The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-11-24
CHINESE IN MANILA.
They Are influential and for That
Reason Disliked.
Their Thrifty Ways and Saving Ten
dency a Source of Grievance 10 the
spaniards, who Hold Them In
Great Contempt.

Forming us they do 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 Manila as Il commercial port,
they are thorn in the side of the
Spanish mercantile class, aside from
the conventional dislike extended by
the latter toward all foreigners. Be-
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 'nanana"- ling OF the
Spaniards, they have built up IL
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 it where they are is
another source of grievance to the
naughty "Espanoles."
Then their ability and willingness
TO operform every kind of manual labor.
from carpentering, shocmaking. etc.
to coolie work, from morning to night
at the lowest Of wages is cause OF
envious irritation to the indolent ma.
tive "Filipinos," and constant fcud
is waged between the two races which
hnp
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, q
feet Of Chinese junks, under the ia
nous pirate chief Ii Ma Hong. bore
down on Manila with the intention of
capturing it and its many treasures
The little garrison in the fort defend
ed 1t with n gallantry such as Span
iards can and will display when in
desperation, and Ii Ma Hong. pos
sessing no petroleum Shells" and "a
storm coming up providentially. the
| fleet was ingloriously defeated. Some
OF the junks went ashore on the north
ern coast of the island. and there Is
to-day curious race OF so-called
Chinese "Igorotes," or savages. living
In the businesses of the mountains. and
supposed to be the descendants Of
the shipwrecked pirates. A certain
day in January is the anniversary Of
the fight. and on that day hardly a
Chinaman in Manila darcs show him
self out of doors. for every small boy.
native or Spaniard, feels in duty bound
to "heave rock" at him.
Whenever there ia II hig fro in tho
town. 1t is always assumed that the
Chinese have set it. and they are very
scarce In the streets while the confia-
grafton lasts for tacit instructions
would seem TO have been given on
these occasions to the effect that 'if
you see Chinaman hit him."
Early In the spring of 1893 the Span
ieh iron steamer San Juan sailed from
Hong Kong for Manila with n cargo
largely composed of kerosene, whic h
had been carefully slowed as near the
boilers as possible. and on deck, where
the some 300 Chinese coolies who com.
posed tho passenger list could sit on
the cases and knock the embers from
their pipes against them. 1t is not
surprising that the ship took fire
when Just within sight of Luzon, and
the Spanish captain, with most Of
his officers, promptly took to the
boats and pulled for the shore. leaving
raging. shrieking mass Of Chinese
shrieking at them from the doomed
vessel, for no provision is made on
these steamers for the safety Of the
coolies In case of accident. In a few
minutes the San Juan was afire from
stem to stern. As many as could
climbed the masts, only to fall back
suffocated into the blazing furnace be.
low. Even the most merciful death
Of drowning was denied them. for the
sea was alive with sharks, attracted
by the glare, swarming around the
ship as mackerel swarm around n
bucketful Of curry"
Thirty-six hours later another
steamer sighted the wreck and bore
down to the rescue. Out of the orig
inal 900 some so wretched creatures
were found alive, clinging to the big
gangway which hung over the side. nd
to the stern davits and boat tackle.
with the iron hull Of the steamer red
hot in places. and the sharks leaping
at them. The rescuing boats had lit
orally to fight their way through the
ravenous brutes.
saw the survivors as they were
landed, and discouraged-looking lot
they were. The San Juan, an empty.
scorched hull, was towed in and an
chored in the mouth of the river to
cool Off until the 10000 Mexican dol
lars In her bottom could be dug out
OF the debris, melted mass. And
not an expression Of regret did hear
from any of my "Chino" friends over
the disaster to their countrymen.
III