Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-01-17

|AezA<AosS III C<zvZ2l
~ NE OF the most unique travel
er's tales heard In New York
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 80
hospitable that shall always think Of
you AZ worthy to be a Society H.
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.
II was in Tahiti, and my savage
host wanted TO do me honor. These
people make a very wonderful and
curious bark cloth. AS we sat under
trees close to this big mans house
young girl came toward U.s. I knew
something of the South Sea dialects,
and had no difficulty in understand
Ing that here was great present for
me, the best he could give.
"The girl was an extraordinary
sight. She was wrapped with yards
and yards of this native cloth, wound
50 that It covered her completely ex-
cept her head and arms and stuck out
below her waist as If she were wear
Ing an old.fashionel hoop skirt. My
Tahitan friend grinned and pointed
at her. She was a pretty girl and
was just wondering whether should
have to carry dusky beauty back to
Liverpool when she lay down fat on
the ground. A girl who had accom-
panied her, dressed only in a sort Of
sash, began to unwind her; yes, un-
wind. Over and over the pretty brown
girl rolled, her companion pulling
away the cloth, which soon was in =
great heap by itself. Then the first
girl jumped up, now wearing nothing
more than the same kind of sash, and
smiling ran away. My friend pointed
at the great pile of stuff and said in
Tahitan: Yours There was a host
for you!"
VERY often, when it 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
should tell you that 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.
1.-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, was as complete a
stranger as there ever was. The
chief motioned me to a seat beside
him, and I was well 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. l
found out afterward that he was a
son Of the chief, intrusted with these
special rites Of hospitality toward
strangers.
He led me to q tent. Later I
learned that was known as the FIRST
guest house, It was practically air
tight. its entrance covered by double
nap of blankets. In 1t 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 10y told me 1t was part of his
duty TO care for my clothes while l
went inside. I made record In get
ting them of. There never was .
bath az 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-somebody, ct any
rate--called the Merry People, that
have your Tahitans and Indians beaten
q mile when 1t comes to oddities Of
hospitality Their way isn't nearly
so pleasant a. those We have been
hearing about. What do they do?
Hold water In their mouths 40 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
ruks your face and head with fresh
butter. II a white guest protests he q
looked upon with suspicion.
.There Is another African tribe,
you may like to know, tho Nuebrs Of
central Africa. that have custom
very like this. They greet those
they are about to entertain By spit.
ting. yes. splitting, On your hands and
face. Il 10 the most gross and bitter
insult 4 ysu Do nuk spit hack. one
A-~>RAass a. - .MsA Asa-aA 49,