Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1912-01-12

~ NE of the most unique travel
E er's tales heard in New York
for some time was related by
w by an Englishman at luncheon
downtown recently.
you have done so much for me,
Mr.. Black, since / have had to be
here on this steel business" he said,
you have put yourself out to be so
hospitable that l shall always think of
you as worthy to be a Society Is
lander.
"How's that? Why unless they have
changed very much since was in the
middle of the Pacific some years ago,
! the Society Islanders are the most
hospitable people in the world. OF
course, their way of doing things isn't
| just like New York or London. But
It's right from the heart.
Very often, when it comes to the
test, the heather in his blindness
evens up pretty we'll with the white
man in taking care of his guests"
remarked another member Of the
party. Here on Fifth avenue or
Broadway what they do sounds queer,
but on the spot it feels good. If
| should tell you that North Ameri-
can Indian tribe l dropped in upon
| late one afternoon gave me Turkish
| bath to remove the dust and fatigue
of long days journey through the
desert, you'd say | was crazy, would
Mt you? Well. that is exactly what
happened.
"The Indians were the Havasus, or
the Havasupais, whichever way you
I want to call them. When | arrived
at this village of theirs, hot and COW
cred with CRIME, was as complete
| stranger as there ever was. The
! chief motioned me to seat beside
him, and l was we'll satisfied in being
received kindly and allowed to rest
No Indian, as you know, ever talks
much, and hence no warning of what
was to come was given me. 1t could
hardly have been much over half an
hour before a youth beckoned me.
found out afterward that he was
son of the chief, intrusted with these
special rites of hospitality toward
strangers.
"He led me to a tent. Later |
learned that was known as the first
guest house, 1t was practically air
tight, it's entrance covered by double
| flap of blankets In it women of the
village had, ever since my arrival
been placing red hot stones, under
the direction of the lad. By now 1t
was filled with heat and steam.
"The boy told me it was part of his
duty to care for my clothes while
went inside. I made record In get
ting them off There never was a
bath as delightful as that"
Odd Custom of African Tribe.
"My story will seem tame after
those of you two" put in the man who
was giving the luncheon ''but there's a
tribe In Africa, the Ovambos, whom
Stanley or Livingstone or Lord Kitch-
ener or Roosevelt-somebo at any
rate-called the Merry People, chat
have your Tahitans and Indians beaten
| a mile when it comes to oddities OF
hospitality. Thei: way isn't nearly
so pleasant as those We have been
hearing about. What do they do?
Hold water in their mouths as soon
as YOU are seated at a meal and squirt
II in your face. You are expected to
be greatly delighted at this, and then
YOUR host comes around to you and
rubs your face and head with fresh
butter. If white guest protests he Is
] ri
There is another African tribe,
YOU may like to know, the Nuebrs of
central Africa, that have a custom
very like this They greet those
they are about TO entertain by spit
ting, yes, splitting, on your hands and
face. 1t Is the most gross and bitter
insult If you do NOT spit back. One
traveller, 1t is said, who didn't know
of this custom, became terribly angry
at being spat upon. His first thought
was to knock the negro down. Then,
In his rage, better way suggested
ITSELF. He spat in the mans face good
and hard. To his establishment the
rules of the tribe groveled before
him. Now I know he said, that you
are a great chief!
The whimsicalities of hospitality are
unending, though civilization is clear
ing them away piecemeal. 1t may not
be true, as some have predicted, that
q New Zealander will ever stand and
look on the ruins of London bridge
because by the time that famous
structure does tall there will not be
any New Zealauders left, but, as wit