Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-06-16

n LETTER has been received at
~ the general conference office Of
- the Seventh Day Adventist
Il - Church, in Takoma Park, from
Pastor Elbridge NJ. Adams, who
is missionary in the Philippine Islands,
in which he says that the Filipinos are
now calling for independence. He also
tells of some of the customs followed by
the natives, declaring that the women
smoke as freely as do the men, and
that the men are great gamblers, their
chief betting being on cock fights.
Pastor Adams says. in part:
There are many things in the oriental
countries that are new and strange to
the occident. Even in the Philippine Is
lands, where the progressive hand of the
United States has been felt for a few
years in the past. one will see not few
strange things and primitive methods.
But when ii comes to describing these
language seems to flow away. and that
which remains does very poor WORK.
However. there are a few things that
we can tell you.
One thing that seemed very odd to us
is the method OF passing on the left. The
cars ard vehicles all pass on the left
The street cars have a first and second
class fare. The front seats-usually
about four-are reserved for first-class.
The first-class fare is IL centavos while
the second is 10, unless tickets are used
when they are. respectively. II and s
centavos. A centavo is one-half of the
American cent The peso is the unit of
our currency. 1t is worth so cents of the
money at home. Hongkong has first and
third fares on the street cars. while in
Japan. on the steam lines. one is obliged
to choose from three classes. Shanghai
has a system of its own. Instead of pay
ing so much for ride to any part of the
city, they require the passengers to pay
so many cents for each section A sec
tion is about two or three blocks long
There are horses large and small and
mules here, but for blowing and freight
ing the natives use the carabao-water
buffalo The women carry things on their
heads, and the men do as the Chinaman
does-carry two articles suspended from
the ends of a pole. which is placed over
the shoulder. There are great many
Chinese and Spanish here
But though the Spanish had control of
these Islands for many years, Spanish is
not the language spoken by the natives.
There are about thirty different dialects.
The one used in Manila is called the
Tagalog, While the one spoken in the
island where Brother Ashbaugh is cam
vassing and where we expect to go as
soon as Elder and Mrs. F'inster return
from their furlough. is the Visayan Still.
as you would suppose there is much of
the Spanish in the vernacular, conse-
quently a knowledge Of Spanish would be
assistance q
tongue.
1t is no more shocking to see the wom-
en- smoke here than the men. Even lit
tie girls smoke We have even seen
women smoking with the lighted end OF
the cigar or ciragette in their mouths.
The native people are very social and as
sensitive. Sometimes we hold our meet
ings at the home of the people. If. when
we are through, it is near mealtime, it is
hard to get away without eating. OF
than the food. Still, rice we'll cooked,
with some eggs and possibly some bread,
is not a bad meal. Rice is the chief ar
ticle of diet in these islands great deal
of fish Is used also.
The houses are largely made Of bam-
boo. They are usually up about ten feet
from the ground. The roofs are matched.
The windows are not made Of glass, but
are open spaces which cover nearly the
whole side of the house, and these spaces
are closed by means of light sliding
shutters The natives think that the
night air is bad for them. SO they close
their houses at night. The floors are
made of light bamboo strips which are
about three-quarters Of an inch wide ana
one-quarter thick They are not placed