Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, September 18, 1904, Image 24
Tribe of Fancy Dressed Filipinos 1? rr -I r r - i .... r-.'viV VI?-' b -few " ftf? t ' ftp ' ' . 4 KLjai s? 'fit v ill.l?Mrr,l,lllHlif. TVVBNTY-YKAI-OU BAUOBO WHO OWNS W),'0 IN HEMP LAND IN SOUTH ERN MINDANAO. FRETTY BAOOnO GIRL., SISTER OF HANDSOME BUTON, 14 TEARS OL.D. fleas! T. I-OUIS, Brpt. 15. No handsomer or more lnti;rt'HtinK rooplo 18 to bo found on exhibition ut tho World's fair than the spprtuculnr BaKolm that magnificent be;ul 3ruBscr fiom tho Philippine Islands, who practices human wicrillcc ns a cult, and hue hoen Keen iih little hy the outside woild as any rice upon the face of the Rlohc. When the visitor to the Philippine exposi tion gazes in wonder at the proud and dlK nllled Bagobo warrior In Ids resplendent costumo of woven hemp cloth, richly col ored bcud work and Ivory, and B'dd orna ments, he will see more of a Btranse peo ple than even the ethnological (Undent has been favored with, and will witness Inter esting customs nnd dances which have up to date been a mystery to science. Numbering about G,000, and hidden nway In tho remote mountain district of south eastern Mindanao Island, where they fight for existence with stronger native tribes, and celebrate, their great festival feasts of human sacrifice, the Bagobos have lived un known to any but the Chinese merchants, who trade along the coast, and to a few representatives of the 1'iilted States army, Who penetrated that section of the country. When Dr. Albert K. Jenks, chief of tho ethnological survey of the Philippine Is lands and superintendent of the ethnolog ical department of the Philippine exposi tion, made the Journey Into their country to secure these spectacular people ns a World's fair attraction, he was removed over two weeks from the nearest tele graphic communication, and tho transport ing of the thirty representatives here has been such an arduous task, that they hava only just arrived, months after the other I'hllipplno primitive tribes on exhibition. The Bagobo has arrived with the music Of countless bells worn about his clothing, sounding an accompaniment to his stately nd dignified stride. When to the jingling of these many bells and tho blight colors of his bead work drss Hashing In the sun ho draws his richly mounted bolo knife for an exhibition of his fierce wrr dance, hurls his long spear or lets fly the arrow In exhibitions of na tive marksmanship, the spectator watching the comeliness of his strong physique and attractive countenance realizes that the Philippine Islands have added to their un exampled museum of primitive man tho most spectacular race of the archipelago. With short trousers above the knro and with a collection of beads and trinkets hanging from the belt, not utiliko the Scotch phllibeg. the B.igobo has been termed the Highlander of the Philippines nnd the comparison Is nn apt one. His Ufa In tho mountains and his proud, war-like character ore not unlike the Scotch High lander, but his passion for artistic clothing ha moro ef the Oriental trait of mind. Th" Bagobo has long, glossy black hair and Union, tho prlro beauty of the village, owns a suit of hair reaching well below the waist which Is the envy of every American woman that beholds. He Is of an aristo cratic mountain family which Is worth several hundrid thousands in hemp land, and he carries himself with proud reserve and hauteur. He wears beautiful Ivory discs In his ears which cost him In gold and ports a gold, shell and bead work nockhiie of native wo: krunnshlp, for which he traced native roods to the value of $100. What little woik the Bagobo dce3 Is given to railing hemp, which he Evils or trades to the Chinese merchants, and his clothing Is mado from hemp cloth woven by tho Bagobo women In bright and artistic color r.cr.cmc-3. Tho jackets worn by the men leave a strip of brown skin above the trousers nnd the chest bare to tho winds. The suit la elaborately worked In most artistic bead designs and the cloth itrelf Is of tasteful pattern, usually browns rr dark red. Beads are strung on tassels of thread ami on the branches of black sea coral and worn as additional ornaments. The bead work Is all of beautU'ul artist'.s pattern and Is oheid of the North American Indian in that no crudo combination of colors is to be Trinkets for Smokers' Den 1 T I Q TsJ uiiMtMin of thf vp.ir Tj when thoughtful wives become I possessed of a wild desire to re-".yW-J furnish "hubby's den." So long as they confine themselves to hangings, cushions and tabourettes, tho average husband refrains from objections, but he draws the line at having: his smok ing outfit selected for him. Still there ure over-zealous wives whoso love of refurnishing will Invade even this masculine holy-of-holles, so let them read these few hints furnished by an up-to-dut tobacconist: Do not buy a tobacco jar because tho hand-painted decoration pleases you. The tobacco jar a man likes is squat and wide mouthed. Tho opening must bo large enough to admit his hand and his pipe. The most popular stylo resembles a ginger Jar, only it is larger and heavier, and has a pewter cap which goes well with tho bluu and gray Jar. Stein designs in the same wear are now used for tobacco, but they are apt to have a small top which will not meet with tho smoker's approval. Skull sets, for some reason, appeal to men; and the uglier tho set tho better. All tho newest Jars have an inner top of unglazed biscuit ware which ciui be moist ened to keep the tobacco In good condition. If this inner top is lucking, a spring de vice for holding a sponge can be fastened Into the lid. Neither metal nor wood should bo used for a tobacco Jar. Tho new humidors for holding cigars como In sizes suitable for dens, and hold from twenty-five to several hundred cigars. The latest design Is In white glazed tiling with oxidized copper or nickel plato trlnv mlngs. The lining is of glazed tiling, alter nating with the unglazed biscuit ware which can bo moistened, Just as In the tops of the tobacco Jars. These humidors have no lids, but doors In the front, w.'lh a throw-bolt, which works like a wedge and makes the fastening air tljjht. after the fashion of the best refrigerators. These new tiled humidors cost from $15 to $1,000, according to size, mountings, decorations, eta Humidors of polished wood, such ns ma hogany or ebony, are mado with an as bestos mat Interlining, set in an aluminum frame for holding moisture. Quito tho newest trinket on tho market is the cigarette humidor. Heretofore the cigarette smoker lias bought his supplies in small quantities, but now he Is offered a humidor, smaller than that used for cigars, and hero fancy treatment Is per nilssable. The cheapest sort Is of black lacquered wood with a lithographed top, and It sells as low as 75 cents. One fancy design shows an automobile In gilt 'and oxidized silver. The hood rise3 to display a placo for matches, and the tonneau conceals the cigarettes, from fif teen to twenty, according to their size. An other design is the sprinkling cart, with cigarettes In the body, from which they can be extracted nt tho tail board. The upper part of the water tank Is an alcohol lamp, the tiny wick coming out of the small opening at which the water Is sup posed to enter tho cart In real life. One of tho new designs In cigar holders Is a water barrel on wheels. Sometimes a small bucket Is fitted In between, the shafts to hold matches. These are In silver, gold lined. A complete smoking set shows a Swiss chalet for the cigars and various fancy out-bul!dlngs to hold mutches, ashes and .cigarettes. In mere trifles, a pleasing gift for a smoker 13 tho new box for carrying safety matches. This Is merely a rather fiat looking block of composition metal, fitted with a groove Into which can bo Flipped tablets of safety matches for strikrhg a light. Ibeso boxes cost only 60 cents each, to bo renewed as they wear out. More elaborate boxes, built on the same lines, show hand-painted nnd enamel art studies. They cost anywhero from $3.50 each to $50. In tho matter of pipes, tho market la flood'-Hl with beautiful designs, domeatlo and Imported, but here tho profaning hand of woman should stop. I,et a man buy his own plpo, even as you trust blm with tho Choice of Ma tobacco. found. Mott of the beads hro purchased from the Chinese, though the original Bagobo bead, fahiontd in the shape of Email discs from the mother-of-pearl shell, are still used on the clothing. The sword belts and sheaths of the men are of elaborate design, their turbans aro decorated with beads, and they wear on tha back a hamper of solid bead work. Those hampers and the clothing aro covered with the cleverly manufactured bells of sleigli bell pattern. These are made by the Bago bos from a tin and copper composition, the pattern first being made in wax with a clay mould about it The hot hctul la poured Into this mould and the clay Is broken and picked from the inside of the bell when it has cooled. The women wear nemp cloth skirts of pretty pattern, jackets plentifully adorned with beads and a basket like the American shopping bag covered with beads. The family collection of necklaces mado with beads, shells, bells and wild-boar tusks serve either husband or wife. The women wear strings of beads In the hair and mag nificent coiset-like girdles of solid bead work with a fringo of bells. Tho human sacrifice practiced by tha Bagcbo la correctly speaking not a form, of sacrifice at all as tho killing of tha victim Is with no Idea of apeasing or ple'as ing any God. It is directly connected with the strongly rooted cult ideal of the Bagobo that tho greatest distinction for any man is attached to tho bravery shown by tha slaying of an enemy In battle. The Ideal has become so perverted that tho decora tion of special colored turban or clothing originally awarded as a mark of courage Is to some extent now mixed In with tha slaying of a helpless slave. When a Bagobo warrior has slain his enemy ho is allowed to wear a turbaa cloth of dark red with peculiar white mark ings. When he has killed more he is granted a whole suit of the same color. He is decorated with special color of cloth ing, just ns tho unclothed Igorot Is de corated with taltoo marks. There are also varying marks of dress for tho different number killed and It Is tho desire to add to this record that results In tho killing of slaves. The Bagobo must have first slain In battle or he can gain no good from human sacrifice. The Bagobo does not enslavo Us own race; the victims aro women or children captured in battle. Tho sacrifice Is mado the occasion of a great festivity and does not happen much oftener than onco a year In each district, They generally retire to some sacred spot in the mountains and the man who Is seek ing the next degree of his order strikes tho first blow with his bolo-knlfe. Others who have paid for the prlvilego with wild hogs, portions of hemp or other valued possessions then strike in the order of their precedence. Each Bagobo man who has a part In the killing gaina a certain dlsUno tlun of casta.