Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-08-13
6LRlI WOlLEI N

QEa4fQJ <. x S <
 The United States Is not without It's royal families, regardless of what pro hibitive measures congress and the constitution have provided. The con quests of 1898 brought us not only new dominions to administer. but among other things, a full quota of royalty as we'll.
 The Island of Mindanao, Americas furthermost frontier, Is ruled and gov erned under the tutorship of American officials by blue-blooded families boast ing as old and spotless an ancestral lineage as any dynasty in the far east. These families are Mohammedan in religion and decidedly oriental in GUS tom, so much SO that comic opera writer would be in clover of operatic material could one but live to study the varied curiosities of the royalty of Moroland.
 A great celebration took place in Mindanao recently. It was not when Mrs. Longworth, nee Roosevelt, wis ited the country and. according to ru- nor, was offered an opportunity of marriage into the royal household of the Moros by an over-zealous prince "a sort of charter membership as it were-nor was it when the Hon. Will liam Jennings Bryan visited the island paradise and out of pure Moro hos pitality and respect was made full fiedged Datto, a rank next below that of prince.
 Zambo, as the Americans say for short, was in festal attire. mirth and feasting for the popular Sultan of Ma guindanao, the ruler of Margosa Tu big, a principality not unlike Timbuc too in a great many respects, on the occasion of his marriage to the Princess of Cottobato. It was na tional affair in Margosa and the cere mony was consummated in full state honors. Especial interest was dis played by the people in this matri monial event owing to the grea wealth and rank of the princess wht comes from one of the foremost fam ' files of the Sulu archipelago. Int i princess is the widow of the late Dat to Uto, who greatly harassed thu i Spanish authorities in the old days O strife and turmoil. and she was mucl sought after by the leading Dattol and Sultans of the Moro provinces.
 The wooing of the dashing Sultan o Maguindanao was finally looked upol with favor by the dusky princess ant the wedding was to have taken plac i earlier in the year, but according t their mythology the date set was UT propitious, the fact having been mad known to the royal councillors by
 bird flying past the door of the su
 tanate, and going in the wrong d
 rection. Mohammedans have thei
 full share of superstition and are a
 ways prone to its fanciful dictations.
 Maj. Gen. Leonard Wood is the bi
 man in social functions that he is
 matters military, and in order ths
 the sultan. who. by the way has a
 ways borne friendly air towVr
 Americans and American governmen
 might attend his wedding in moder
 state, the general gave instruction
 that a launch be placed at his di
 posal to transport the bridal part
 from Cottobato to Zamboanga, u
 ancient capital of Moroland. Fro
 this 1t must be judged that the sr
 tans are minus their methods of watt
 transportation. They are the owne
 of many large and beautifully dec rated canoes, carved from the mo
 precious woods in the east. The c , noes are propelled by slaves. son ] having as many as one hundred blac sleek oarsmen on occasions of stat
 But to be able to have a steam vess
 of modern lines in attendance at
 wedding was thing not enjoyed , every marriage and because of th , compliment alone the wedding will one long remembered among the pc , pie. It was a proud prince th 5 brought his bride aboard the tootir . fag-bedecked government launch. 2 At the ceremony the bride al F groom appeared in full state robes al
 jewels. some of the latter of whi
 would grace the parsonage of a mo
 powerful peer. A wedding ceremo as performed by Moros takes pls ? in a large embroidered marque of ri and costly design. and is an affl which usually outshines marital ce ' brations fn more advanced countrie On one side of the ponderous. si g en tent sits the bride esconsed on cushion laden throne and with II cushion in front Of her on which rel ' her hands. The finger nails are D L tected with long silver ferrules Il | at once suggest the garb of the v v tribes of South Africa. but Moro n
 alty. on the contrary. is far from
 ing wild It Is rather enlightened
 6 great many ways and the pomp a $ taste with which they sometimes cal [. out their ceremonies Is most attr n -
 lt "SettIIno up.-