Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1904-09-08
CURIOS FROM
PHILIPPINES

IeW Gays. Inc CurlOs represent q
collection brought from the Philippine
Islands by Mrs. Elizabeth M. Brinton,
who served as trained nurse on the
Islands for some time.
There have been other collections
brought to Danville from the Islands
by returning soldiers, which consisted
largely of war implements and plain
wearing apparel.
Mrs. Brinton's collection excels in
containing not only the above class of
articles, but also an immense assortment
of fine fabrics, dress goods, draperies,
embroidered and drawn work, besides
rare and beautiful dishes and many
other articles never before seen here in
such variety. The dress goods alone
show that the natives of the Islands
are not only the deftest OF weavers
and that they are skilled in art of dye
ing, but also that there are in the
Philippines refined taste and a
love of the beautiful.
Mrs. Brinton's collection fills a
whole apartment and what it does not
contain it would be difficult to tell.
OF great interest to ladies is dress Of
a wealthy Philippine lady, made with
train after style peculiar to the
Islands. The dress goods are superb
not only in point of fine texture but
also in the beautiful shade of coloring.
A very popular goods resembles silk
somewhat, but is made of the fibre of
the Josie plant and is called Josie"
pronounced "Hosie)."
Another beautiful cloth, finer than
any, made of the fibre of the pineap-
pie. This is not only used for dress
goods but for table cloth, doilies, hand.
kerchiefs and for cuffs aud collars
These beautiful fabrics are all woven
on the most primitive of looms. When
dyed the colors are fast f" When not
dyed they are white or cream colored.
The embroidery and the drawn work
all of which was executed by the patti
ent Philippine women. are a marvel in
this country even to the most dexter
GUS hands at such work. There are
score OF specimens of each in Mrs.
Brinton's large collection, no two Of
which are alike and all wonderful in
showing how faultless and mechanical
work can be that is turned out by
the human hand.
The collection contains an immense
variety of goods made OF straw. The
mating is most beautiful in design,
the colors brilliant and fast" Mrs
Brinton has nearly enough mating to
cover one floor, which, she says, in
the Philippines is used also for cover
ing the walls. Owing to the prevail
ence of earthquakes neither plaster nor
paper can be employed in the houses
on any of the Islands. Neither can
window glass be used for the same rea-
son and in lieu of glass beautiful semi
6HI are III
serted in the windows. several speci-
mems OF the latter being included
among the curios. Mrs. Brinton pass
ed through a number of earthquakes
and to hear her describe how she was
5umbled about as the earth rocked be-
meath her feet one can easily under
stand that plaster and wall paper, to
say nothing of glass. would not prove
very servioeable on houses.
Two philippine cigars q foot long
and over six inches in circumference
seemed to require some explanation.
These Mrs. Brinton said were made BY
factory girls, who by custom were al
lowed one cigar per day to be made
by the girl herself. The native girl,
however. is a resourceful creature and
the cigar designed for herself before
long began to grow. Ii was soon the
size of three cigars and kept on grow
ing until it attained the enormous di-
mensions described above. Such cigars
are used by the entire family at home,
each member in turn taking q pull at
the big roll of tobacco
Mrs. Brinton has brought an endless
variety of straw headgear along home.
The most of these are from the Island
of Luzon, where the natives are ex-
ceedingly picturesque. Mrs. Brinton's
own hat which she woIe when she
went abroad in the sun, is about as
big as an umbrella. The mems hats
are wonderful creations, bearing more !
Of resemblance to a basket than to
headgear. Few of the native hats are
less than five or six feet in oircumfer-
snoe.
In the collection are hundreds of
rare and beautiful shells, gathered by
Mrs. Brinton herself while ON the Is |
lands.
There are nearly a hundred other
,urios, which merit a description, but |
space will not permit-suoh rs the |
stove (made of earthen-
Hare) ornaments made of ivory and of |
he beautiful hard woods which grow
IN the islands; rare draperies, combs
md shoes of wood articles of all sorts
made of bamboo; +; a full tea set of Jap
'nese dishes and bolos, which have
cen bloody service. presented to the
Iurses by natives who received treat
nent in the hospital.
The curios will be placed on exhibit
ion in a vacant room ON Mill street
n few days An admission fee will
g charged. the proceeds to be donat-
d to the Pine Street Lutheran church.
After Coal Companies.
From present indications the West
nd Coal Company at Mocansqua, will