Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-11-20
FACTS ABOUT MANILA
INTERESTING LETTER FROM 4 FOR.
KANSAS CITY BOY.
Music of ManiIa-SOme of the Re-
sources of the Philippincs-The
Fruits and the Climate
of the Islands.

MANILA. Oct. 10.-The newspapers have
told the story of the war so thoroughly
that | shall not attempt TO add anything
TO what has already been written in that
regard. But | shall write to you Of the
town of Manila as / have seen il and Of
the other islands of the Philippine group
as ! have been reliably informed.
Manila is a beautiful city in many ways.
While taking a moonlight walk through that
part OF the city where the finest residences
are built. surrounded by beautiful trees,
shrubs and flowers. | could not but wonder
that such surroundings did not inspire
one TO write poetry. Poetry is ever here.
Romance is on every hand. The city j.
buhbilnS over with music. However worth
less he may be III every other reSpect, it
must be admitted that in music the
Spanish cavalier really amounts to
something. He has impaired his love for
music 10 the people here so that one can
walk the streets of Manila of a moonlight
night listening with enraptured soul TO the
sweet strains of melody floating out from
nearly every home.
Fruit is cheap and abundant. But one
must be careful about eating it. Pineap-
pies. sauvas and other acid fruits are very
dangerous 10 the new arrivals. Mau.UeS.
II quite ripe. are perhaps the most whole
some as We'll as the most delicious. after
Tor drinking must be boiled or filtered be
fore 1t can he used with safety. Some sol
diers carry Il small pocket filter: others.
q small bottle of permarganate of potash
a couple of crystals of which is supposed 10
purify Il glass OF water.
The field hospital has been very success
III, ,in, in Its work and the a%ntiseptic precau-
Wonndt E's sspos ysTy 10 shS5is alr resuiis.
ficult TO heal i'll the tropics. When one is,
exposed to the sun here it is best to Keep
the neck covered. Protection OF the spinal
column from the suns rays is Just as
necessary as covering for the head. The
intrusive long billed mosquito causes our
boys to make many p~rofane Jaw prints in
mosquito bite is perhaps the most difficult
lesson a newcomer here has to yearu.
If you scratch the bites and break the
skin they will become poisoned and ugly
sores will result. If We rub our faces ana
hands with mustard oil the mosquitoes care
fully avoid us. II is Very warm here UNI
der the vertical rays of the sun and some
of our boys suffer greatly from the heat.
But as am not incumbercd with any super
fiuOus accumulation OF idipose tissue. il
does not affect me much. Take a bath in
the morning and one can keep awake all
day. Take another one in the evening and
one can sleep all night.
We are now wearing white duck suits.
A person dressed in anything but white
here would he as abnormal a creature as an
elephant without his trunk or a camel
without his hump.
People here speak about up To Hong
Kong" and down to Sydney" like Kan
sas Cityans speak of up TO Omaha" and
down 10 Memphis
Our street cars seat twelve persons, with
platform. | think this car line would suit
some of our old Il" road patrons. wto
were always wanting to rid" on the plat
slow and unreliable. and the driver is "a
lazy as the mules that haul him.
Tn natives are very easy-goine. and
does not seem to he bred in this climate.
Every native who is able to keep Il fight
ing rooster considers himself eminently re-
sspec,able; Ard if it be true that leisure
caunOt place too high an estimate upon
himself. The natives of the city live in
the Santa Ana suburb. Rich merchants.
who have carriages and follow the F:u-
ropean fashion live in San Miguel. There
are many other suburbs OF mixed and
doubtful inhabitants.
Gold. copper and coal are known to he
found here in paying quantities. while ev-
cry tropical fruit and vegetable grows to
perfection. Sugar. coffee. rice. tobacco.
indigo and cocoanuts are profitable prod
tets.
The climate and health on the islands
are better than some reports make them.
There is malaria in some parts. but less
severe than in many low-lyin% places in
the United States. Beri-beri is the only
disease that ever becomes epidemic on tine
islands. and it is one of the least fOrmid-
able of tropical fevers. Yellow fever. the
scourge of South America and of the West
Indies. is unknown. There i a great di-
versity of weather in these islands. which
extend nearly 1.G1 miles north and south.
The eastern and western seacOasts are di-
vided by mountain ranges: and while the
monsoon is raging on the western side
of the islands the eastern side is having
It's dry season. In Manila. pleasant wealth
or lasts from November to March. April.
May and June are hot. Then comes the
rainy season of July. August. September
and October.
On the islands are vast areas covered
with valuable forest trees. such as ebony.
mahogany. logwood and %ironwood.. There
Is one valuable product peculiar to the
Philippines. ] refer to Manila hemp. Ii
is made from the fiber of Il species of ba-
mana. Thousands of tons of it are cx-
ported annually. to be manufactured into
cables. ropes and binding Irvine. All OF
the opportunities for investment Of capital
rave been carefully guarded by Spain with
heavy taxes. and every foreigner who tried
TO start Il large factory or business of any
kind soon found his investment in the
lands of Il receiver.
The Importance of these islands under
American rule cannot be oversstim1tej.
When the field is opened to energetic YAM
KEGS. more wealth will he produced in. the
reXt four years than has been permitted
to be produced in nearly 400 years of Span-
ish rule.
The palace of the captain general. church,
es. theaters. and the three bridges over the
Pasig river are all characteristic speci-
mems of the architecture of the Philippines.
The Pasig river flows through "a wide. fer,
tile valley. which is full of native villages.
and plantations. II supplies Manila with
drinking water. which Is piped to the city
from Santalar. about fifteen miles up the
river.
The natives from mp the river visit the
CITY quite often to the distinct hett.rment
of its bar receipts. and. so far as their
funds hold out. chase the ever unattainable
rainbows of Elusive hope.
visited the flagship of SPANS sub
marine navy. and brought away several
souvenirs. These old bulls. half buried in
the mud. show the after taking effect OF
Uncle Sans iron pills.
The surf bathing does not compare with
the clear water at Honolulu. some Of our
BOYS have contracted severe skin diseases
from bathing in the bay and river fasic.
II is surprising how much one can buy
here with a little American money. vet no
one is complaining about his money buying
too much. or being too dear.
There was one point of particular inter
est to us on our voyage here. 1t was the
1SOth meridian. We crossed it on SUNDAY.
and the change of time We then made wac
the cause of considerable discussion among
our men. 1t was a question whether We
had gained a day or lost one: whether il
was then yesterday or tomorrow; whether
that Sunday was Saturday or Monday. Il
was finally decided that by travelling west
ward so many thousand miles We had
gained a day and for once in our lives to-
morrow had come to Us. 1t was Sunday I'M
til noon and Monday the rest of the day.
was an freshman with us who could not
understand how this change could occur.
and it was amusing: indeed. to near the
arguments he would have on the subject.
This is like every other place where
any wealth is to be had. the foreigner is
always present and persistent. England
chain OF A~nglo-Asiat.c financial agencies
and handy navy. Germany seeks 10 LOOK