The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-06-01
Life in the Philippines,

Cal, has come home after residence
of several years at Manila. He has
been for four years in the employ of q
trading company, which has been buy
ing indigo, camphor, sugar, spices and
hemp in the Philippine Islands for
thirty years. As agent for the COM
pany he has travelled over all the larg-
er islands, and has had unusual oppor-
tunities to learn much about the archi-
pelago.
"When / left Manila about the mid
die of March," said Mr.. Sherman, "the
present rebellion was breaking out. 1t
is really another chapter of the rebel
lion which broke out in the island of
Luzon (the largest, most populous,
and important Philippine island) in
June of last year. The Spanish Gov
eminent thought it had stamped out
the rebellious spirit of the natives, but
in the latter part of February the reb-
els suddenly appeared in several parts
of Luzon. The old seaport town of
Cavite, where Admiral Dewey and his
forces are now in possession, has been
the head centre of the rebels this time.
The intelligent people in Manila knew
of the blowing up Of the Maine in Ha-
vana harbor, but paid no attention to it.
l don't believe the populace at Manila
had the least idea until about month
ago that a war between the United
States and Spain might begin at any
time, and battle might take place at
the Philippines.
"Tobacco, sugar, and hemp are the
chief products of the Philippines. The
Government does foster these indus
tries so far as its avarice for taxes will
permit. There are $4,000 cigar and
cheroot makers in and about Manila.
All the tobacco plantations and cigar
factories are run by Spaniards. Gen.
Weyler's two brothers have the largest
factory in Escolta-a suburb of Manila.
They came over to the islands about
eight years ago, when their pompous
military brother was Governor. General
OF the Philippines at salary of $780,
900 year, and they obtained conces-
sions then that yielded them immense
annual returns. Sugar is largely
grown on the islands on the Ne
gros and Samons. There are large
Malay towns on those islands. The
English sugar buyers over there say
that there is no cane 80 rich in sac
charine properties as that in the Phil
ippines. Notwithstanding the ridicul-
ously crude methods of cultivating the
cane fields and the expensive manner
of crushing the stalks and extracting
the sugar, the profit in the sugar in
dustry is incredible. The extreme rich
ness of the cane makes this profit. l
knew of several Japanese sugar cane
companies on the island of Samos that
have made as high as $3.50 for an acre
and quarter every year for long
time. Yankee invention could easily
reduce the expenses of q sugar planta-
ton one-fourth. No people but the
Japanese in the Philippines have the
least idea of how to make machinery
do the work of man. Think of having
sugar cane crushed by several hundred
men with clubs, when simple machin-
cry would accomplish the same purpose
better, cheaper, and a hundred times
quicker. The indigo industry is run
in the same way as two centuries ago.
l am wondering in these days, when
Uncle Sam is about sending troops
from the Pacific coast to the Philip
pines, what the American boys will
think of the climate over there. With
the possible exception of some parts of
India and Arabia, doubt if there is
any hotter climate than that of Manila.
The islands reach within four degrees
of the equator. The temperature is
not so very high, but the humidity is.
The most extreme care must constant
ly be exercised to keep ones physical
condition properly toned all summer
long. The hottest days in the year are
in May and June. Fortunately a
breeze usually springs up in the early
evening, and that tempers the atmos-
phere so that one can get some sleep if
he is properly fixed for il, when mid
night comes. The mean temperature
at the Philippines is 100. In Novem-
Der the weather cools and then for
weeks at time along the seacoasts it
is about as near perfection as any one
can imagine. To call the months of
December, January and February
there winter is mockery. For seven
months in the year, from April to DC.
tober, no one but the poorest laborer
goes out of doors, unless compelled to
do so, between eight in the morning
and four in the afternoon. In Manila
the whole population rises at four and
five A. NJ. and gets the work out of the
way before eight o'clock. The houses
are opened, servants clean up, mer
chants do their business and the school,
children are busy with their teachers
Even the civil and military officers at.
tend to most of their duties between
four and eight A. NJ. Then when old
Sol begins to shoot his darts down upor
the country more perpendicularly the
whole population 60 into their houses
of stone and of wood with heavy roofs
of tiles and sort of asphaltum founc
in that country, and stay there unit
shutdown. 1t is land of siestas
Everyone who can sleeps there all day
long, and slumber there is reduced to {
science. Hammocks abound and couch
es of bamboo are in every home, hotel
club, store and loafng place. The ser
wants are trained to keep their masters
and mistresses comfortable by bringing
them iced drinks or tray of smoking
material whenever they awaken after {
nap. All buildings are erected with
the idea of keeping the heat out al
n l.