole party went to Webster, where they were entertained by members of their own race at a banquet.
Houston Chronicle, Aug. 9, reprinted in the La Grange Journal,
August 16, 1906 |
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Houston Post, September 12 1906, Vol. 22 Ed. 1, p. 12 |
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Matagorda County Tribune, March 29, 1907, Vol. 61, No. 25, p. 6 |
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To the Editor: I noticed in your columns a few days ago that while we have a Japan society of New York we have no New York society of Tokio. It is true, but we formed a certain society in 1904 under the name of American Friendship association, Baron Kaneko being its actual president, and the then American ambassador, Mr. Griscom, now in Rome, as honorary president. It is now doing very worthy work in Japan. If I am not mistaken, this association was formed when the monument to the memory of our own Commodore Perry's landing place was built some four years ago in Kurihama, on the mouth of Tokio bay, some ten miles from Yokohama, the first seaport we strike whenever we call Japan. It is built after Japanese design, with giant granite stone, so high that every Pacific sailor could tell where our Perry first brought the gospel from Occident to the Orient, and this association stands high among Japanese people, that whenever they make certain movements it is understood as a sign of serious matters between both people. Beiya Kya Kai is a Japanese name, and you will find certain columns in Japanese papers every day that became common phrase among Japanese. This association stands so high in social and also diplomatic circles that I am told to be invited by the association caused some fame among American visitors. I could not help to stop here without expressing our common thanks for your ever friendliness toward Japanese living here and whose dwellings are friendly and cordial toward American people. Yours, truly, H. Katayama, Markham, Texas
The Houston Post, June 10, 1907 |
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A petition from five Japanese residents of the community called attention to the fact that the Hon. K. Ishii, chief of the commercial bureau of Japan, accompanied by Imperial Consul S. Shimizu will visit Houston this month. At the suggestion of the petition the directors decided to co-operate with other local industrial organizations in the entertainment of the visitors, and the matter was referred to the entertainment committee. The communication is as follows: To the Houston Business League, Houston, Texas. Houston, Texas, September 7, 1907.--Gentlemen: We, your petitioners, Japanese and citizens of this community, would represent to you, as one of the leading commercial bodies of Houston, that Hon. K. Ishii, chief of the commercial bureau of Japan, ranking second to the secretary of state, is visiting this country on an official tour, and that, accompanied by our imperial consul at Chicago, Hon. S. Shimizu, he will visit this section and will be in Houston on or about September 20, the fixed date to be communicated to you later. At Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, Takoma, Los Angeles and other cities, the mayors, chambers of commerce and boards of trade, together with their leading citizens have tendered Hon. K. Ishii and his escort receptions and given them a cordial and hearty welcome. We feel that this is but a courtesy due these gentlemen and the positions they occupy, and would most respectfully ask that you arrange for a reception of some kind in this city to these gentlemen in which arrangements, with your permission, we will most heartily join. The object of Hon. K. Ishii's visit to this country is to investigate the trade relations between Japan and the United Sates, and also to inquire into the subject of immigration. The entire cotton trade between this county and Japan is immediately under his control.
Respectfully,
The Houston Post, September 11, 1907 |
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Japanese Do Not Remain In Texas As A Rule Some of the Things Japanese Do Here
(By John B. Carrington) Friction between the United States and Japan over the immigration of Japanese laborers to this country, which brought on race riots in San Francisco and elsewhere on teh Pacific Slope, lend interest to the immigration of Japanese to Texas through Mexico. The movement rose to a considerable importance in 1904 and 1905, and reached its climax in the early part of 1907, when great numbers of Japanese entered Texas. They came in bodies of thirty or forty at a time, each group having a leader. As many as four or five hundred of them were in San Antonio at one time last spring, and for several months displaced the Negro servants, especially as coachmen. Then suddenly all of these men quit their positions and embarked on a train for the Northwest.
Such concert of action, coupled with the fact that most of these Japanese were confessedly ex-soldiers, some of them even having parts of the uniform they had used in the Russo-Japan war, and the further fact that they were under the complete control of their leaders, led to some wild talk of a concerted plot on the part of Japan to land an army in this county in disguise.
Many of the Japanese, however, who have come to Texas have come in good faith as settlers. Some of them, especially the colony at Webster, in Harris County, in this State, have signified their intention of becoming American citizens. The Sixty-first District Court of Harris County has granted to some of them preliminary papers as proof of the "declaration of intention." The question has been raised as to whether the Japanese are eligible to American citizenship. It is stated that a Federal Judge in a Western Texas district has held that the Japanese are eligible, and it is probable that at teh end of the term of qualified residence that no objection will be made to the finally naturalization.
This colony in Harris County occupies about a thousand acres of land, nearly all of which is under cultivation, the most of it being planted in rice. They also cultivate vegetables and fruits and have proved themselves successful farmers. They had built themselves comfortable homes and have to a great extent adopted American customs. They have a Presbyterian Church and a preacher trained at the Union Theological Seminary in Virginia. Their neighbors declare that the Japanese are desirable citizens. H. T. D. Wilson, from whom they bought the land, had this to say of the Japanese: "I have found the Japanese people honorable throughout. In all my dealings with them they have displayed traits which are the elements of ideal citizenship, and I regard these immigrants to America a class of people whom we should welcome and encourage. They are close traders, thrifty and industrious, and they are intelligent and ambitious."
Colony Near San Antonio
About four years ago a colony of Japanese settled on the Mitchell Lake farms, South of San Antonio. The Mitchell Lake farms are under irrigation, and the Japanese have held their own with the Germans and the Bohemians, who have been the most successful farmers in this part of the country.
One of the most successful of this colony, named Porido, took advantage of the influx of his countrymen last winter and had some Japanese carpenters in the party to build him a Japanese house. It is rather a quaint and graceful type of architecture and is well adapted to this climate. He lives here with his wife and two children. The oldest, a boy of about three years of age, is the first Japanese child born in Texas.
Several other Japanese colonies were projected in 1905 and 1906, but have never materialized, owing chiefly to teh discouragement thrown upon such schemes of emigration by the Japanese Government and the obstacles thrown around the entrance of Japanese laborers into this country.
In 1906 H. Katayama and T. Okasaki bought 10,200 acres in Live Oak County, and announced that they would colonize 200 families from Japan. They declared their intention to make the raising of rice and silk the chief products of the colony. The mulberry trees in this section were found to maintain silk worms, and theses two Japanese, claiming to be experts, claimed that a silk industry could be developed in Texas; that we would produce fabrics as fine as those that come from Japan or China. The promoters sailed away to Japan, but never returned with their colonists, and it is a matter of regret in this State that these skilled silk-makers were not allowed to come here and demonstrate a new industry.
In the spring of 1906 another Japanese promoter, Y. Mayumi, bought 1600 acres in Jefferson County, and announced his intention of establishing a Japanese colony there. So far as can be learned his plans have never materialized. There is said, however, to be a small colony near Houston that has been experimenting successfully with the culture of tea. A few Japanese still slip in through Mexico, but the vigilance of the Federal officials along the border have so reduced the number that it is now a negligible quantity.
In general the Japanese laborers who have come to Texas have not been found efficient workers. While they work for a smaller wage than teh Mexicans or Negroes, and under the proper supervision do a greater amount of work, they are restless and unstable, and wander about from place to place, and hence cannot he relied upon.
There is no "Japanese Question; in Texas, and under the present treaty between Japan and the United States is not likely to be. There is probably not over a thousand Japanses now in Texas, and they are so widely scattered that, in event of a war with Japan, would not in any sense constitute a menace.
Daily Express, San Antonio, December 29, 1907 |
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Markham is a flourishing little town of 200, in the middle of a big rice field. A former banker of Japan, Mr. Katayama has a small colony of his countrymen working on his rice farm. He has 500 acres, for which he paid $30 an acre last year, and he has refused $50 for the same land. He is raising rice from seed brought from Japan and readily gets $12 a sack for his output, which is double the price of ordinary rice. He was largely induced to locate through the efforts of G. A. Dobbin, formerly immigration agent of the Santa Fe.
Among the Markhamites who met the party were S. Brown, G. R. Burke, W. A. Furber, C. M. Carter, S. Brown, George Saccor, Will Cornelius, Frank Hudson, A. B. Turner and J. H. Barber.
Houston Post, April 24, 1907, Vol. 23, Ed. 1, p. 5 |
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Mr. Katayama, who is the head of a Japanese colony in this county, was here yesterday, and upon being asked what effect the weather was having on his crops, replied: “I must not complain. It comes from heaven.”
Houston Post, May 5, 1907, Vol. 23, Ed. 1, 23 |
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To the Editor:
The following appeared in The Post, dated Bay City, Texas, August 22:
“Mr. Katayama, an extensive rice grower of Matagorda county, says that this section has the best rice land in the world, and with proper cultural methods will grow rice that can not be excelled either in quantity or quality anywhere on the globe. Mr. Katayama has a large amount of the very best rice already cut and in shock, which he will begin threshing next week. The rice is free from red rice or seeds of any kind usually found in rice, which often causes it to be graded low. He has carefully watched his crop and kept the farm clean of weeds and grass and red rice by having his men go over the field and pull out by hand all foreign growths. He has the banner crop of this section of the rice growing belt.”
The above is misleading, inasmuch as Mr. Katayama does not live in the vicinity of Bay City. Markham should have the credit of what enterprise she is justly entitled to. Mr. Katayama’s farm is situated four miles west of Markham and is a part of the Moore-Cortes Canal company’s property, recently sold to that gentleman. Mr. Katayama’s rice comes fully up to what is claimed for it, and there are numerous other crops on the Moore-Cortes Canal and Northern Irrigation company, Plotner & Stoddard, and Tres Palacios Rice and Irrigation company canals, which will compare with any country, and all are contiguous to Markham, which territory embraces the largest body of rich rice lands in the county. This territory stands alone unsurpassed, and is not an adjunct to any locality, being separated from Bay City by the Colorado river on the east, and the Tres-Palacios river is our western boundary. Very truly yours,
N. F. Henderson, Foreman Carpenters on Moore-Cortes Farm,
Markham, Texas--Houston Post, August 29, 1907, Vol.
23, No. 1, 7 |
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Houston Post, January 1, 1908, Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 13 |
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MARKHAM, Texas, June 11.--I. Kosaka, a young Japanese, working for H. Katayama, a large rice planter here, met a horrible death at the farm yesterday, by being thrown from a mule, entangled in the harness and kicked and dragged until he was scarcely recognizable. There were no witnesses to the accident, but it is supposed that young Kosaka was riding the mule in from work and in some way was thrown and his foot caught in the chains. When found all clothing was torn from his body, his head terribly mashed and body black from the kicks of the mule and contact with the ground. The body was buried in Bay City today. Houston Post, June 13, 1909
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Houston Post, June 17, 1908, Vol. 24, Ed. 1, p. 14 |
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MARKHAM, Texas, August 5.—The 1909 rice harvest opened up yesterday afternoon when H. Katayama started two binders to cutting his Honduras rice. By Monday he will have five binders at work on his large crop. He expects to have rice on the market by the 25th of the month. Quite a large number of farmers will begin cutting Monday, and the movement of rough will start about September 1. The damage done by the storm is now showing up, and it is estimated that the yield on the early rice will be cut from two to four bags per acre.
Houston Post, August 6, 1909, Vol. 25, Ed. 1, p. 12 |
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Houston Post, August 27, 1909, Vol. 25, Ed. 1, p. 14 |
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Markham, Texas, August 31.--The first sale of rough rice of this section was made here yesterday by the Markham Warehouse and Elevator company for the account of Hiroto Katayama when 600 bags of Honduras were sold at 3:52 to the Standard Milling company of Houston. The Moore-Cortes Canal company also sold their half of the rice at the same sale. The damage by the storm is now showing up, in that the yield on Mr. Katayama's land is about six sacks per acre short. Several more threshers started up this week, and by the latter part of the week the movement of rice will have become general. The Houston Post, September 1, 1909
[NOTE: the same issue reported No. 1 Honduras rice grown in Webster sold
for $3.58 per barrel of 162 pounds.] |
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111-111
114-114 |
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Houston Post, February 11, 1911, Vol. 26, Ed. 1, p.
14 |
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Otanic, George, head, M, Japanese, 30, M, 1916, alien,
farming, general farm
1920 Matagorda County Census – February 1920 – stamped page 86
Saibara, Koaki, head, M, ___, 1903, alien, Japan, farm
laborer
___ Saibara b 10 Apr 1924, Matagorda County, Father Kiyoski
Saibara |
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1930 Harris County Census – April 1930 – stamped page 234 – Seabrook?
Saibara, Kiyoski, head, M, 45, M, 24, Japan, foreman, rice
field
1940 Harris County Census – Harris County-Houston – April 1940 – stamped page 3112 – 2121 Converse
Saibara, Robert, head, M, Japanese, 30, M, Texas, electrical
engineer, geophysical exploration co.
Robert Saibara married Rola Wantanabe |
