Evening journal., 1898-08-06
CHINESE IN MANILA.
They Are Influential ana for That
Reason Disliked.
Their Thrifty Ways and saving Ten
dency Source of Grievance TO the
spaniards, who Hold Tbem I'm
Great Contempt.


Forming as they do a very large
proportion Of the population, nearly
equal TO that of the natives them
selves, and having by their industry
and business ability sustained the
fame of Manin as n commercial port, /
they are thorn IN the side OF the |
Spanish mercantile class, aside from |
the conventional dislike extended 10y |
the latter t5ward all foreigners. Re
ing commercial by nature, and hav-
ing realized the good policy Of keeping |
their word in business matters, In
contrast with the everlasting pro-
crastinating and "manana'-ing OF the
Spaniards, they have built up a
large business with the English and
American houses, who infinitely pre-
fer TO deal with them rather than
with the owners of the soil. Their
thrifty ways and tendency to save
money and send IL home TO China rath-
er than TO spend IL where they are Is
another source of grievance TO the
naughty "Espanoles."
Then their ability and willingness
20 perform every kind OF manual labor,
from carpentering, shoemaking, etc,
TO coolie work, from morning TO night
at the lowest of wages is cause OF
envious Irritation 10 the indolent ma
tive "Filipinos," and n constant feud
Is waged between the two races, which
has been handed down for genera
tions. In street fight, however.
have noticed that the Filipino" Is
very apt to come out ahead, although
many OF the coolies have the most
superb muscular development which
have ever seen.
Long ago, according to history, n
feet OF Chinese junks, under the IA
nous pirate chief Ii Ma Hong, bore
down on Manila with the intention OF
capturing Il and it's many treasures.
The little garrison In the fort defend
ed IL with gallantry such as Span
iards can and viii display when in
desperation, and III Ma Hong. pos
sesslng no petroleum Shells" and n
storm coming up providentially, the
feet was ingloriously defeated. Some
OF the junks went ashore on the north
ern const of the island, and there Is
to-day curious race OF so-callcd
Chinese "Igorotes," or savages, living
in the fastnesses Of the mountains, and
supposed 10 be the defendants Of
the shlpwrecled pirates. A certain
? day In January is the anniversary Of
the fight, nnd on That day hardly a
D ChiRamnn In Manila dares show him
self out of doors. for every small boy,
, native or spaniaISi. feels IN duty bound
10 "heave rock" at him.
Whichever there Is big FIRE IN the
% town, It Is always assumed that the
Chinese have set II. and they are very
e scarce In the streets while the confa.
+? grafton lasts, for tacit instructions
e would seem to have been given on
= these occasions TO the effect that I'll
you sec Chinaman hit him.
Early In the spring Of 1898 the Span.
- ish iron steamer San Juan sailed from
: Hong-Kong for Manila with q cargo
= largely composed of kerosene, which
had been carefully slowed as near the
r boilers "a possible. and on deck, where
q the some 3OO Chinese coolies who com
= posed the passenger list could sit on
the cases and knock the ensbers from
their pipes against them. II Is not
2 surprising that the ship took fir,
G when Just within sight OF Lu2on, an,
r the Spanish captain. with most o.
r his officers. promptly took 10 th'
@ boats and pulled for the shore, leaving
q a raging, shrieking mass OF Chines'
= shriebing at them from the doome,
vessel, for no provision is made OF
these steamers for the safety of tn,
s coolies in case of accident. In few
o minutes tho San Juan was nfre from
n stem TO stern. AS many as coul,
climbed tho masts, only to fall bacl
> suifocated into the blazing furnace be
low Even tho most merciful dealt
Z of drowning was denied them, for tn
Ie sea was olive with sharks, attractei
by the glare, swarming around th
\ ship as mackerel swarm around
l. bucketful Of CURRY"
y Thirty-six hours later nnothe
e stenmcr sighted the wreck and Dor
r down TO the rescue. Out Of the orig
n lnnl 300 some so wretched creature
s were found alive, clinging to the bii
. gangway which hung over the side, nni
3 TO the stern davits and boat tackle
I. with the iron hull Of the steamer red
y hot in places. and the sharks leapinl
at them. The rescuing boats had liz
orally to fight their way through tn
ravenous brutes.
saw the survivors as they wer
landed. and a discouraged-loolsing 10
they were. The San Juan. an empty
scorched hull, was towed in and an
chored in the mouth of the river q
cool Off until the 10000 Mexican dol
lars In her bottom could be dug on
of the debris, a melted mass Ant
not an expression of regret did hea
from any of my "Chino" friends owe
: the disaster to their countrymen
Sc "Pah! coolest" was all they said