New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1923-11-20
TELLS Of LIFE IN
PHILIPPINE GROUP
President Of Trinity College Talks
TO Hi-Y Club

/ Rcmsen Il. OgiIhy president OF
/ Trinity college. Hartford, addressed
/ the high school club last night at its
regular meeting and supper held at
the Y. NJ. c. \. banquet hall. Presi-
dent Eben Strong of the club presid
+ ed at the meeting.
Dr. Ogilhy who organized and built
the Baquion school in the Philip
pines, spending nearly ten years in its
supervision as headmaster and serv-
ing in many capacities. spoke of his
experiences in part. as follows:
II am going to speak to you to-
night of three distinct groups of men
and boys who inhabit the islands OF
the Philippines. First We shall take
the native of the larger towns. the
more civilized of the group. Nature
is kind to these particular chaps who
go about daily in a white cotton suit
of shirt and trousers, living in a
bamboo hut, built of bamboo poles
easily secured. making them indie
pendent. Should a hurricane or Sc
we're storm come up destroying their
( homes, they can, in days time
build another.
Their chief delight in life seems
to be cock-tghting. II is a common
occurrence to see older men gathered
about fighting birds with sharp knives
on their heads. and betting their be-
longings on the result of this affair
OF course the younger people play
ball TheiR native game is much sim
liar to ours. only that the ball is
/ kicked by the foot, and from in back
instead Of batted. The men also play
soccer.
THE boys have good schools. Span
ish priests first came TO teach the peo-
pie, The lessons were taught in large
groups. The students were required
to memorlze their lessons by heart
and to recite out loud. You can i'm
agine the noise in the class room all
speaking and giving their lessons at
the top Of their lungs
"Of course conditions are different
today. Their secondary schools are
well organized. One university, the
Philippine college, is equal TO your To-
cal high school, doing tho same work.
The boys and men of the island have
natural adaptabilties, mostly that OF
fine detail work. especially in mechan-
ical and architectural work.
THE people of the Far East are
much inferior because OF the constant
diet OF rice, three times daily, never
changing their food. OF the 10 mil
lions OF people. about eight and one
half million occupy the low lands,
growing rice under water many times
and building their bamboo over poles
stuck into the mud, about ten feet
above the ground, Wild and domes-
ticated hogs run about under the
huts, feeding on the roots and growth
OF the swamps.
Wild Tribes In Mountains.
The second group of the island Is
that In the mountains. Wild tribes
extremely ferocious inhabit those
hills, rowing about ready to kill. The
chief mountain tribes are the Negri-
tos, a dlmlnutive negro-like race who
have given their name to the island
Negroes, though not confined 10 A.
The only wearing apparel consists Of
a white cloth. called the @ string
about their waists. And, always a
broad brimmed straw hat. In fact
one hardly ever sees a native without
his hat. He feels he is not complete
ly dressed without this headgesr.
Their chief sport and popular pastlme
is hunting heads.
Very little is known OF the Ameri-
can constabulary and the work Of this
pioneer American group Of men who
did great deal 10 stop this heading
business among the factions Of these
hills. Their work was similar 10 that
Of the North western mounted police.
Breaking up into small groups SO they
could visit communities that opposed
each other in constant warfare and
arranging for psreys 10 settle griev-
ancss in some way other than cutting
OFF heads to decide their superiority.
You can realize the danger this
noble group OF young American Off
GERS worked under. The officers Of
the constabuiary found that the chief
trouble was the keen rivalry Of the
communities or bands Of natives oc-
cupying stra getic points Of the noun
tains. BY careful diplomacy the
Americans finally arranged for the
natives 10 carry out their differences
over a tug Today il is com