Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1903-08-05
PHILIPPINE HOME LIFE.
People of the Higher Glass Live Law.
1shly and Are Refined and
Conventional.


said about the natives of the Philip
pine islands-much that is true and
very much that is untrue. The Fill
p1nos are not all alike any more than
are the Americans. The people of Ma
Mia are largely what is called the
mestizos, which signifies mixed or
cross blood of English, German, Chi
nese, japanese or other nationalities.
Manila is large city, with many for
eign consuls residing there. Magnifi-
cent buildings, filled with rare old
furniture and surrounded with trop-
ical trees, plants and flowers, are plen-
t1ful, and volumes could be written on
Manila alone. Many of the women of
Manila are refined, cultured and beauti-
full, possessing all of the grace and dig
nifty OF women who have been receiv-
ing at foreign courts all of their lives
and wearing jewels fit for a queen.
or these women strangers see but lit
tie. The grated windows, barred
doors, lattlced carriages of the city but
emphasize their eXclusiveness, and
many of them have retained their Sc
clusion intact, not caring to extend
their acquaintance beyond, says the
New York Herald.
one must respect the silence OF re-
finement, and to intrude even by a
glance would amount to rudeness
Gov. and Mrs. Taft succeeded in estab-
fishing social exchange of courte-
sizes with many of the old established
families, and some of them sometimes
appeared at the receptions given by
the commanding general of the Unit
ed States army in the Philippine
Islands, but their social customs are
not the same as ours, and they retain
their native reserve on all occasions.
or course, there are different kinds of
these people in Manila, as there are
in Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, New
York, Washington and other cities in
the United States. In the provinces
there are many admirable citizens, Gull
tivated and refined, but for the rea-
sons that exist all over the world the
better families in rural life are not SO
difficult to approach Many OF them
are closely related to the best families
OF Manila
These people live lavishly and have
luxurious homes. When they enter
tain a friend their hospitality knows
no limit. Mrs. Chaffee was one of the
most favored of the American army
officers wives, her manner being
pleasing and acceptable to them. 1t
cannot be said that basis of thorough
social intercourse was ever estab-
hshed between these women of Ma
Mia and the American women who
went over there. Nor can this state
ment be rightly construed to reflect
adversely upon either the native wom-
en- Of the islands or the American
women. Each had a personal social
element of her own, in which she was
satisfied to remain. In the provinces
the men of wealth and position had re-
fined wives and daughters and were
socially hospitable. In northern Luz
zon, where Aguinaldo claimed he
would establish his headquarters and
locate his capital at Tugugaron, there
was great wealth and much entertain
ing, the province of Isabella being a
rich and important one, where large
crops of tobacco are raised and
shipped.
Many beautiful women live there,
and much of the success OF the men
is due to their wives diplomacy, as it
is in Europe and in the United States
In the province of Laguna de Bay
there is a town Of $4,000 inhabitants,
called Binan, and it was divided by the
river running through it. At this
place one of the severest battles was
fought, but shortly afterward rice and
vegetable gardens were growing. Here
one could obtain full knowledge OF
the domestic and social lives of the ma
tive women, married and single The
first forcible impression was made by
the handsome homes, with their china,
silver, linen, massive carved and in
laid furniture, and exquisite simplicity
Of decoration. Things are not crowded
upon other things. There always
seems room enough. The family rela-
tons are mutually respectful and
harmonious. Between mother and
daughter the tie is beautiful and their
companionship is of the closest Cour-
tesy exists in the home lives and the
father and brother are treated with
great consideration. They are thrifty
and Industrious, generous and kind
Wine is not SO plentifully introduced
into the home lives over there as it is
in almost all other countries, but
dainty refreshment is offered to guests
Flowers invariably abound, frequent
ly growing in large urns Exquisite
orchids hang from the verandas, and
there are luxuriant flower gardens,
rich with tropical palms, plants, shrubs
and flowers. The women are expert
traders, good bargain drivers, judges
of diamonds and all precious stones.
They are kind to their servants. No
home is without piano, and music is
universal. There is no community so
small that it has not a band They
have a band If the players go bare
foot, and they play because they love
it. Music is natural to them, and it Is