The Saint Paul globe., 1898-05-22
LOUIS JTIENaGE BEFORE DEWEY
The Minneapolis Speculator Invaded the
Philippines Before the Intrepid
Commander Did

preaching in size the average height of
their farther evolved neighboTs al
though hardly as tall as the AIMS srican
Indian, equally need no introduction.
They are, in fact, the introduction to
the collection, as the visitor enters from
the main corridor on the third floor of
tho library building.
But while these exhibits speak for
themselves, a host Of the curios brought
back by this pair Of young men, are
not only as yet Compare lively meaning
| less to the average visitor, but to the
most persistent deliver in scientific lore
some of the shells and some of the in
sccts, are as yet unclassified, in spite
of the fact that the best students IN
ington, as well as the widest read mem
bers Of the Minnesota academy, have
devoted some time to an eff rt to iden-
tify and catalogue them. And still
| thousands of the smaller exhibits are
as vet unready for mounting. in the
charge of their curator, Prof. N. H. w.
Winchell, of the state university.
Nevertheless, any one may find sub
jects of interest in the exhibit, in view
Of the fact that the Philippines are
promising to play an important part in
,, American history.
The kodak, which speaks with a
tongre t. at We uld hive b en- intelli. ible
the constant companion Of the Menage
expedition, and its results are not the
least interesting of the exhibits. An
thropology, as we'll as ECO osy, was in
cluded in the researches of these STU
dents.
In one show case, perhaps a dozen
forms of savage knives, the blades
crude, when compared to Sheffield steel
perhaps, but yet masterful in, their
murderous ingenuity, and more or less
artistically adorned on the hilts with
native carvings, display the results of
the Philippine islanders slight knowl-
edge of the malleabilfty of metals, while
down In the same case with the huge
python is displayed the blacksmithing
outfit of the race. Two logs, followed
out, in which are set plungers, fitted
close with soft fibre, are evidently de-
signed to be blown alternately, by
human force, on the fire. Hammers,
equally simple in construction, rest be-
side an anvil as plain as could be I'm
agined, mere block of metal with a.
flat top.
Yet with these they have made the
straight and the serpent kriss, the
blades about the length Of the short
Roman sword, but in the one case
straight, in the other curved, not in n
sweep like the sclmetar Of the Turk, but
with reversed curve, so that the gen.
eral line of the weapon is straight.
With the exception of this serpent
kriss, the cutting edge of the Philip
pine blade is perfectly straight. The
back may be in various shapes, or the
sword may be double edged, but the
serpent kriss is the only curved cutting
edge.
Not anticipating the crisis of 1898, the
Menage expedition devoted It's time to
peace as we'll as war and brought back
the implements Of agriculture. samples
OF the dress Of the natives. which. where
they have come in contact with civiliza-
ton, evinces no little artistic instinct.
To be truthful, the costume among the
primitive bal barians consists largely Of
fresh air, undecorated.
Beside the python and the ourang
outangs, the explorers brought back
a host of smaller creatures, hundreds
Of which are already mounted and
on exhibition.
A curious one is the ant eater, the
antipodean porcupine whose overlap
ping plates or scales protect him much