The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-08-25
THE PHILIPPINE CAPITAL.
Some interesting Facts About the
City of Manila and Its Imme-
diate surroundings

| is city of about 10O,00d population
| not including the adjacent suburbs
which have total population of about
| $4,000 additional. The name of the city is
| pronounced by the Spaniards as
| though it were spelled Ma-nee-la. with
| the accent on the middle syllable. 1t
is the see of the Roman Catholic arch.
bishop and one of the great emporium.
| of the east. 1t is located on the bav
| of the same name at the mouth of the
River Pasig, latitude ii degrees SO min
utes north; longitude 121 degree.
| east.
The city proper forms the segment
of circle between the river and the
sea, and its suburbs extend over nu-
merous islets formed by the river ana
its branches. The Pasig is prolonged
into the bay by two piers, terminal.
| ing, the one in a small fort, the other
in lighthouse. Vessels of some hun,
dred tons may come up as far as the
bridge. On the south side stands the
city, having a dilapidated look, bus
strongly fortified. On the north is
hsituated the Blonde suburb, more pop,
u1ous than the city itself. 1t is the
residence of the foreign merchants
and the great center of trade.
The aspect of the whole is at once
Spanish and oriental. Long lines Of
heavily mounted batteries, somber
churches, ungainly towers and mass
i've houses of solid masonry mingle
with airy cottages in groves of trop
zeal trees, raised on posts to permit
the free passage of the waters in the
| rainy season and so constructed as
by their elasticity to stand the shocks
of an earthquake. The streets are
| straight, but for the most part I'M
paved, and during the rains almost
| impossible. In the city the houses are
two stories high and each has its cen
trail court yard. Here reside the heads
| of the state, the church and army. and
| all who would be thought to be of the
aristocracy.
a bridge leads across the river into
| the Blonde suburb, where a street,
called the Escolta, runs to the right
and the left, lined with innumerable
shops and stalls and crowded with
strange and motley population of va
| rious races. Beyond the Escolta a
swarm of Chinese. Indians and half
castles appear as godsmiths and jewel
| ers, painters and enamelers. oil and
| soap merchants, confectioners and
keepers of gambling houses and cook
shops.
Other suburbs have each their special
| character. San Fernando is the seat
of great cigar manufactures, and
Santo Mesa of a cordage mandatory.
| At the Alcaiceria the Chinese sampans
discharge their cargOes. Fishermen
and weavers inhabit the division of
TOndo and its gardens supply the mar
kets with fruit and vegetables. Ma
late is famous for its embroideries.
Paco is inhabited by artisans and art
lists. Convalescents resort for health
to Santa Anna and San Pedro Macati.
The principal public buildings are
the cathedral, the palaces of the gov
ernor and the archbishop, a beautiful
town house, ten churches belonging .
different religious orders. several
monasteries and converts, the arsenal,
three colleges for young men and two
for young women, the supreme court.
prison, civil hospital, university, a ma
rine and commercial school. a large
theater, the custom-house and bar
racks. The city has several squares,
in the largest of which, the Prado
there is bronze statue of Charles ".
The Royal and Pontifcal university of
=. =
minicans. and has an attendance of
about 500 students. The College of St
Joseph belongs to the Jesuits; that OF
St. John Latern gives a plain educa-
ton to Indians and half-breeds. The
Escuela Pia belongs to the city and is
for Spanish children alone. \ royal
marine school was established in 1920
and a commercial school in 1910. The
colleges of St. Potentiana and St. Isa-
bella are for girls, the latter for or
phans. Manila is the seat of govern
ment and of the supreme courts. The
municipality dates from 1911.
Manila, which formerly occupied a
rank of comparative obscurity, is now
regarded as commercially equal to
| 1dlCutlt anu ia lcNi Id. MS CuduGt
has been wrought by Legislative and
political changes during the nine
teenth century. Being the chief port
of the Philippines, all their productions
flow to and through it, and it is the re-
sort of a great number of colonial
vessels of all sizes. 1t exports sugar,
tobacco, indigo, manila, hemp and
cordage, gold dust, birds nests, coffee,
sapan wood, mats, hats, hides, ire
pang, tortoise shell, cigars, cotton and
rice. The manufactures of Manila
consist chiefly of cigars and che
roots, government monopoly which
gives employment to several thousand
men and women; cordage from the
filaments of the abaca and the beau
tiful fabrics called pinas, woven from
the fibers of the pineapple leaf and
afterward beautifully embroidered.
Manila was founded by Legaspi in
1871. In 1915 it was nearly destroyed
by an earthquake. In 1862 it was
taken by a British fleet and held for
Is months.-Chicago Times-Herald.
JeIIied Chicken.
- IL