The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-12

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rooms and with native woods for inter.
ior finish, while the furniture is such
as would be considered extremely costly
in the United States. remember
seeing ebony chairs and sofas with rich
marble backs and bottoms, while
hanging upon the walls were long mir
tors reaching from the ceiling to the
floor, and at either side paintings that
would be worth a small fortune in the
United States. A singular feature
about pretty much all houses on the
island is that the lower floor was given
over to stabling and servants quarters,
while the second story-there being but
two-was the living apartment. If
you would take and make a square, or
a double square, allowing probably six
or eight feet between walls, you would
have ONE sort of an idea Of the charac-
ter Of the homes, the inner square
usually being the rece ption room.
This, probably, would be a room 4Ox6O,
Or 60x1O0 feet: the other square would
be divided and subdivided, so that
there would be dining rooms, sleeping
apartments, and the informal receipt.
ion room. The kitchen land outbuild-
ings, such as the bath, are a separate
part Of the home; they are usually con.
nested with a narrow area way, 80 that
the unpleasant odors arising from cook.
ing and from the bath would not affect
the other part Of the house. The floors
are of the hardest immaginary kind Of
wood, highly polished, and it is rather
a comical sight to see how they are
kept clean. The native uses a small
broom made out of very fine straw to
gather the loose PARTICLES of dust; then,
placing n piece Of material similar to
c.r gunny sack under each foot, goes
sliding over the foor-there you are
the works done. Cooking is also
primitive. An earthen brazier, with
three prongs projecting, holds the
earthen stew-pot, wherein is placed a
little fish, meat, vegetables, rice and
water, and this decoction is allowed to
boil for a little time, when it is taken
out III another earthen dish, placed in
the center of the floor, together with a
plate Of rice, forming the average meal.
The natives sit about these two dishes,
poke their fingers in the rice and then
in the decoction, mix them up on their
plate and then, with the same method,
transfer from the plate to the face;
nature does the rest. 1t is needless to
say that at first very few of us were
at meal time in these homes,
and it required a great deal Of diplom.
acy to explain more than one refusal to
partake Of the hospitality that was
offered us in many of the homes.
"Bacoor was a city of some six thous.
and people, and yet, passing along it's
you would scarcely think that
there were more than might be found !
Laurel or Columbus. I remember
one evening being told that there was
10 be a procession in the city and being :
to remain to see 1t. Suppos. !
ing that it would be only a small affair I
and yet willing to be courteous to the
me who had invited me, I remained,
md at 5 O'Clock, along one of the ave-
,ues. the sound Of music was heard
music only such as a native Filipino
band can render-and Immediately
here followed, not All hundred men.
women and children, but three thous. :
natives. The thing that surprised
ne most, however, was not the num-. {
'er that were participating in it as a
-