Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-08-11
: LIFE in MANILA.
MANY ATTRACTIONS ABOUT THE
QUAINT OLD CITY.
The Natives Have a Wonderful Talent
for Music. The Trem endous Down
pour of the Rainy Season
Canoeing in the Streets.

Life in Manila Tor the August Century.
Mr.. Cummings says:
"Our firm had a mcss-h in which
the partners lived, and which was open to
all their American and English employees.
Should the latter prefer to live elsewhere,
one thousand dollars a year was allowed
as the equivalent. / lived at the mess,
binding 1t much the more comfortable. IN
deed 1t would have been hard TO be dis
satisfied with our way of living; and as 1t
will show the style in which the great
American houses in the East are conduct
cd | think 1t worth telling with some de-
tail, The mess was Il fine house. hand
somely furnished, in one of the pleasant
est parts of the city. The table was sup
piled by Chinese cook. He was allowed
five hundred dollars n month, and given
certain of the heavier groceries. such as
Hour, rice, etc. He paid his undercooks
and was responsible for meals at the mess,
and for breakfast dixie the French de-
icuncr a la fourchette) and afternoon tea.
which wore taken et the cifice by all the
employees, except on Sundays and 1estas.
Then there was a majord 1mo, who had
control of all the servants and had charge
OF the house. There was also an extra
mousse servant, and Chinese porter. VINO
opened and shut the great house doors,
filled the baths, pulled the punka, and
watercd the street in the dry season. Then
every one had personal servant. who
lhoh tHltf vi MS room, attpn0c1 10 MS
clothes. waited on him at table. prepared
his early breakfast (about Z IA. M and so
on. Everybody also owned a horse or
horses. which involved one more servant
at least Being junior, | contented my
self with one pony and a two-wheeled trap
something like a dog cart. The others
drove vctorias and pairs. Three of our
mess owned racing ponies, which Injured
to my benefit as II gave me as much
riding as | wished. After the bath ami IN
early breakfast came the drive to the Of
flee. between eight and eight-thirty: then
work till twelve-iifteen, at which hour
breakfast was served at the office; then
work again till hve-thirty. interrupted be.
tween three and four by afternoon tea;
Than to the bungalow to dress, to drive
and back to dinner at seven-thirty.
F 10 lover Of music Manila Is u charm
ing place. The natives have wonderful
musical talent and there were numerous
bands. Those Of the three regiments Their
stationed there were remarkably good
aud four afternoons each week they play.
ed In turn on the "Luneta." sort OF
plaza OF the shores of the bay Just out.
side the old walls. ! recall wildly the
opcn-dir concerts. by three hundred in.
Struments, given in honor of Prince Oscar
of Sweden. The glorious full moon of the
tropics. far brighter than in more North.
orn lands, shining on the quiet waters OF
the bay, the innumerable lights. the bril-
liantly dressed crowd, and the thrilline
music OF the mighty bands, softened II
volume on the great plain, combined &c
make II an occasion to be long remeub ar
cd. The Battle of Castlejos" which they
played. was inspiring, and the effect wa.
heightened by the repetition of the trum
pet-calls by soldiers who were stationed
at intervals far off upon the plains Will,
the guns on the city walls added a toucl
of reality.
I During the height of the rainy season
from about the middle of June TO tho mid
die OF September all out door pursuits NJ,
suspended The violence of the downpou,
Is hardly to he imagined by dwellers il
higher lattudes. The streets in Manila
ana some of the roads for "A few mile.
outside. are fairly good during the DIR,
season, but quickly become nearly impass
able when the rains set in As | have al
ready mentioned Manila Is intersected II
all directions by creeks, which are trav
erSed by hundreds of canoes These ca
noes are dusouts, often Of great size anC
the natives arc experts In handling them
Ihey are indispensable in times when vas
Hoods come down from the great lake
ABOUT thirty miles from Manila. of which
the river Pasig Is the outlet. One storm
VIII sometimes raise the river and over
flow most of the city. After few hours
ram ] have gone direct from our step.
NV" pdncd tcanoe), and then paddlet
through the streets to the Office.
THE HORSES OF MANILA
Among the first things to impress :
stranger are the horses Descended from
horses brought from Mexico. they hav,
become much smaller, while they are mis-,
much more shapely. In fact. | have neye,
seen better looking breed There /,
nothing OF the pony about their shane
though In size they range between forty
eight and hfty-two inches At first 4
looked absurd to see them ridden by bis
men whose stirrups hung down to tn,
horses knees; but | soon found out tina
they easily carried a rider Weighing tive
hundred pounds. The foreigners have !
Jockey club. which holds two meetings +
year at the beautiful turf track at Santf
Mesa TO avoid sharp practice, member.
OF the club only are eligible to ride. Thi.
nocessitates scale of weights at On,
hundred ana thirty-two pounds and risins
to one-hundred and fifty-four pounds i
demonstrates the speed and strength o.
these miniature horses that "A mile ha,
been run In two minutes and ten second,
ny pony carrying one hundred and dfN
pounds. Only stations are used. Mare,
cannot even be brought into the city. No
body walks everybody rides: and on an,
special hesta thousands of carriages nj
the streets. | doubt If there is a city IN
the world that can turn out half the mum
Der or private vehicles in proportion tc
the population.