Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-03
"A NEW HOSPITAL ToR SPECIAL PATIENTS
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and again. There are now tennis courts
at Agana and the desire for gymnastics
is growing.
But let look at the Guamites Of to-
day. There is a good slice of the old
Chamorro in them. They have also been
mixed with the islands about and
with the Spaniards. The governors re-
ports say that the Spanish officers who
have ruled the country in the past have
intermarried with the native women and
that today the names of the upper crust
include the family names Of nearly every
governor for the last one hundred years.
Guam has its four hundred, and 1t Is
harder for one born outside that class to
gain admittance to the houses of the Tor
reses, Martinezes, Calves or DiaZes than
for a gutter snipe to enter the most select
circles Of America.
This upper crust has its own receptions
and balls. It's laws of etiquette are strict
and the women are almost secluded. I'm
til recently the well-to-dO natives sent
their children to Manila or Madrid to be
educated. The girls are said to be good
dancers, and most of them are able to
play a little on the piano.
1t is this better class that owns most OF
the plantations Of the, island. The men
do not work, but rent out their ranches
or employ laborers. 1t is from them that
the subordinate officials Of Guam are
taken. The young ladies form a part of
the official society. They attend balls
given at the governors palace. and are
said to be pretty and vivacious. Their
dress consists of full skirt of fine mus
lin or silk and. a zouave jacket of deli
cately white embroidered material with
flowing sleeves. The people of the better
class do not use the betel nut nor do the
women smoke. Since the American occu-
-
dress.
The common people are very much like
the masses of the Filipinos. They go
barefoot and wear their shirts outside
their trousers. While at work the shirt
is often taken off and the trousers rolled
slippers may be added as part Of the
dress.
The richer people Of Agana have very
comfortable homes, but the poor through
out the island live in huts of bamboo
and thatch. These are built five or six
feet from the ground. and usually have
but one room, ventilated by three or four
openings for windows. There is no glass,
but each window has sliding wooden
shutter.
Such houses have but little furniture.
The common bed is mat Of woven grass
and the whole family sleeps on the floor
of the one room. The doors and windows
are tightly closed. for the people think
tndt the night air brings IeVeT. IneE
sleep in. the same clothes that they wear
during the daytime. Every such house
has matched leanto at one end, in which
the cooking is done. The ordinary stove
is a stone Enclosure, filled with earth,
upon which a fire is built. a number of
smaller stones keep the pots off the Goals.
The women of the poorer classes, on
feast days and Sundays wear long. trail
ing skirts of bright-colored calico and
a white muslin jacket over short
chemise They have cheap handkerchiefs
covering their heads. On working days
they wear similar dress, but tuck the
skirt into the belt. They labor in the
fields with their skirts fastened high up
above the knees, and thus clad they climb
cocoanut trees by notches cut in the
trunk. A girl will go up hand over hand