Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-03-24

The natives have some curious ideas
Of industrial economy. Many will toll
all day long for a few centavos or loiter
around a whole day on the street COR
ners in the hope Of making a peseta car-
rying some burden. while their fields,
embracing the richest and most pro-
ductive lands on the islands, go untitled.
But, after all, it is not really necessary
to pay any great attention to the culti-
walton of the soil if one is content to
live in accordance with the Filipino's
primitive ideas of life. In his native
condition the needs of the Filipino are
fow and simple. Careless alike of the
past and future, he lives from hand to
mouth, letting each day take al Of
itself. He knows that the fruitful soil,
almost without tillage, will yield him
the necessities of life. The very condi-
tions of his existence breed Incidence
and unconcern as to the future.
Thus it is with the great mass of the
native population, but it must not be
inferred that there are no industrious
people among the Filipinos. In every
profession in Manila we find natives
engaged, and everywhere they display
fine business qualifications. In the
banks, the custom house, in factories
and in stores they are prominent. We
find them employed as civil guards in
Manila, as conductors IN the street car
line and as operatives on the railroad.
They have become skilled as workmen
in all trades aud professions. I have
visited dozens Of them at work in then
places of business and have found many
possessing some knowledge of the Eng
lish language. In every case they dis.
played many distinguishing traits.
Manila has a native piano maker,
who constructs from home materials
entirely a grade Of instruments which
will compare favorably with those made
in the United States. The native artists
and sculptors r adopts. I have had a
considerable acquaintance with physi-
clan, a surgeon in Aguinaldo's army,
and his knowledge Of medicine is as
complete as that of most graduates Of
American medical colleges. So it lie
through the whole of the life and trade
of Manila and Luzon. While it is to be
expected that we would find not q few
who have risen, above the rabble and
imbibed the more advanced ideas of Eu-
ropean civilization. yet it is surprising
how many of these have entered into
the regeneration of their fellow beings
and the transformation of Manila and
the Philippines.
There has been much written con-
corning the diseases prevalent among
the natives of these islands. True it is
that Luzon has its lepers, but leprosy lie
not prevalent on these islands to any
great extent. As to the many other dis
eases credited to the islands, all have
been greatly exaggerated. Many of the
skin diseases, or apparent diseases Of
the skin. are really caused by mosquito
or other insect bites. The natives let
their finger nails grow to a great length,
and it is the scratching of the insect
bites with these poisonous nails that
Nt1u0CS A4AAAy VI AC oOAC6s QuAU0 q AA1Q-
Der of cases Of deformity are seen among
natives.
In stature the Filipino is of the d.
minutive type. Between the pure Ia
tive and the Kanaka of the Hawaiian
Islands there appears to be some rela-
tionship. In stature, color and appear:
ance they are similar, and their Ian
guage is much the same strange jargon.
In dress they are quite similar, but in
this point no comparison can be made,
for in all tropical climates we find
much the same ideas of dress. About
Manila bay we notice many distinct
and novel dress customs. From the
naked little pickaninny to the gray
haired senior and senora we find all
types Of dress, some extremely scanty
and others gaudy and elaborate. The
native women are very fond Of jewelry
and snowy trinkets of personal adorn-