Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-03-17

are houses here in which whole families
live in one room. budding together on the
floor or on a platform of bamboo splints,
which here takes the place Of a bed. There
are small merchants who have two or three
rooms in their homes. and thousands who
live on the outskirts Of the city in matched
huts upon poles. =
One of the homes which I visited today
was that of a seller Of pima cloth, the beau
tiful stuff which the ladies of the army and
navy are buying in such quantities that
they have doubled the prices The man
probably considers himself we'll to do and
comfortably situated as to his home. The
wall of the house was flush with the street
but upon entering the door I found myself
not In a room, but in a garden about ten
feet wide and twenty feet long. rooted with
thateh, through which great banana trees
had grown up and extended their broad
leaves above 1t. making a dense shade over
it and keeping the garden Good. There We're
seats on each side of the walk through this
garden into the house proper, and on the
right there was a game cock tied to one of
the banana trees. Passing into the house.
went through narrow hallway with one
little room on each side, into the living
room, which was also the dining room.
This room was aboutatwelue feet square
1t was ceiled and walked with boards which
We're blackened with smoke The floor was
of square, red bricks. and the only windows
were holes In the wall at the back. On one
side of the room was a table-like ledge on
y
were sprawling. and on the other, close up
against the wall. a table. with a long bench
before 1t, the eating place of the family.
There We're one or two chairs, and a wicker
lounge, which was hung up to the ceiling
to be kept out of the way until needed.
Filipino Beds and Bed Rooms.
At the front of this room ON each side of
the door We're tiled steps leading to the mar
row bed rooms along the hallway by which
I entered At the ir|tyita ion If fha a3ct,-a
of the house I walked in and looked at
them. Each room was Just wide enough
to hold a narrow bed, consisting of a
framework of bamboo poles with strips of
bamboo something Ike The half of fishing
the rods lay lengtfwise 1t is upon such
beds that many Eiaaines sleep. Others
sleep upon boards. sard the best bed. such,
Tor instance as weJhavG at my hotel. Is a
great four-poster. twith a. cover of cane
made of little thrdhds iof bamboo, which
are Woven togetheracroas it in the form Of
mattress. just exhctluolike some of the
cane.seated chairs which We have in our
country. Upon this foundation thin
this only, forms te BED upon o which id,s 4 the
best of the Filipinos sleep. Some few have
allotment at the hotel where am paving
about 81. silver day is one sheet week
have Filipino pillow, a little round roll roll
stuffed with something (which wads itself
gives me stiff neck every morning In
addition to this I. ALSO have Dutch wife
one OF which goesy with every bed room
and is supplied with every bed. Don't be
Mortified! 1t is nothing but a round pillow
about four feet In length and as hard as a
log: It Is merely tsedsfor you to raise your
a circulation under you during the hot
night AS for me. throw my leg and arm
over the pillow in order to relieve my hip
from the strain of my'wefght bearing down
upon the hard bed. 80.
= A Typical Kitchen.
But toreturn to tlles home of the Filipino
merchant. Leaving the bed rooms we
next went down. through the dining room
and ont into the kitchen. This consisted of
a~shed opening into little yard about
eight feet square. in, which couple of
ducks were padding about in the slop from
them / heard the vehement Growing of a
rooster at my right. and turned around to