The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-02
LIVING COSTS LITTLE
In Manila 0ue Fares Well on
a Dollar a Day,
ONCE GET USED TO IT
And Life There Becomes a
Rather Pleasant Affair.
ONCE GET USED TO 1T

follows;
IN Manila no one ever pays for anything
he buys at the time he buys it. for the
thin white sui Is that are everywhere wirn
are not made for transporting coin Bank
notes are practically out Of circulation.
head Of motley family OF ffty-cent
pieces. Spanish pesetas. and huge coppers.
to give weight rather than value to the
currency system. II you draw the first
prize in the monthly lottery run for the
benefit Of the government. your $1,000 is
all paid to you in silver 'cartwheels" or
subsidiary coins, and you really feel that
luck Is after all something tangible when
II takes q heavy dray or two TO g1aul the
results q your winnings from the gov
erDment office 10 the bank
A dollar Is about all the coin that a pro-
perry clothed resident Of Manila can carry
about with him, and, as It generally
turns out, ne doesn't need more. for the
shop keepers, tailors and boot-makers
have all been educate to recognize in the
famous emit system a necessary evil
that springs out OF certain monetary and
climatic conditions. and are always ready
to accept the small bit Of paper on which
over your name you write your l. 0. u.
for the amount Of your purchase.
II the cook wants a new stoz-e. or the
coachman jar OF "micl' rnolassas to
sweeten up the feed for the horses. or if
the gardener wants a Iawn-rnower. which
can be bought only at the English drug
store, or the Office boy new rope for the
punkah, write out a ''chi-" for each Of
chem, and that's the last you hear from
the transaction tin the first Of the next
month. But scarcely has that day come
before all your creditors send in their COL
iectors TO cash those careIessly penc1led
''chits," and then your Office IS turned
into money changers Armed with a big
canvas bag Of dollars you pay out to first
one and then the other all day long. and
TO see your callers bite the silver in the ef-
fort to discover lead. or drop a dozen
pieces on the floor to verify the ring, is
not to feel compllmented by their opinion
Of your integrity.
About the only people who will not trust
you are the car conductors, and the cab
drivers; but as car-fares rarely amount
to over three cOppers, and cab charges to
q ''peseta," II is easy enough 20 satisfy
them with prompt cash.
The general mode Of dress adopted by
well TODD half-casts and Europeans Of che
masculine gender Throughout the Philip
pines is simple and cool in the extreme.
consisting as it does Of two pieces TO the
white suit, a top jacket that buttons high
a pair Of troUsers-bOth made of strong
sheeting. The price is only S2-made to
order. A thick felt hat Of broad brlm, a
pair Of white canvass shoes, a light under
vest and socks, and there is your Philip
pine costume ell the year round. No
boiled shirt TO bother with. no collar 70
wilt: every -ling washable, every hing but
the hat and shoes and hat changed every
day. and othing hurt by wetting. About
eighteen OF these suits are sufficient Tor d
newcomer in culinary standing. and he
plyst expect often 10 wear two a day. Il
K begins 10 rain. there is certain pleas
ure in being able 10 feel that you've got
nothing on to hurt" and even the natives
shut their umbrellas on such occasions,
carrying them open only as a protection
against the sun, and seem TO enjoy feel
ing the very thin cloth cling close when
Wet
The costumes worn by the women are
not 50 simple. al are made up Of the
brilliant calico skirt, with long train, that
is swjShei around and tucked into the
bel, in front, the short white waist, with
huge aaring sleeves Of pima fibre that
show the arms. and the costly pima hand
ke-chisf that folded on the diagonal, en-
circles the neck. Costumes of this sort
are hardly as sNsible as those worn by
the men. and TO this day the Philippine
pony IS not altogether used 10 the swish
of -hat crushed-straw1ler skirc-train.
In fast. I owe a sudden upset of the main
road into a muddy rice-deld to the unex-
pected swiJ Of one Of those long trains
as il was gathered around TO be tucked
mp in front
L probably costs less 70 live in Manila
during peaceful seasous-than n any
other capital of the East or West. Take
the example Of my messmate and myself,
for example. We had a good house. with
three bedrooms, parlor and tiled floor
dialug room: hallway, reading room
tf''t fLtla-A t-tt's -A---N A'r--
with tled tub and shower. a small stable,
garden. and ten-foot iron fence 70 keep
ont the burglars. who used % grease
themselves and prowl around hacked a.
dead Of night seeking 20 STEEL ponies or
eyer. carriage lamps. completed oar esta5- /
Gshment Our cook. - - ready Tor uncX- /
pe.-ed guests. served dinner each evening
Tor four. and got but FORTY cents 70 pro-
vide enough raw materials for SIX courses I
including the tirewood necessary. At the
end Il the mon q everything song into tne
general mess ac0uut-house rent SIS q
MONTH. wages Of three servants. 6a1d.
drink. ice and light-were added up and d.
vll,d by two. The result was as,ouI so.r- /
as 500 was the sum total OF Vly monthly
share To live in such state and enter /
tain ones friends FOR less thar an AUs-t- I
can dollar day absolutely spells one f1- /
existance in This country. ana +
{. Is no wonder that many a B-losher. /
returning FROM Manila q England Via +.
the States. has been 50 overwhelmed by +
rs first laundry bin il san Francisco that .
he has taken a through train for New /
York and sailed by the first outgoing liner. +
without stopping even 20 see the brides At
Niagara OF the winter garden a, the As
toria-
The methods q rnarl4ating II ALR1t,a ars /
r Or sVy ortry in themselves. AL meat ~ I
course mus, De eaten on the day it-i s I
killed. since in the tropics even ice fails (
- pres, We fish. flesh or fowl. As q Re
suit. vhiIs beef and mutton are killed II /
the early morning. fey hours before the F
-7arlle. anars. the smaller fry. such as