The Hemp Industry
t?9
THE prospector seeking for In
vestment heed not (lit; below
the surface In tho Philippines.
The culture nml harvesting
of In'inp Is tin; MjroKt gold inlui' he
will llml. The Islands seem to liiivis
Iioi'ii especially itinilt for tho benefit of
tlip nlinrn plant. Tho moist tlioiili
imt swampy country to the south of
Manila, the Camniiv s, Snninr, Ley to
nml (Vim, would produce n solid over
growth of tin; nhnca liws If li'ft to
tnkp Its own course.
Tlio tree itself resembles closely tlio
bamum palm, bin diliors essentially
In the fineness of Its liliro nml lis bar
renness of f ni It.
TIip nnt'vi-H, too. seem to linvc boon
especi. .ly provided for tin- li. inp rimu
try. Tonultig to improvidence nml In
1o1itij, tin- In'inp industry furnishes
tliptn employment whenever they run
' phi'i-t of rico nml tobacco, for hemp
can be harvested almost nt tiny time
except dining the short rnlny Hen son.
Attempts linvp licen imnlu to trans
plant the hemp trees, taking them only
ns fur nwny ns Ilornco. Imt the linisn
textiles refused to colialiiiate Willi nny
but riilllppine soil. The l'nclllc slopes
of the volcanic regions of the b'niids
produce the Pest plants. Although the
nbnen tree coddles to thin soil. n:id
Tnlher dry, quickly drained localities,
the trunk and leaves demand frequent
ninl nliiiudaut moist mi-, (liven the
proper comllilons, the vast plantations
will thrive like asparagus beds. Vi .y
Utile oulilvntlon Is required; an o-.-a-slonnl
weeding and n replanting 111
tho harvest time nnd nnttire does tho
rest. The crop Is not gathered as If It
were a corn Held, but the trees nre
found In nil stages of growth, mid the
native passes through regular routes,
slushing n plant here nml there, his
practiced eye tho sole Judge of lis inn
tmity. Three yenrs Is the proper ngo
for harvesting. The hemp-strlppcr
pies forth much ns a huntsman
UARVESTINU THE AnACA,OIt HEMPrLANT.
would. With his bolo lu belt nnd n
lintuboo canteen full of rice slung over
Ills shoulder, ho hies himself to the
uplands. After feeling tho plmits,
Which at tho ngo of three years nro
about ten feet high, lie proceeds to
dip oft a shoot nnd rep nut It. After
number of trees nro cut the strip
plug process begins. A1J tlio leaves
nre torn off nnd the outer skin of tho
stnlk la peeled off. Inside of tho trunk
Is a pithy BHostanee, nnd nround this
are luycrs of fibre imbedded In a soft
Juicy substance. Tho fibre must bo
separated from tho stalk nt onco lest
It rot. Many Americans hnve cher
ished the Idea of exporting tho trunk
lutnet, but the enterprise is not fensl
vtilo because of the porlshnble until re of
the pulpous segrenient.
A hnmboo-mnde bench is Impro
vised, and nt one end the stripper binds
Ids bolo; the hnudlo nttnehed to bis
Toot by another bamboo strip. Across
'he blado he draws tho stalk until tho
fibre Is thoroughly separated without
Injury, preserving Its length of from
eight to ton feet, nnd leaving It fine
nnd beautiful that the tropical sun
mny lick up tho moisture still bleeding
from tlio . operation. The work of
tripping Is very tiresome mid requires
the skill of a trained hand.
Tho white man lins often attempted
to improve upon the brown man's
method of stripping the hemp, but tie
plte lurgd expenditures nnd Ingenious
mechanical contrivances no machine
"-TTri1.r7rTr5p
f r-z - r i- n
that takes the plnce
uteuts have been
go sums of money
iniontnl machines.
n peculiar nature of
em to require the
ltidj to separate Us
rft tMiOAbiNU illf AX (JKUU.
of tlie Philippines.
parts. As well try to produce a ma
chine to comb the snarls out of a wom
an's bnlr ns to make a mechanical
hemp-stripper.
The native Is paid for bis work In
hemp, dividing the product equally
with the plantation owner. When bo
cms nml strips nil lie can carry, be
twists up the fibre Into a grent roll
nnd goes down to the plantation own
er's bous", nnd there the division Is
made 'Ihcy then hang up the rolls
until the middleman or contrnctof
comes along nnd n bargain Is struck.
The bnh'R nre crudely fnslened to
gether nnd carried to the nearest port
BALING
nnd shipped usually to Manila, where
t'uey nre separated, rebaled nnd
shipped either to Hong Kong, whero
there Is an Immense rope-walk, or to
New York, l'.oston or Loudon. The
rope-walk at Hong Kong Is one of the
largest In the world. Its product prac
tically supplies China. .Tnpnn nnd Aus
tralia. Very little hemp is made Into
rope or twine in .Manila. Although
crude rope-walks exist in different
pans of the Inland, their manufac
tured article, although strong nnd
durable, would not compete In the for
clgh market. Hemp subserves every
purpose that leather might with tho
native. Ho twists it Into sandals,
uses It for harnesses, nnd It answers
for blmlois in the building of his nipn
but. The utility of hemp Is well un
derstood to the Filipino. Tho finer
quality Is selected nnd reserved for
weaving purposes, being made tip Into
really linndsmnc cloth, while the or
dinary hemp Is universally used to
make n coarse though durable mate
rial, worn generally by tho natives,
who delight lu gaudy colors and pic
turesque though seamy costumes.
There Is still another texture woven
from tho selected si rands of outer
fibro, Intermixed with the fibro of tho
pine-leaf. The cloth has the semblance
i2f'
DIWIXU HEMP ON A MANILA WHARF.
of unfinished silk, nnd is pretty nud
durable, though Uot us beautiful or
dressy ns t lie pure pine-lenf fibre silk
known as plnn cloth, the best wovcu
product of tho inlands.
Tlio entire hemp industry of the
Philippines is still worked by primi
tive uit'uioils nud wlm simple contriv
ances, '.lie native, though unambi
tious himself, Is Jealous of the (iilnn
111:111, and Is averse to the Celestial get
ting control of tho plantations or con
tracts, while scorning up-to-date meth
ods himself. The "L'heno," however,
has imiile inroads in tills Industry, us
well ns lu others lu tho Philippines.
Ilud he uot, the development would
- 'll f
a 4!t
not have been as rapid as it has. The
native Is thoroughly capable, and un
derstands tile treatment of the plant
and Its harvesting, and could he be
Induced to work with regularity would
be as good laborer as the Culuaui
uiuu. but tu Celvntiul usually controls
M r , -, ,
the nling nnd local marketing of tb
..... .... ' '
The presses at the senport towns nr
pmde alTnlrs. After the fibro is rlnssl
fl -d nnd separated Into three piles ot
classes. It Is dumped In bulk Into a
huge press nnd a screw npplled. Af
ter this operntlon It Is tnken ont nnd
put Into another press of more regulnt
design nnd of more Imposing chnrnc
ter. The second press Is operated by
nn eight-armed enpstnn on an over
head plnttorm, nnd a score or more of
miked coolies, usually Chinese, push
It nround. The sight Is most amusing.
Willi grunts, laughs nnd confused Jar
gon nnd mlllery they urge ench other
on nnd mnnnge to bring their strength
together nt loudly nccentnnted periods.
A good-sized press will turn ont 300
to 400 bnles n day, nnd In the conrso
of n yenr a million or more bnles nre
prepnred lor shipment. In Cebu lnrge
quantities nre handled, principally tho
products of I.eyte nnd Pnmnr, al
though In Manila the largest presses
nre In operntlon.
The classification of hemp requires
the skill of nn old hnnd, nnd the expe
rienced eye of n buyer w ho knows all
HEMr.
the tricks of tho trade. Tho native
will bring his hemp down from the
plantation In a moist stnte nnd offer
it for sale nt night, hoping thus to fool
the nilddle-mnn ns to weight nnd qunl
Ity, but ns this part of the business Is
mostly In the linnds of the Chinese,
there Is Utile danger that they will
lie deceived or cheated. Tho China
man Is the sharpest bargain-driver in
the world, nnd whether It is hemp,
silk or old Junk, ho is fully capable
of looking nfter his Interests. Fine
ness of fibre, color, strength nnd
length determine the vnlue nud grade
of hemp. If It be carefully stripped
over a smooth knife, Immediately nnd
thoroughly dried, nnd of good length.
It will bring the highest price. If it
lie cnrelessly stripped, Juice being left
in the lih.'c, it loses its color nnd lie
comes coarse. It then Is considered
of a second nnd third grade quality
and brings n smaller price. The nn
live watches the market, nnd If ho
lienr tt.:t the demand Is henvy ho
takes .advantage of the middle-mnn
and compels him to pay first-grndo
prices for secord nnd third grade pro
ducts. Formerly hemp brought In Ma
nila from $70 to $1.10 per ton, always
fluctuntln.; nccordlng to tho supply,
nt times going up to $:)0 per ton, but
nt present the price is prncticnlly pro
hibitive, nnd it looks ns if it would
renin In so for tho nest two yenrs. EU
wlu Wildmnn, In Harper's Weekly.
Wild Sliop shooting.
The sheep began to move toward us.
It had been a long climb to get be
yond nnd above theni, but now we
had our reward. On they came, only
two hundred yards nwny. I could
see their white mu..les.ns though they
had been sticking their noses into a
Hour bng. Now I could boo tho wrin
kles In tlio horns of the rntns. Tho
hoofs of tho advancing flock mndo a
swishing, pattering sound, and they
were only fifty yards nwny. I took
tho nearest ram, nud ho never drew
breath ngaiu. Johnnie's fortj"-four
barked spitefully. Ho mndo a nent
hit on another rnm, furrher nwny thnn
my ulrcady dying victim, but failed
to stop it. Those sheep did uot sail
nwny like deer, touching hero nnd
there n high place. They flattened
themselves out, phot nround n corner,
nnd were gone. Johnnie followed, nud
I was alone. In n few seconds I heard
Johnnie gun feebly thumping nwny.
There wns no echoing roar, such ns
you hear In the thick woods. I picked
my way cautiously nfter Johnnie, nnd
when I saw the Jumps he had made,
nnd the chances he hud taken, I knew
there wns much for me to lenrn about
hasty mountain travel. Johnnie shot
sis times, nnd two huudred yards
nhead, on tho crooked, rocky deseeut
the sheep had tnken. I found him on
his knees by the big rnm. Three bul
lets hnd struck. Scrlbner's, z.:
The Fat Muu'i I're-Kinlntnce,
We nre pretty sure for long gener
ations of seeing the preponderance of
northern races. One of their peculiar
ities is that of being heavy eaters.
This is Inconsistent with a clenn-bullt
figure. 1 The modern capitalist rarely
comes from a climate like that of Ath
ens or Naples. Ho fortifies himself
ngnlust the long winters of New York,
London, Amsterdam, lleiiln nud Frank
fort by suliBtuutlnl nud oft-recurring
meals. His body is a quick-combus-tiou
Btove wrapped up lu wurin gur
meuts that preveut light, ensy motion.
Men of the uiouey-mukiiig class have
considerable girth of wulstcoaL Lou
dou Truth.
The tonunge of the wbolb mercan
tile steam marine of Itusslu, Japan or
Holland does not equnl the tonnage
of the merchant vessels tnken over
by the English government as transports.
IN SHOE LEATHER.
Canine
Footers " Worn
In iht
I Klondike.
One of tho grentest dnngers con
fronting trnvelew In pnrts of the world
where dogs tnke the plnce of horses is
that the dogs which rtrnw sleds or
transport goods mny freer.e their feet
by coutnet with Ice, hnd so Injure them
A DOO SHOR FOB KLONDIKE WEAR,
that the animals become prncticnlly
useless, nnd must be nbnndoned, to
tho endangcrmeiit of the life of tho
traveler who has put his trust lu ca-
ulno motive power.
As n precaution against misfortune
of this kind It has been a common
thing to wrap tho dog's feet in cloth,
a pleco of leather or rubber. At best
nil of these, however, were crude nnd
poorly ndapted to enrry out the desired
object. They protected the dogs feet,
but nt the snme time Interfered with
the free use of their legs. The devel
opment of the Klondike lins given spe
cial Impetus to the demand for somo
proper protection for dogs' feet.
The dog's shoe, of which the nccom
pnnylng pliotogrnpl was sent from tho
far Northwest to Shoo and Leather
Fnets, is made of chrome tanned elk
leather, nnd the upper of calf, making
a soft, pliable and yet comfortable
shoe. There Is n tongue at the linck,
and the lacings are at the bnck of the
leg Instead of on the front, because n
dog's kneo bends Just opposite from a
man's.
Tho dogs, it Is snld, tnke very kindly
to these shoos. They beeomo so ac
customed to wenrlng them thnt they
don't like to go without them, with
the result thnt on the trail they will
often come up to the driver in tho
morning nnd hold out their legs to
hnvc their shoes put on, not unlike
children. If by chnnco tho shoes
should be laced too tight, they will
whine nnd speedily make manifest
their discomfort, wagging their tails
with Joy when the shoes are lnced to
their liking.
VECETABLE CONTORTIONIST.
OJocer Freak of Little Rprlff of Don's
Mercury,
These t. o pictures relate to nn ex
traordinary occurrence that befell a
plant of dog's mercury growing In
Charterhouse Copse, lu England. A
nOW THE PLANT LIFTED THE NCT.
hazel nut hnd been attacked by a nut
hatch nud a clean round hole mndo li
It nt one end the marks of tho blows
of tho bird's benk being clenrly visible
in the actual specimen. The nut was
dropped by tho bird after the kernel
hnd boon removed nnd happened to
fall to the ground with the hole down
ward. Into this hole grew the tip of
tho sprouting dog's-mercury, nud find
ing itself In n blind alley tho plant
was compelled to describe a complete
circle within tho cavity of the nutshell
and to emerge nt the snme hole ns thnt
by which it had entered. Having ex-
HOW STEM CCBVHD THnOrCUI NCT.
edited this gymnastic feat the plant
seems to havi got uloug quite hnpplly,
for till its upper leaves are quite nor
mal, though one of Its lower leaves
hud twist Itself uncomfortably to
get out to tho light of duy. Tile plnut
lifted tho nut several Inches off the
ground as It grew.
How Camels Act lu Water.
Camels cannot swim. They are very
buoyant, but lll-lmlauced, und their
heads go uudor water. They cnu,, how
ever, be tuught to swltu rivers, with
the aid of goatsklus or Jars fusteued
under their uecUs. During tho ltelu
chlstun expedition of 1KIS tho cumels
were lowered into the sea from the
ships hud the drivers plunging over
board, clambered ou the the rumps of
their churges, causing the animals'
bends to come up, and thus usslsted
they were successfully piloted ashore.
- 00C3 CO
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flip
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thh &m5T&
New York City. House gowns In
picture effects nre a feature of tlio
enson and nre ottrnctlvo In the ex
treme. The charming Mny Mnnton
FANCY WAIST WITH FICHU DRAPERY.
model Illustrated exemplifies one ex
cellent style nnd Is singularly well
suited to nil soft stuffs, such ns ensh
mere, Henrietta, veiling, wool crepons,
nlbntross nnd the like. As shown, tho
mnterlnl is cashmere In brilliant Ox
ford red, with the dots embroidered
in white silk, nnd vest nnd under
Bleeves In white moussellno nnd crenm
Ince. The flchu drapes the figure with
singular grace, and tho double sleeves
ndd a touch of qunlntness thnt. greotly
adds to tho whole. The design will
be found adaptable for stout ns well
ns slender figures, ns the drapery tn
pers sulllclcntly to apparently reduce
n Mm
mm.
mmm
nt.OCNK ETON
the size of the wnlst nnd is nowhere
full eUOtigh to become bulky. As
shown, tho frills nro of the material
cut bias and edged with narrow black
velvet, which dings to the figure,
whllo the color tends to nu effect of
slenderness.
Tho foundation for tho wnlst is a
fitted lining with single darts. Ou
this are arranged the pnrts of tho
waist proper, tho yoke nnd tho full
front Tho two latter nre Joined nnd
nttnehed permanently to tho right ride
of the lining nnd hooked into place nt
the left, the lining dosing nt tho cen
tre front. The fichu Is draped round
the neck and outlines the front, being
attached to its free edges. The sleeves
nro iirrnngod over n fitted lining, which
can also be used for tho sleevo proper,
If preferred. As shown, however, tho
luce cult is faced 011 nud tho full
mousseline Is nttnehed to its upper
edge nnd ngaln nt tho elbow, where
It meet 8 the upper sleeve that is cut
in one piece.
To cut this wnlst for n woman of
medium size five yards of material
twenty-0110 indies wide, three nnd one
half yards tweuty-seveu Inches wide,
or two and three-quarter yards forty
four inches wide, with ono yard of
moussclluo" and om' yard of luce, will
bo required. .-t-h.
Blunts Hlon Juchet With UoubhT?"
All variations of the blouse are much
worn for outdoor wraps. Tho stylish
Mny Manton model reproduced In tho
largo drawing Includes nil tho latest
features aud Is essentially comfort
able as well as smart. For Immediate
wear It Is excellent in Venetian, broad
cloth velvet, and materials of similar
weight; luter It enn be either Inter
lined or mndo from heavier cloaking
doth. As illustrated, It is of snt In
faced Venetian In castor color, with
collar and culls of tnlTotu, and makes
at pnrt of a costume, but tho design
Is perfectly suited to tho general wrap,
and will be popular for all-round serv
ice tho season through. The little
capes give additional warmth, and
the straight ttt"u-over collar, with tho
slightly flaring entTs, ate features of
the very latest 'designs. As shown In
the' small drawjug the (routs can be
turned back, wuan the weather al
lows, to form tapering rever that re-
op f&HiON-
venl the front of tlio gown. When
closed tlio buttons serve to ornnmonl
the front, and mny bo of cut steel, In
enmeo or nny handsome sort preferred.
Tho bnck of tho blouse Is smooth,
without fulness nt nny point. The
fronts fit snugly nt the upper portion,
but nre slightly full nnd pouched over
the belt. There nro no darts, the fit
ting belli r accomplished by shoulder
nnd nnder-nrm senilis. The capes nnd
the collar dose nt the centre front, the
edges of Ihc latter being concealed
when the blouse Is worn open. The
sleeves nre two-senmed. nnd fit stylish
ly. The licit curves slightly to fit tha
figure, nnd mny be stitched onto or
worn over the blouse.
Lnw Crnwne.
Although a great variety of shapes
nre seen lu the new hats, some posl
lively eccentric In their bhmirrc out
lines, there is little doubt thnt the
model with sweeping clrenlnr briui,
set on n brond, extremely low erowu,
has the palm of "grand chic." If you
notice such tilings yon become nwnre
that the shape of such n lint is ex
nctly right for showing off tlio long,
curling ostrich fen t her r.nd tho deml
wrenth of roses, which nro the two
conspicuous favorite modes of decor
ntlng millinery In the present senson.
For a mid-season lint choose one with
n brond, low crown.
Vnrletv tn font.
Every possible slinpe of cont, from
the short, tight Eton to the long, loose
cnrrlnge ulster, finds favor In feniinlno
sight. However, tho bigger nnd looser
one's brond-tnll or Persian lnnib
wraps may be tho smarter It is. Coats,
or, more properly speaking, clonks.tlint
drop nenrly to the knees, nre tlio most
fashionable shape, nnd very few Hlug
to the figure.
Clrt'e lins Heeler.
The box reefer lins certain ndvnn-
WITH DOCnLF. CAPE.
tages over models of every other sort
designed for little girls. The smnrt
May Manton model Illustrated com
bines nil the latest features, nud is
sullleleiitly shaped to bo graceful nnd
trim, nt the snme time that It allows
perfect freedom nnd falls lu tho sim
ple lines thnt nre so becoming to uni
formed childish figures. As illustrated
it Is mndo of tnn-colored cloth, with
collar of brown velvet and handsome
smoked peurl buttons, but covert cloth,
dark blue, nnd red nud brown cloth
can be substituted. Tho Inst is some
what odd lu its effect, and nothing Is
quite so smart ns tnu cloth in its vari
ous shades.
The coat Is cut with straight fronts
mid is fitted with shoulder und under
arm seams that curve well back. Tho
collar Is Joined to tho neck, nnd Is
faced with velvet, then turned bnck,
with tlio self-faced fronts that form
levers. Tho edges nud seams nre till
stitched, aud pockets nro Inserted iu
ench front. Tho coat is lapped over
In doulie-brensted fashion, nud closed
with buttons nud buttonholes. The
sleeves are two-scauied nud fit stylish
ly. To cut this reefer for a girl of eight
ma
r r-T.
BOX BICFEB,
years of age one aud one-quarter yard
of material fifty-four Inches wide, or
two aud ouo hnlf yards twenty-seven
Inches wide, will b required.
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