Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1898-08-04
IN FAR MANILA.
HOMOGENEOUS. BUT GROWS
ENDURABLE IN TIME.
Importance Of the English Ciuo-Ane
MONDAY siests Gen. Bianco ana
How He Impressed an American
Spaninrds Like Dress. %

IA SA
English Club Is the most interesting to
the American. One has only to jour-
ney to that capital In the far east to
find out what an important factor In
the life of the foreign resident that
same English club is, which somehow
binds the community together and
makes a side-tracked capital much
more livable by reason OF its exist
ence. The English Club is not only a
sort of social center and bureau OF
information. but is also a trade center,
at which sales are made, contracts
closed and deals consummated. II you
want a man and he Is not to be found
elsewhere during business hours, send
to the club for him or go there your
self at about noon. and you are sue
to find him shaking his thirst and
talking to somebody.
In Manila the club afforded shelter
and cocktails to It's members ut two
widely separated points of the COM
pass-one just on the banks Of the
Pasig, where its waters, coming down
from the big lake at the foot Of the
mountains, are first introduced to the
~outlaying suburbs of the city, and the
other in the heart Of the business sec
ton. The same set OF native servants
practically served for both depart
ments." since nc one uses up town
during the middle Of the day and no
n down town after business hours,
AS a result on week days, after the
light breakfast of the early morning
was over at the up town building the
staff of walters and assistants hurried
down town in the tram car and made
ready for the noon meal at the other
structure, returning again to the sub
urbs In time to oficiate at dinner.
At the suburban clubhouse in Nag
tajan were the dining room, parlor, bill
lard rooms, bowling alley, bed cham
bers for members and guests, and a
boathouse for those who had the en-
ergy to buck the muddy current of
the Pasig in the heavy working boats.
In the down town or tiffin rooms were
merely the breakfast parlor" and Ii
brary, with a billiard table perched out
in the hallway, the whole establish
ment was modestly located on a perma-
nent corner in the main street, over
the Office OF an English bank.
At 10 o'clock in the morning the
brokers and heads of houses used to as
semble at the tifin rooms as a sort of
chamber of commerce, and discuss the
news from home as related in the pri-
vate cablegrams. At noon the mem
bers Of the foreign business community
stopped work and most of them re-
turned to the club for the hearty break
fast which was served below the lazily
swinging punkahs. This was the first
square meal OF the day, and consisted
OF so many varied courses that long
sleeping chairs were provided in the
library for the comfort of members.
most OF whom found an hours rest
absolutely necessary after a battle with
Chinese curry and canned plum pud-
ding.
Prices Varied.
Tifin was supplied on every business
day In the month to subscribers for
$ls.So Mexican, or about 81 in gold.
II there were few holidays in the
month, the price per meal was chean
enough. say 25 cents; but when those
ever recurrent church feast DAYS came
a!ong-sometimes two a week-meals
were suspended down town. and the
club got the best OF the bargain. Az
such times the body OF servants re-
NAMED Ut the suburban establishment
ana tue "tifin" cost a dollar.
The library in the tifin rooms was
excellent, consisting as 1t did Of some
1000 volumes and a set Of original
Arabian Nights kept In a big tim boY
near the door. All Of the latest papers
and magazines-six weeks old tboupb
they were-could be found on the to
bles. and nothing induced s,een 90
easily after that hearty breakfast a.
the slowly swaying punkab and tha
perusal of stale news. The punkah
boy slept with the rest and pulled nm
In his dreams. II he awoke. the COOL
ing arrangement generally STONED
and someone would throw Sir .Jobn
Lubbock across the room to mt him
to sleep again.
In Manila In times OF peace tho
whole city slumbers from twelve ~
three. Carriages disappear from tbe
streets. the shops draw down tha,~
blinds, and the little ~one-horse tran
car Is about the only sign of life. Al
3 o'clock the mercury begins to s,rr
a little and life revives. At 4 tbe En.
glish officers served tea. toast and ;or
to customers and clerks, and ar < ,ha
community paid a final visit IN ~
tifiin rooms before driving to the nrom.
or to the uptown club AZ Ma
taJen. II they to the promenade
al the Luneta, the foreigners saw HIM
dreds OF carriages circulating aroma
a slightly raised eclipse / 200 feet long
whose center was marked with a larga
band stand. and whose surrornd,nn
roadway was guarded by mounted no.
lice thai kept the carriages in Ale
And nobody but the governor reners,
n archbishop can turn his csrr,asa
IN Q opposite direction from the gan.
eral lefr fo rIUbt vnov~--