The Red Cloud chief., 1898-07-29
LIFE IN FAR MANILA.
MONOTONOUs BUT GROWS
ENDURABLE IN TIME.
Importance OF the English Club-The
Nesnday sie.ts - Gen. Bisnco and
How He Impressed an American -
spAnisrds Like Dress. Il

Engllsn 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 livabe 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 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 sure
to find him shaking his thirst and
talking to somebody.
In Manila the club afforded shelter
and cocktails to its members at 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
tion. The same set of native servants
practically served for both depart
| ments," since no one uses up town
during the middle OF the day and no
one 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 cars and made
ready for the noon meal at the other
structure, returning again to the sub
urbs in time to ofiiciate 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 tifiin rooms were
merely the breakfast parlor" and H.
brary, with billiard table perched ou
in the hallway, the whole establish
ment was modestly located on a perma
nent corner in the main street, owe
the Office of an English bank.
At 10 o'clock in the morning tn,
D brokers and heads OF houses used to as
semble at the tifiin rooms as a sort o
chamber OF commerce. and discuss tn
news from home as related in the pri
4 vate cablegrams. At noon the mem
4 bers OF the foreign business communit
S stopped work and most of them re
e turned to the club for the hearty brenk
c fast which was served below the lazil
a swinging punkahs. This was the frs
e square meal of the day. and consiste
= of so many varied courses that Ion
sleeping chairs were provided In tn
library for the comfort OF member!
most OF whom found an hours res
5 absolutely necessary after battle wit
e Chinese curry and canned plum pud
v ding
i Prices Varied.
Tiffin was supplied on every bushes
day in the month to subscribers 10
$3.50 Mexican. or about 81 in gol,
IL there were few holidays in tn
month, the price per meal was chea
enough, say 20 cents; but when thos
ever recurrent church feast days cam
!, along-sometimes two n week-meal
y were suspended down town, and tn
= club got the best of the bargain.
n such times the body of servants +,
). mained at the suburban establishment
and the "tifiin" cost a dollar.
The library In the tifiin rooms W.
Al excellent, consisting as 1t did OF SON
10 1000 volumes and a set of origin;
Arabian Nights kept In a big tin be
near the door. All of the latest pape
20 and magazines-six weeks old thoue
N they were--could be found on the 4
bles, and nothing induced sleep {
easily after that hearty breakfast
J.. the slowly swaying punkah and Il
y perusal Of stale news The punka
boy slept with the rest and pulled
- In his dreams. II he awoke, the coo
:. ing arrangement generally stoppe
and someone would throw Sir Joi
Lubbock across the room to put hi
to sleep again.
In Manila In times OF. peace, Il
~ whole city slumbers from twelve
y. three. Carriages disappear from 4
streets. the shops draw down the
~ blinds, and the little one-horse ira
=. car is about the only sign of life.
~ o'clock the mercury begins to sil
little and life revives. At 4 the f
m glish officers served tea, toast and 10
~, to customers and clerks, and at 6 {
-, community paid a final visit to /
tiffin rooms before driving to the prol
enade or to the uptown club at Ma
" tajen. II they went to the promena
=. at the Luneta. the foreigners saw hu
Nv dreds of carriages circulating arou
~, a slightly raised eclipse 1000 feet lor
-. whose center was marked with a lar
~ band stand, and whose surroundi
"' roadway was guarded by mounted 7
lice that kept the carriages In n
al And nobody but the governor gene,
and archbishop can turn his carria
IN in the opposite direction from the ge
RS, | eraI left tn right mOyement