Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1903-02-19
SOME FILIPINO p
characteristics of Island Women,
Their Dress, Mode of Etc.
Soap ut n Premium.

says a teacher in the islands, according
to the New York Tribune, the color
line plays only a small part in defn-
ing social status. The possession OF
white blood is by no means considered
an acquisition t. boast of, and pure
natives pride themselves on the pos
session of that name. Even the more
intelligent women, though apt imita-
tors of Spanish graces and customs,
never wholly lose their hold on ma
tive ways. For instance, the same
oma who one night, gorgeously
gowned and covered with diamonds,
may be seen receiving at a function
in the home of the highest official in
the islands, the next day appears sit
ting on the counter of one of the in
Vulnerable little stalls that line the
street, gowned in blue calico and wear
ing sandals without stockings, and
smoking a cigarette. She seems equal
ly at ease in both places, for the sim
pie reason that she is accustomed to
both kinds of living. incidentally, her
WI home is probably palatial, and she
herself a charming hostess. At heart,
however, a native is always a native.
But there are as many varieties OF
native women as there are tribes on
the islands. The Tagal woman, for
instance, is no more like the lgorrote
than an American girl is like a Sioux
Indian squaw. The dress Of the Igor
rote is picturesque than that OF
the Tagal. and is usually made OF
coarse homespun. Igorrote women are
the grimiest of the islanders, and their
condition does not seem likely to i'm.
prove, unless some sort of household
reform is brought about by the men,
For Igorrote women do not believe in
c~oeducation in any degree. Only boys
are sent to school; girls are allowed
to cultivate pototo patches and 'chore
around generally, but mathematics
and foreign languages are considered
unbecoming. Unaware of any depriva'
ton, the Igorrote woman takes all this
as a matter of course.
perhaps her Indifference is partial,
ly due to the fact that she is not bur-
dened with household cares. In an
Igorrote house, in fact, nobody cares.
Igorrote houses are little more than
places to crawl in out of the rain.
There are no chimneys, and the smoke
from the fire wanders around in leisure
ly fashion until it finds a way out for
itself. The faces of inmates of these
novels axe rarely clean, except after
enforced exposure in a heavy rain
storm.
But they are honest, these lazy, pic.
turesque people. Notlong ago Commits.
sioner Moses took sc, 1000 from Manila
to Benguet, and deposited it in bags
on the front piazza of the civil hospi-
tai. There it remained for weeks,
wholly %unguarded. Not an Igorrote
thought of touching it. And it is the
same way with the smoke and other &C.
cretions. They leave them where they
happen to find them.
"It is said, however, that the younger
Igorrotes are learning to use soap
Such aspirations are a little hard or
the teacher, however, hers is constant.
ly borrowed Sometimes, in self-de.
Tense, she supplies all the pupils with
the coveted material, which is no small
matter in many parts of the Philip.
pines, as soap is most difficult to secure
A novel method of economy in the mat.
ter of cleanliness is keeping pupils in
tha ohoo1hnIcn oil ,;p1+ M ,I;J
dren like it, and parents do not object,
as it saves them much trouble.
"a teacher tells a story of one lit
tie chap who was really too small tc
stay away from home at night. Though
he was -four years old, it had never oc.
Cured to his mother to furnish him
any clothes. So the teacher herself
made and gave him a little shirt, or
slip, which reached about to his knees,
Proud as a peacock, the little fellow
wore it all day, but when leaving the
schoolhouse took it off and, folding
it very carefully, handed it to the
teacher to keep for him till the next
day, as it would get so dirty at home.
Inv iSohtcte1s soy thC tSutliVls. viz
have had experience with several
tribes of the Filipinos, are the smart.
est and most tractable of them all
The wild look on the face of the Igor.
rote woman in the picture is due to
fear of the camera rather than nat.
ural ~ferocity.
"The Moro woman is one of the most
picturesque in all the islands. This is
partly due to the fact that she wears
the sorong, or homespun blanket,
woven in stripes or large plaids, in
which bright reds and yellows are the
predominating colors. No matter how
high the temperature, these heavy
blankets are donned, though American
women are somewhat reducing the
number, by purchasing them as sou.
venirs of their stay in the country
and using them as drapery in their
houses at home.
"The Spanish half-caste, shown il
the accompanying illustration, is a
type commonly seen in Manila and the
larger towns. Many of them are to be
found in converts also-orphans whom
the friars are caring for and educating
An odd custom prevails as to the dis.
position of these charges. Any man
who can prove himself able to provide
for a wife may go to a convent ant
look at the girls, or mestizas. If he
sees one that pleases him. he NAV
meet her and make her a formal offe,
of marriage on the spot, under the
watchful eye of the Mother Superior.
"It is an odd fact that, no matter
how remote the ancestor, Chinese
blood almost invariably shows itself
in the shape of the eyes. The peculi.
arity of this feature is seen in the &C,
companying photograph of the Nor
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