The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-10-28

tatiOnS, still i've IN some ulScOnIorl
and far away from their tillage
grounds.
The stations on the line, always OF
the same size and construction, follow
ing the oppressive Spanish regulations,
are tidy enough buildings of brick and
wood, having a comfortable second
story with shell windows and wooden
inside blinds. and are quite as numer-
Gus. apparently. as the traffic demands.
There are twenty-seven in all, includ-
ing the terminal stations. The ofiic-
ials, neatly uniformed in white, with
gold banded cap, are active, intelligent
and reliable servants.
RICH FARMING LAND.
Broadly speaking, the first third OF
the line runs through a purely rice
producing district, the second third
through IA sugar-cane country and the
last part through more tropical ter
ritory, where cocoanut palms are very
abundant, some coffee is grown, ana
peanuts and other minor products or
the soil are cultivated. For the larger
extent of the line water courses are
abundant, and in only one place, a
short distance north of Tarlac, one OF
the most important towns through
which the railway passes, is there any
| high ground touched, and here for
only q mile or two, where there are
few slight grades and a single cut
ting through stratum of volcanic
| stone.
| About o'clock in the afternoon we
reached the goods station at Bautista,
/ a little village near the town of Bay
| anban. Here Is situted a large rice
! mill belonging to the firm of Smith,
/ Bell and company, and in the house
! of MIR. Clarke, the manager, we We're
/ to pass the night. The huge CORFU
! gated iron structure, with its ugly
| chimneys and adjacent godowns, is
| the principal feature of the landscape,
! and dominates with irritating ugliness
! the long struggling village of native
huts, which are huddled together near
a rapid, but muddy stream. The coun-
| try all around is most fertile, and a
| large part of the good land is under
| diligent cultivation. Here, in the heart
| of the insurgent territory we had an
excellent opportunity of studying the
life of the natives. undisturbed, as it
now is, by the turmoil of the revolu
ton.
! IEAoANlS 10 of 1 NE IN L ElNlCIN'
Here the peasant bears all the marks
| of a rural tiller Of the soil. The type
| is stronger, a trifle CoarSer and more
! brutal than is met with in the neigh
| borhood Of Manila, and there is q not
| able mixture of Chinese blood in the
race. He Is Industrious, frugal, and,
up to a certain point, possesses the
| quick, keen intelligence of the true
| Oriental The prominent characteris-
tics of his nature makes him an excel
lent and capable workman. He learns
| easily has distinct talents for mechan-
! tcal work, and in his love for music,
| in his prediction to acquire what is
not strictly his own, and in his trad
! ing instincts reminds one a little of the
gypsy of Europe. The women, at least
those of pure Indian stock, are often
decidedly comely. They have a wide.
oval face. rather a fla, profile. with a
well-formed but broad nose. fine cut
mouth with excellent teeth. well-set
dark and expressive eyes, a strong but
small chin, and a low forehead from
which the sleek black hair is drawn
tightly back and twisted into a sim
pie knot
NATIVE DRESS.
Their dress is very simple and con-
| sists of petticoat of bright-Colored
! stuff, with an overskirt of dark color
made of a rectangular piece of cotton
! stuff wound around and tucked in at
! the waist in the same way that one
| fastens u towel in Turkish bath A
| white cotton Chamise. low-necked ana
shOrt-sleeved, covers the body, and out
side this Is commonly worn a broad.
loose-sleeved jacket of the thnnest pos
sible pima cloth, supplemented in full
dress by a large kerchief of the same
material. Very few ornaments are seen
among them; indeed, in the provinces
we visited there We're few or no per-
sOnal decora lions to be seen except a
few rings and bangles. The men dress
according to their station, the laborers
often wearing all day long in the hot
sun nothing more than a breechcloth
and those in the villages affecting loose
trousers and simple jackets, always OF
white cotton. Both men and women
habitually go barefooted, but the for
mer often make use Of wooden clogs
particularly in Wet weather. Women
are never seen with a hat or any more
protection to the head than the bas.
kets or bundles they carry with eX-
quisite grace and ease, but the mer
sometimes even push the fashion oi
headgear as far as the exaggerated
umbrella-like palm-leaf disks which
the coolies wear.
A NATIVE HOUSE.
The native house Of the common type
is small structure built entirely Ol