The record-union., 1898-10-03
THE CHINESE IN MANILA.
They Are Influential and There
fore Disliked.

Forming as they dol a very large pro-
portion of the population, nearly equal
to that of the natives themselves, and,
having by their industry and business
ability sustained the fame of Manila
as a commercial port, they are thorn
in the side of the Spanish mercantile
class aside from the conventional dis
like extended by the latter toward all
foreigners Being commercial by ma
ture, and having realized the good poll
icy of keeping their word in business
matters. in contrast with the everlast-
ing procrastinating and ''manana"-ing
of the Spaniards, they have built up
large business with the English and
American houses, who infinitely prefer
to deal with them rather than with 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. shcemaking, etc, to
coolie work, from morning to night at
the lowest wages, Isl a cause of envious
irritation to the indolent native Fill
between the two races, which has been
handed down for generations. In
street fight, however, 1 have noticed
that the Filipino is very apt to come
out ahead, although many Of the cool
les have the most superb muscular de-
velopment which I have ever seen.
Long ago. according to history, a
fleet of Chinese junks, under the ia
nous pirate chief Ii Ma Hong, bore
down on Manila with the intention of
capturing it and it's many treasures.
The little garrison in the fort defended
it with a gallantry such as Spaniards
can and will display when in despera-
ton, and Ii Ma Hong, possessing no
petroleum shells" and a storm COM
ing up providentially, the fleet was in
gloriously defeated. Some of the junks
went ashore on the northern coast OF
the island and there is to-day curl
Gus race of so-called Chinese "Igo-
rotes," or savages, living in the fast
nesses of the mountains, and supposed
to be the descendants of the shipwreck-
ed pirates. A certain day in January
is the anniversary of the fight, and on
that day hardly a Chinaman in Manila
dares show himself out of doors. for
every small boy. native or Spaniard,
feels in duty bound to "heave 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 con-
fiagration lasts, for tacit instructions
would seem to have been given on
these occasions to the effect that If
you see Chinaman hit him.
Early I'M the spring of 1893 the Span
ish iron steamer San Juan sailed from
Hongkong for Manila with a cargo
largely composed of kerosene, which
had been carefully slowed as near the
boilers as possible, and on deck, where
the some 800 Chinese coolies who COM
posed the 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 sLuZon, and the
Spanish Captain. with most of his offi-
GERS promptly took to the boats and
pulled for the shore, leaving a raging,
frenzied mass of Chinese shrieking at
| them from the doomed vessel, for no
provision is made on the steamers for
| the safety of the coolies In case of ac-
cident. In a few minutes the San Juan
!, was afire from stem to stern. As many