Evening star., 1898-10-28
"CeoF used Only Comparatively in
y-r J. the Philippines.
SENTIMENT REGARDING ANNEXATION
General Belief That Americans
Should Retain the Islands.
SOME CUSTOMS AT MANILA
Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
MANILA. Philippine Islands.

How do you ike Manf!a?" asked a resi-
dent Englishman of an American officer
the other day.
Il was disgusted with it when first made
its acquaintance" replied the officer ''and
the closer acquainted l get the more dis
gusted / become Manila" he continued,
is good place for wicked men, for here
they can become accustomed to what
awaits them in the world to come. if some
of our religious teachers paint the future
true"
The officer perhaps exaggerated the con-
dition Of things somewhat. but the weather
Is insufferably hot. although this is the
cool season of the year. 1t must be under
stood that that word cool is used in
comparative sense. Any sort of motion or
movement a any time 1f day or night viii
throw one into profuse perspiration. Take
this continual perspira tion that saturates
ones clothing through and through. and
the universal accompaniment of aggTavdt-
ing. irritating Prickly heat that sets
Eearly wild. and you have the normal con-
ditiOn of the American officer and soldier
who is so unfortunate as to be sentenced
here for the time. But, then. the old resi-
dents say, IL you perspire freely and have
priCkly heat you will have good health and
continue well. Well, When you are soaked
with perspiration, depressed and debIlitated
with oppressive heat that saps your
strength, rohs you of sleep and makes life
a burden. This kind of consolation is on
4 par with that offered when you complain
of the presence of large. healthy. robust
snakes in your house. Your complaint is
met with a depreCatory uPift Of the h3 nds
On the part of the native. and he retortS
syfth an air of triumph that the snakes
/Ill rats and mice. When nice little liz
ard, two and three inches long, drops from
the ceiling into your lap. or lands in the
soup the dining table the resident cool
ly replies that the house lizard is a great
blessing. as he catches flies and mosquitoes.
and yet the flies and mosquitoes are SO plen
tiful that at lunch one has to be his
guard lest every time he opens his mouth
several large and vigorous flies DO not take
advantage of the business opening and at
right one is compelled to sleep under Z;
C.OSe net that shuts out all stray breaths
of air lest percha&lce he be devOured bodily
9nd be unacceptable even by intimate
friends the succeeding morning. When per-
chance Calistro, he's our house boy. fails
10 keep the ice chest isolated with water.
and We find the cherished remains of a
chicken pie captured en- masse by little red
ants, you are comforted by the remark that
the arts are deadly foes of cockroaches.
and Vet COCkroaches as large pocket
knives march in companies and battaliOns
over the floors as soon as night comes on.
But Manila is an interesting place for all
that. Its people are quaint the residences
unique and the everyday language of the
people more amazing still The Spaniards.
many of them. speak Spanish, the natives.
however. Use combination of Spanish and
T&gallO. the latter a native tongue, while
You meet frequently natives from other
Islands Of the group who nave dialect OF
their own.
English spoken in Manila.
But If the Americans remain in posses
sion Of the place any length of time there
will ba another chcnge. In all the years
that the English have figured as the lead
ing business men of these islands the peo-
r1s e h.. fs1a -,
The reason is apparent. The English, while
very important business factor were few
in number, and the ruling class used
Spanish all business was necessarily trans
acted in Spanish Put the influx of thous-
ands Of Americans and the transfer of the
government for the time being TO Amerf-
cans has made great change and the
whole Population-Spanish. native Chinese,
&c.-is rapidly learning to speak American
In the fraction Of a month that Uncle sam
has held Manila the people here have learn
cd moe English than all the years hereto
fore. One reason is. of course, that the
traders are anxious TO sell goods to the
Americans, and they very soon found out
that the strangers dTifted naturally to
those stores where English was spoken. OF
this class the Chinese are shining exam
pies. They seem to adaDt themselves the
most readily to American ways and learn
the language the most quickly.
1t may b. well TO remark just here that
as in the earliest days of the Spanish oc-
cupation of Manila. today the Chinese
are the leading artisans and mechanics and
vie even with the English as traders ana
business men. If you need a locksmith i
carpenter, a plumber. or anything of that
sort, YOU must content yourself with a
Chinese, and most of the stores and some
OF the best of them are owned and opeT-
ated by the Chinese
But t. return To the efforts of the Manil-
ians 10 learn English. The American is
naturally a teacher. and the moment the
soldier meets a person of another nation
q u n al TTitE tl+a h.
medlately takes 1t upon himself to teach
the unfortunate foreigner the only Ian
guage that's worth troubling with and on
every corner in Manila today can be found
American soldier boys drumming American
words into the willing ears of natives
American officers are the same way They
occupy house and engage native sery-
ants who don't understand a word of Eng
,ish.
Now. do tnese officers take a Spanish die
uonary and make study of the language?
Only TO the extent that is necessary to
teach The servant the English words need
fuL So the process has been reversed. The
Americans as q class are not learning
Spanish. but are compelling the Spaniardz
and natives to learn Americana As re-
suit. you hear on all sides English saIuta-
tions. and "Buenas GiasE' and ''Buenas
noches. arr being summary crowded
aside by bluff and hearty American Good
day and Good night"
The street Car system
Is the street car system. 1t is not a horse
car system, inasmuch as the cars are
tugged along by dminutive pony about
the size OF Il yeariing heifer. 1t is always
with great reluctance that the driver stops
the car To take on a passenger for the
poor little pony. once the momentum is
lost. with the greatest difficulty succeeds
IN getting the car started again on its
journey, and frequently this is only ac-
ccmpliShed by making portion of the
passengers diSembark. And then too the
track Is 50 poorly constructed that the car
frequently leaves the rail. and then there
Is more grieVous trouble for the poor lit
Tie pony. who must somehow tug ii back
INTO position. The ether day four brawny
United states soldiers took pity on the
pony and surprised the car load of Span
iarus and natives who stood chattering
alongside. by picking the car up bodily
and dropping it back on the rails Our
stalwart. healthy, mus hardened SOL
diers are constant source of amazement
TO the eneminate, understood Spanish and
insurgent so'diery. who seem like children
In their presence Then there's anothar
thing about these street cars The driver
instead of ringing bell to warn peopIe
blows a whistle And such a whistle II
IS infantilC tin affair that Sounds ~