The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-08-26
FILIPlNOS FASTIDl0US.
For an Oriental People They Wash
and Battle n Great Deal-Street
Fountain az Bath Tubs.

and Battle n Great Deal-Street
Fountain az Bath Tubs.
Much has been said of the dirt of Ma
Mia, but if one separates cleanliness and
sanitariness, then the Filipinos, while gen.
orally clearly, are acknowledged to have
absolutely no idea of what is means to
live in a sanitary way.
While a Filipino housewife will throw
her garbage directly outside her front
door, and live happily in an atmosphere
laden with smells, the interior of her
house is generally tidy and she herself
almost always neat in her appearance.
Another thing if bathing is not so fire.
quent in the Philippines as it is in Amer
ca, the women-both high and low
shampoo their hair much more frequent
ly and think nobody we'll regulated who
,annot find time 10 do this at least once
l week. Most of the women have long
md beautiful hair-albeit it is all of the
same dusky shade-and take pride in
wearing it flowing freely down their
BACKS when they are dressed for any spe-
'ial occasion. A Filipino woman scarce
y ever takes a bath that she does not in
clude the washing of her long, black
he entire body from head to foot.
Then. again, take a trip into the coun-
Try, and the view is made picturesque by
his one feature. Steam up the Pasig
liver on one of the government launches,
md before every little hut which is mes
led in the green bank or in clearing of
he bamboo. are bathers, men, women and
'hildren, sometimes the whole family do
,ng the family wash at the same time.
The people are modest. too. considering
he climat and their simple way of liv-
'ng, for the women and little girls always
wear some old garment, though the small
boys and the men are apt to splash
lrOund in a. natural condition. Nor do
hey battle merely for the pleasure of
Deing in the water, they make a serious
business of scrubbing themselves using
I great deal of soap in the process Since
here is an abundance of water to be
'ound in the Philippines, this practice is
lmost universal.
Amonest the natives and the "mesti-
os" who are well TO do. and who can
afford to live in houses which are large
7nough-aud substantial enough-to con-
tain bathrooms. bathing is not much more
universal tran amongst the lower class
es.
There are several kinds Of baths in
Manila houses. One-which is the most
simpl is tie typical bath CT he Orient.
A great por elain tub cclored a dull blue,
de p, ard Of oval shape Is set in room
with floor CT tiles or bricks slanting to-
wards the wooden doorway under which
is a wide aperture. The doorway may
open on a court yard on the first or Sec
ond story. The tub is fill with cold wa
ter, but nobody is supposed to get in it.
The bather instead clothed in a thin robe.
stands at the side. dips the cold water
ut wi h a gourd or cocoanut shell, and
rours it over his person after which 1t
trckles down the incline plane of the
floor, and runs into the court yard if no
other dra n is provided for ii. The other
s vie of bath is more elegant. composed
OF tiles, which are bull into the room,
sometimes making a large and luxurious
bathing place, oft.n with a shower ar
ranqement above. Some of the newest
built of the Spanish "Quarteles' (soldiers'
larracks) in Manila have baths of this
kind. But there is, never any arrange
inert made for the la hing in hot water.
Such a process seems almost unheard OF
in the Philippine Islanes.
An even more r ma ~ksble characteristic
IS tfat F'ipncs of all elias es high and
lrw. ere almost universally cleanly in
their cothes In spite of the fact that all
washing must be done by beating he
canals, most often without soap. or else
washing thfm in fat wooden bowls in cold
water, generally in the hot sun. you rare
" see even the poorest native in anything
but immaculate garments, the men most
often in white. These are also carefully
mended. They not only get their clothes
very clean by their laborious process or
washing. but they are also carefully IRON
ed by means of self-heating irons, large
affairs with place inside for lighted
charcoal This is probably a Spanish de-
vice After washing. the clothes are
strung along a river bank, or fence, to
dry ard afterwards starched and ironed.
There is no more pleasurabe sight in
the Philippines than that outside of a
church on a feast day. Grouped about
the steps. waiting for the doors to be
opened are native men, women and chill
dren, all in clean clothes from the little
folks who toddle about dressed exactly
like their elders. in diminutive long trous-
ers and thin shirt with the tail flying loose
or. in the case of the girls, a tiny "cami-
sa' and skirt. All the women are bare
fresh white or bright colors of their
clothes in the sunlight make a picture
which once seen Is never forgotten. The
poorest native always has something neat
and clean to wear to church.
The homes of the poor people in the
Philippines are so simple that the house
wife does not have to work hard to keep
them in order. There are no beds, for at
night the family unro.l their bamboo mats
and stretch out upon the floor. During the
day chairs are not In the least essential
the native being much happier when
squatted on the ground or the floor, like