Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1912-01-12

- NE of the most unique travel
81 n er's tales heard in New York
81 81 for some time was related by
~ 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 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 1t comes to the
test, the heather in his blindness
evens up pretty well 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 I
should tell you that a North Ameri-
can Indian tribe / dropped in upon
late one afternoon gave me Turkish
bath to remove the dust and fatigue
of a 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
want to call them. When I arrived
at this village of theirs, hot and COW
cred with CRIME, l was as complete a
stranger as there ever was. The
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 youth beckoned me.
found out afterward that he was a
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 a 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 filed with heat and steam.
1.-THE boy told me 1t was part of his
duty to care for my clothes while |
went inside. l made a 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
tribe in Africa. the Ovambos, whom
Stanley or Livingstone or Lord Kitch-
ener or Overwhelmingly at any
rate-called the Merry People, that
have your Tahitans and Indians beaten
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
1t 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
looked upon with suspicion.
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 IL 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, a better way suggested
itself. He spat in the mans face good
and hard To his establishment the
ruleI of the tribe groveled before
| him. Now know he said. that you
are a great chiefr"
The whimsicalities>> hospitality are
| amending, though civilization is clear
ing them away piecemeal. 1t may not
be true, as some have predicted, thai
q New Zealander will ever stand and
look on the ruins of London bridge
because by the time that famou:
structure does tall there viii not b,
my New 2ealauders left. but, as wit