Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-12-21
THE MANILA POLICE.
Guardians of the Law on the Philippine
Islands-Fire Department..

Guardians of the Law on the Philippine
Isiands-Fire Department.
A private letter from Mr. Alexander
r. Webb, now United States consul tc
Manila Philippine islands, to friend in
St. Louis is full of interesting gossip
about the people and costumes at his
post of duty. His description of the DO
lice and fire department of Manila is
graphic and amusing.
The Manila copper" is thing of
picturesque beauty, if not a joy forever.
The coat and pants are of navy blue,
with fancy decoration in red and white,
and heavy white cords with silver
pendants. festooned from the left shout
der to the breast and looped around I'M
der the arm. The hat is pure white
helmet, with silver knob on top, the
royal arms in silver in front and a heavy
silver curb chain running half way around
1t and hanging pendant from hook at
the back. They carry no club, but in
stead are armed with navy revolvers and
knife two and one-half inches wide
and eighteen inches long. The handle is
of brass, and there is usually tuft of
red plush at the hilt This weapon,
which, rests in brass tipped black
leather sheath, looks like an extra large
cheese knife with an ornamental handle
l am told that one edge is kept as sharp
as razor. Both weapons are worn in
plain sight at all times, attached to a
black leather belt. This is the day uni
form.
"The night force goes on duty barefoot,
with long, thin, black coaks that reach
from the neck to the heels and have no
sleeve holes, and high black cap with a
cockade in front and straight leather
front piece. In addition to the weapons
worn by the day force, each peeler car
ries rifle slung over his shoulder. The
policemen are very small in stature, and,
like all the natives, are naturally averse
to fighting. They are quiet, peaceable
race, atfectionate and kind to each other.
and apparently preferring at all times to
submit to insult and abuse rather than to
get into trouble. When thew arrest a
man they tie his arms behind him at the
elbows and march him off to the nearest
station, and they seem to feel actually
sorry to be obliged to do it.
"When there is a fire the policeman
blooms into fireman. There are no fire
alarm bells. but when blaze starts some
one runs to the nearest police station and
informs the guard, who immediately
blows small whistle, and all the police
men within nearing come running in.
Then two or three policemen start out
blowing their whistles and gathering in
the patrolmen, until there are fifteen or
twenty at the station, who have stripped
Off their uniforms, and i'm bare feet and
with no clothing but thin pants and shirt
and black glazed leather cap, are ready
for work. The Majority arm themselves
with axes, two carry pole with about
100 feet of rope and a small anchor at
tached to it, and two more carry a pole
with perhaps 100 feet of two inch linen
hose and brass nozzle on it. Then they
start OIL on run for the fire. which, by
this TING, has gotten well under way.
'Ihe water system is very good, the
supply coming from a river or a lake
several miles distant from the CITY, the
water being pure and as clear as crystal.
AT intervals of perhaps fifty or a hun
dred feet on all the streets are little iron
trap doors about SKIS inches, under
which the fire plug is located. On their
arrival at the scene of the fire, the hose
Is attached to one of the plugs, and a
stream can be thrown about one hundred
feet. While this is working pals are
used at the upright plugs (also used for
drinking purposes), the men with the
rope, anchor and poles pull down the
surrounding houses, and everybody
works frantically. As most of the
houses are not more than twenty-five feet
high, and are made of bamboo and cane
leaves, huddled closely together, it
doesn't take long to burn up one hun
dred OF them. Last week over three
hundred burned in an hour. Still the
loss is usually light for the natives sell
dom have more than two or three dol
lars worth of household goods, and as it
is quite comfortable to sleep out of doors,
they are not seriously disconnected by
being burned out st. Louis Republic.