Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1891-01-30
LIKE DOG KENNELS.
A Farmers Zone in Siam-His
Wife and Children.


Wife and Children
One afternoon last December, writes
Frank G. CARPENTER in the American
Agricuturist. iloaied to S.amcse farm
els house on the banks OF the Menam
river. 1t looked more like two dog ken
nels about ten feet high tied together
and built upon a raft Of bamboo than
ANYTHING else. It vas tied to two poles
driven deep into the bed of the rlveranq
the raft was about two feet thick anu
made Of these bamboo sticks laid cross
wise like the corncoh no sc Of baby.
Along the edge Of the stream and back
into the country was the farmers little
plantation, consisting OF perhaps 1ve
acres of rice fields and Z little vegetable
gar len. The house consisted OF three
rooms with ledgc-likc porch in front OF
it. and the raft extended out from TINS
porch and upon it two yellow-sklnned
naked little babies were playing ana
laughing as they looked down into the
waters Of the mi rhty river within twelve
inches of d owning. ! stopped my boat
at tie front steps and cnte,cd. \ snort,
haired Old woman and a short'halrcd
young woman were the only occupants,
and they squattcd fat on the floor and
begged me to do likewise. There was
not bit of furniture in the house, ana
he cook stove consisted of boz anou'
he size of Il soap box, filled with ashes
ipon which fire was smOulderln9 ana
causing the kettle placed flat on the Goals
10 simmer. This kettle with an carlhen
rice pot and skillet formed the whole
Of the culinary utensils Of this AiameSe
farmers wife | asked my guide to
show me the bedroom of the family. lie
told me that all slept on the floor, aud ne
picked up little block made OF bamboo
;plints tackled two pieces Of wood so that
the whole was Of about the size Of an
ordinary loaf of bread and told me that
this was one Of the pillows they used.
The women were very lightly attred.
The younger girl had Turkish towel
around her shoulders, but the most strik-
inc features of their dress consisted OF
large silver ankiets aud bracelets. Both
women were chewing the betel nut aud
the teeth of both were black and their
lips were stained rs though they were
splitting blood. The elder woman Of
fcred me chew ana tasted this mix
lure which is common throughout lndo-
China. found it bitter and disgusting.
While I was waiCing, a little four-year-
Id child came in. and its mother gave
il IN cat Of thc hotel which il did with
yigor. and then picking up "a cigarette
which Law at one side Of the room, 1t ut
it at the Goals and pulled away heartily.
All Sianesc men. women, and children
,moke and chew, and there Is hardly q
farmers wife in the country ora farmer !
-hld so poor that il can not afford both
tobacco and the bc,c nut After wait
ing awhile the lold Of the family came
IN. lie was dressed much the same as
the women and he had also short Ealr.
It was dinner time and he asked me and
my guide to take bit with them. lex
.used myself but watched the meal.
The man. as is the custom in Stam, had
The first bite. lie took the rice which
was steaming from the ricc-pot and
rolled the mass into hlrd ball with his
fingers and thcn crammed it into his
mouth. This, with a vegetable curry
constituted the whole OF the meal The
women ate after the man was through.
After dinner all took a smoke. and ieiC
not highly impressed viii ''hc gastrono-
any of the Siamese farmer