The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-11
Interesting Data Concerning the Land
That Dewey Holds.
HOW THE CLIMATE OPERATES
The People and Their Modes Of Livins-ons
Continual Round Of Pleasure Among the
Higher clssSss-Whst the Island
Decentralization Rates
are Very High.

The following letter regarding the
Philippine Islands and its inhabitants
was written by M. R. Sherman, an
American who spent four years there.
The greater portion of his stay was
spent in travelling over the island and
he had unusual opportunities to learn
much of the island and its people. He
says:
81 am wondering now, when Uncle
Sam is about sending troops from the
Pacific coast to the Philippines, what
the American boys will think of the
climate over there. With the possible
exception of some parts of interior
India and Arabia, 1 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 constantly be
exercised to keep ones physical condi-
ton properly toned all summer long.
The hottest days of the year are in May
and June. Fortunately, breeze usu-
ally springs up in the early evening and
that tempers the atmosphere so that
one can get some sleep, it he is proper
ly fixed for it, when midnight comes.
The mean temperature at the Philip
pines is Y degrees. In November the
weather cools aud then for weeks at a
time along the seacoasts it is about as
near perfection as any one can mag
inc. TO call the months of December,
January and February there winter is
a mockery. For seven months in the
! year, April to October, no one but the
poorest laborers can go out of doors,
unless compelled to do so, between s
in the morning and 4 in the afternoon,
In Manila the whole population rises
at and a. m. and gets the work of
the day out of the way befor O'Clock.
The houses are opened, servants clean
up, merchants do their business. and
the school children are busy with their
teachers. Even the civil and military
officers attend to most of their duties
between and s a. m. Then when old
Sol begins to shoot his darts down
upon the country more perpendiGularly
the whole population go into their
houses of stone and OF wood with heavy
roofs of tiles and sort of asphaltum
found in that country, and stay there
until shutdown. Servants are trained
to keep their masters aud mistress com
Portable by bringing them iced drinks
or a tray of smoking material. Bust
ness is suspended all day long; even the
men at the wharves quit work for six
or seven hours when the sun is highest
} AT shutdown Manila wakes up. The
merchants open their heavy store doors
, and the streets suddenly start to life
The principal meal is served at 6 o.
clock, and with the rich Spanish it is 3
/ ceremonious affair. Thereafter The
whole population goes out for a walk
Evening calls are made upon friends
and the plazas are at their gayest. The
cock fights take place in the evening
the oldest theatre is always crowded a
night-especially Sunday nights. The
street electric lights shed their efful
gence on the moving mass of humaniU!
and the music by the band enliyens Tn,
scene. l never saw such picturesque
throngs in America. Every one smoke
cigar or cigarette. There are beg
gars by the hundred, Hindoos and jaw
anese in their native garments. TIL
I Bocals, or native Indians come troop
l ing along in bare feet and semi-nudity
There are the latest Persian styles ant
: the raggedest, poorest people imagin
S able. Here comes a family group wit
: the parents at the head, arrayed in gar
: ments of reds, blues and puppies, al
/ smoking. There are japanese b.
q hundreds, Chinese by scores, and nativ
I Malays and Negritos by thousand:
y Here comes a company of native girl
J. with raven hair and the BLACKLIST Q
black eyes, set of by fresh olive CON