The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-02-15
FILIPINO BUILDS HOUSE
WITH NOTHING BUT bOLO
Little Brown Man Is Rearing a
Wonderful City at the Worlds
Exposition.
COVERS FORTY ACRES

COVERS FOK11 AIMED
ST. LOUIS. Feb. I4.-Perhaps the most
novel sight to be seen in America these
midwinter DAYS is that of the native Fill
pino carpenters hard at work in building
their city at the worlds fair at st. Louis.
The word carpenter suggests Ratchet and
saw. anger and plane. The Filipino car
penter uses none of these tools. with
only his bolo, which some persons facetious-
ly term a c~ornknife, he constructs COM
plete houses. roofs, walls, floors, partitions
and all. Yes, there is one other tool that
he uses occasionally, and that is a small
hammer with which to push home his hand
made bamboo nails.
Ii is interesting to watch the half a hun
dred Filipinos now at the worlds fair
grounds, doing their part of the work OF
| constructing the scores of buildings that
will house the Filipino exhibit, including
the 1,5OO Filipino natives who are TO be
brought over for the exposition period. A
number of the houses are being built en-
tirely by the Filipinos. while for others they
furnish only the roof of nipa leaves and
bamboo lattice work. The Filipino build
ings, covering a tract of forty acres. are
III Ia NA8
Months ago many carloads of bamboo and
nipa from the Philippine Islands were de-
livered on the ground. Then the brownie
got out his bolo and set to work. 1t was
merely necessary for him to yank his bolo
from its sheath or scabbard, which he wears
belted to his waist as an American army
officer wears his sword. a Filipino with
out this bolo scabbard at his waist would
feel like a Missouri river CatnSn IN the
Sahara desert. This short, thick, sharp
knife is his constant companion. Its blade
Is about ten inches long and has two edges.
Sometimes the hilt is handsomely carved,
for the Filipino takes as much pride in his
bolo as does the Mexican in his sombrero.
The bolo is the Filipino's badge OF cltlzen-
ship.
GREAT STACKS OF BAMBOO.
Long trunks of bamboo trees lie in stacks
on the ground. They are slim poles. jointed
here and there, some thick enough to make
stout supports, others so thin that they
are easily pliable and can be bent and tied
into knots. Our Filipino carpenter squats
himself upon the ground, with a padded
plank under him these chilly days. He
selects from the pile a bamboo pole and
gets to work with his bolo. Diligently he
scrapes and shaves, turning out curling
shavings that in his own land he would
use for the making of mattresses. With
tedious care he continues Scraping and
shaving with his sharp knife until the
bamboo is reduced 10 a strip which bends
double under its own weight when lifted
by one end or the middle. Thus treated the
strip is used for weaving in the basic plan
of the roof. A lattice of these strips is
laid on the unshaven bamboo poles as sup
ports, the poles themselves being fastened
10 the hills and comb by strings made of
native grass or rattan cord. AS a matter
of fact these poles are sewed down, the
needle being made out of a piece of bam-
boo. In some instances the bamboo nail
is used, being driven into a hole cut in the
bamboo pole.
The lattice work completed, then comes
the nipa- The Filipino puts on layer after
layer of these broad. tough leaves, similar
to the palm from which fans are made.
With his handmade needle and his natural
thread, sometimes 1t also is handmade,
being shaved down from bambo strips, he
sew the thick thatch securely together.
Does ii turn water? Single roofs some
times leak, the nipa roof never, provided
proved manner OF the Filipino carpenter.
IL Is rather slow work, but ii is sure. The
native stands on scaffolding made entirely
of bamboo, tied with bamboo strings. If
he happens to tear his trousers he patches
the( garment with his bamboo needle and
bamboo thread. Nature is kind to the Fill
pino. What more could any man ask than
his house building material, his furniture
stock and his clothes-repairing apparatus
right at his elbow?
During the snow blizzard in latter Janu-
airy the F~flipinos at the worlds fair kept
indoors most of the time. Some of them
were very much alarmed because the snow
continued to fall for nearly two days. They
were afraid that they would be showed in
so that communication with the city and
necessary supplies would be cut off: But
as the islanders never saw snow until they
came to St. Louis their fears can be for
given them.
MANY r BUILDINGS
One of the large buildings already COM
pleted on the Filipino tract is the Grand
Restaurant. In front of this building a
Filipino band of forty pieces will play dur
ing the fair. The roof is of bamboo and
nipa. The interior finish is in native Fill
pino woods. some of them of extreme hard
ness and splendid gloss. The "Intramuros,' -
or walled city of old Manila, accurately
reproduced, is also completed. Visitors en-
tering the Filipino reservation from the
main part OF the exposition will cross a
heavy, solid-looking. bridge that spans the
Laguna de bay. This is reproduced from
the celebrated Puente de Espana, crossing
the PaSig river at Manila. The substantial
masonry is excellently counterfeited in staff
and wood. There are two other bridges
across the Laguna de bay, built of bam-
boo. In the waters near by are little huts
with nipa grass, both roof and side walls.
In the trees not far away are queer-looking
houses. where the tree-dwelling Filipino will
Tine walled city is 25OxSOO feet in dimen-
sion. The agriculture building. in which
will be a wonderful display Of resources of
the island soil, is 200 feet long and seventy
five feet wide. The forestry of the Philip
pines, wonderful ~mahOganies. tough banava
and manave, and many other woods of
high commercial value, will be shown in
a building 150xlN feet. EthnOlogy has a
structure 150x75 feet. Education occupies
a building 15Ox5O feet. The Filipino govern
ment building is l5OxlW feet, and the native
dwellings, about the central plaza occupy
1OOxlO0 feet. There is to be a market place.
where the natives will buy their provisions,
sell their wares. loaf and swap jokes just
as they do at home.
Every tribe will be represented. The nom
Christian tribes Of the wild interior will
be seen. The dainty, dandy Filipino of the
metropolis, Manila, will be there in his
gladdest garb. Bewitching beauties of
dusky hue will promenade the plaza. doubt
less casting rougish glances do the Fill
pinOs firt0 at the American gallants who
pass along. The United States government
is back of this Filipino exhibit. Such is
the magnitude of the thing that it is called,
with excellent reason, an exposition within
an exposition.
mum xnruzaV.s su0ppIyC nEpann