The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-07-23
The Chinese In Manila.

Boston Transcript: Forming as they
do a very large proportion of the popu-
lation, nearly equal to that of the ma
tives themselves, and having by their
industry and business ability sustained
the fame of Manila as a commercial
port, they are u thorn in the side of the
Spanish mercantile class, aside from
the conventional dislike extended by
the latterStoWurd all foreigners. Being
commercial by nature, and having real.
lied the good policy of keeping their
word in business matters, in contrast
with the everlasting procrastinating
and "~manann'-ing of the Spaniards.
they have built up a large business
with the English and American houses,
who infinitely prefer to deal with them
rather than the owners of the soil.
Their thrifty ways and tendency to
save money and send it home to China
rather than to spend it where they are
is another source of grievance to the
naughty ~"Espanoles."
Then their ability and Willingness to
perform every kind of manual labor,
from carpentering, shoemaling, etc,
to coolie work, from morning to night
at the lowest of wages, is Il cause of en-
vious irritation to the indolent native
t%Filipinos," and a constant feud is
waged between the two races, which
has5been handed down for generations.
In a street fight. however, l have no
ticed that the "Filipino" is very apt to
come out ahead, although many of the
coolies have the most superb muscular
development which Thave ever seen.
Long ago. according to history, Il
fleet of Chimes iunks, under the famous
pirate chief, Lii Ma Hong, bore down on
| Manila with the intention of capturing
it and its many treasures. The little
garrison in the fort defended it with a
gallantry such as Spaniards can and
will display when i'll desperation, and
Ii Ma Hong, possessing no petroleum
shells" and a storm coming up provi-
dcntially, the leet was ingloriously de-
feated. Some of the junks Went ashore
on the northern coast of the island,
and there is today Il curious race OF so
chilled Chinese s~.Igerotes," or savages,
living in the Businesses of the mount
aims, and supposed to be the descend
ants of the s~hipwrecked pirates. n
certain day in January is the anniver-
sary of the fight and on that day hard
ly a Chinaman in Manila dares show
himself out of doors, orr every small
boy, native or Spaniard, feels in duty
bound to ''heave Il rock at him.
Whenever there is a big fire in the
town, it is always assumed that the
Chinese have set it, and they are very
scarce in the streets while the %coptla-s
grafton lasts, for tacit Instructions
would seem to have been given on
these occasions to the effect that IF
you see a Chinanlan hit him"
Early3in the spring of 1898 the Span.
ish iron steamer San Juan sailed from
Hong Kong for Manila with Il cargo
largely composed of kerosene. which
had been carefully slowed as near the
boilers as possible, and on deck, where
the some 300 Chinese coolies who com
posed the passenger list could sit on
the cases and knock the embers from
~theirpipes against them. 1t is not sur.
prising thatsthe ship took fire wher,
just within sight of Luzon, and the
Spanish captain. with most of his off.
GERS, promptly tool to the boats and
pulled for II shore, leaving a raging
~frenzied mass of Chinese shrieking al
them from the doomed vessel, for nc
provision is made on these steamers
for the safetyof the coolies in ease OF
accident. Ina few minutes the San
Juan was afire from stem TO stern. AS
HlliiN as cOuld clllnDeu the maStS. only
to fall back sntfocated into the blazing
furnace below. Even4the more merci.
full death of drowning was denied
them, for the sea was alive with
sharks, attracted by the glare. swarm.
ing around the ship as:maclSerel swarm
around n bucketful of CURRY
Thirty-siN hours later another
steamer sighted the wreck and bore
down to the rescue. Out of the orig
haal 300 some eighty wretched cren-
lures were. found alive. clinging to the
big gargway which huns over the side
and to.the~ sternsdayits md boat tackle,
with h iron hull cfthe steamer red
hot in places. and the sharks leaping
ut them. The rescuing bonts had liter
ally to fight their way through the raw
enous brutes.
saw the survivors as they were
landed, and a discouraged looking lot
they were. The San Juan, an empty,
scorcled hull. was towed in and am
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, Il melted mass. And o an
expression of regret did I hear from
any Of my Chino friends over the
disaster to their countrymen. .sPah!
coolies!"was MI they said.