The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-11
CHEAP LIVING N MANILA
ONE CAN PIr ON STYLE FOR LESS
THAN DOLLAR a DAfs
yoa bay 1.-THE .'Chic' sysses-A
ssft Of Clothes Costs OnIy ",
mt Yea Mast Have Eighteen.


white snis that are everywhere worn are
not made e. transporting coin Eanknotes
are practically out Of circulation, and
heavy Mexsc8a dollars stand at the head
OF q motley family Of 6fty-ee1t pieces.
spanish pess;ss and huge copper, to give
weight. rather than value. 10 the cur
ysncy system. II you draw the first prize
= the monthly lctteTy run for tfe benefit
~ fte government. your 10000 is al paid
- you In silver cart hse.f' Or subsidiary
coins and you really feel t.at luex Is after
ali something Tangible when Il takes q
heavy dray or two 20 haul the results OF
your winnings from the government offios
10 he bank.
dollar is about ali the coin that a
properly clothed resident OF Manila can
carry about with him. and, IS IL generally
esrus out. he doesn't need more, for the
shopkespers. taElors and bootrnaksrs have
ali been educated TO recognize n the ia
nous "chit system a necessary evil that
springs out Of certain monetary and eli
matte conditions. and are always ready to
accept the small bit Of paper on which
over your na1e-yog write !. o. u. for the
amount of your purchase.
IL the cook wants new stove. or the
coachman q jar Of "micl'' ynolasses 10
sweeten UP the feed for the horses. or IL
the gardener wants lawn mower, which
can only be bought at the English drug
the punksh. write out Chit foe each Of
them. and that's the Ias. you nsar from
the sransact.on TIL the first of tie mex,
month. But scarcely has that day coma
before all your creditors send n thesr COL
1ectors TO cash those care.sssiy peuciied
.'cbits." and then your office is turned into
money changers. Armed with big
canvas bag Of dollars. YOU pay out to first
ono and then the other ali day long; and 10
see your callers bite tho silver in the If
fort TO discOver lead. or drop a dozen
pieces on the hard floor 20 verify the ring.
Is not 10 feel comphmented by their opin-
ION Of your integrity.
About the only people that will no. trust
you are the car conductors and the cab
drivers: but as car fares rarely amount to
over three coppers, and cab charges TO a
'pfseia." 1t Is easy to satisfy them with
prompt cash
The general mode OF dress adopted By
weil-to-do half-castes and Europe ans Of
The masculine gender throughout the Phil
sppinee. is simple and cool In the extreme,
consisting az II does of two pieces to the
whits suit. top jacket that buttons high
around the neck IN military fashion. and
a PAR OF trousers-both made Of strong
shteting. The price Is only s2-made to
order. thick felt hat Of broad brim A
pair or white canvas shoes, Iisht under
vest and socks, and there IL your Philip
pine costume all the year round No
boiled shirt TO bother with. no collar 10
VIII, everything washable. everything but
the hat and shoes changed each day, and
nothing hurt by a wet;.ng. About eighteen
OF these suits are sufficient for a newcom-
er In ordinary standing. and he must ex-
pset To wear two a day II r. berins
10 rain. there Is a certain pleasure in be-
ING able to feel you've got nothing on TO
hurt and even the natives shn, ;hetr um
All
open only az a protection against the sun.
and seem 10 enjoy feeling the very thin
cloth cling close when wet.
The costumes worn by the women are
rot 80 simple. and are made I'D OF the
Dfiiaant ealfeo skirt. with long train.
that Is swislied around and tucked into
the bes In front, the short white wais.
with huge. faring sleeves OF pima fiber,
that show the arms and the costly pima
handkerchief. that. folded on the dag
omar. enairciea the neck. Costumes OF +his
sort are hardly as sensible as those worn
by the men. and to this day the Phil
spplno pony Ia not altogether used to the
ewish OF that crushed strawberry skirt
train IN fact. I owe a sudden upse, ofy
the main road into a muddy rice field 90
the unexpected swirl OF one of those. long
trains IA 1t MAS gathered around TO A..
tucked up In front
II probably costs less TO live Well In Ma
ntia-~during the peaceful ssasons~than In
any other capital OF the East or West
Take the case OF my messmate and my
self, fer example. We had "A good house
with three bed rooms. parlor and THEA
Hoor dining room, halfway. reading
room. Kitchen. boys quarters and ha.h
roosn with tiled tab and shower a small
stable. garden and ten-foot Iron fence 10
keep OFT tho burglars. who used 10 grease
themselves ard prowi around naked ar
esaa o. night, seeking TO steal ponies or
even carriage lamps. completed our estah-
h%afnett- our cock, tn BE- ready fer mr.
expfcted guess served dinner each evA-
ming for feilr. and got hut 80 cents tn uro-
Vide enough raw materials for six oo,,rsrs
Including tas fjrewood necessary A. ,ha
end 81 ihn f0orsth everything suinr s,,c
t'% ss1fss' s'isSs aecaunt~houSe rent ISIS
month";, wages 81 Fhree servants. fsod
drink bee aud ilglt MAS added I'm ana "a
Nided by two. The result VAS sS,ontsr.
Ing. as so was the sum total 81 NV rnon,h-
~ share 70 i've ia suca st.tn ara a.
terrain ones friends Tor 1s,4S .han a.,
an American ao3ar "A day absolutely .ro,,s
one Tor sutseQrcn; existence In shts ,.,,s..
ny, ara y Is np woDder that many a
lsrftlshef~~Fe}aT0ins frosn Manila 50 Fn -
hand Via the Ststes-has been - go,
Nholnied hy hls first laundry bin IN g.,
Francisco that be has taken 4 ,hr,7,,-h
train f2r Ne" York and sailed by ~, mr..
on'rsnS hner. withou; stopping even 20
SO tae brides al Niagara or tie wtnte-
arden AZ the Astoria.
The usct'Ao1is az marketing In Manila are
noteworthy ~ themselves. All feest a.
'afse Fn3Si 10 eaten on she day ;, Il.
kd}eu, since IN the tropics even ~ ,sr.
t9 preserve fish. flesh or gowi AZ a -
s's'' "h'le BEEF ard mutton are killed IN
$50 carry morning, few hours h.f,r>
'"e o'afFNt opens thr smaller fTv s.~h
rs game snd chlckcaS. are soid alive. Fr.s,n
~ !" al ne native and Chinese tfDssa
ff'S'' 'tssHE families c@mn "a bargain soy
t9S CAY 8 SatTsy. Af3vr ailius- their has
h@Ss Hfas.a'rs ot them mount the litF,e
tram ear fer tHc return "trip >, their k{,,,,-
'h& ana {'toeafA - rl,s-s she feathers o~
We I've eastSea~ or birds a they .r..
"oi& 90 sac {Thtt ~r rear p,Attars.,. Ts,.
ne NfNe -a@S eaVF arrived bone ~, NOR
ssF7-t res are a'fr1-st saTN o ,,avsrs-,e- s,t
hTsh'N seVeftaf hey are rexxrf ,s,vyr,
~ - rs IN Iae aeog es ths ksf.,yss, "a
-" az ta&F saSss WAea TIRE crvsksns .,
'1e Igaot Sa4es aaasancs& the rst,,rs, ~
We master ~ MISTRESS 90 the hettsa II :.