The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-07-15
Added EGGS IN MANILA.
Curious Way that the Natives Spoil
the Hen Fruit.

Curious Way that the Natives Spot
the Hen Fruit.
Harry Kellar, the magician, was
among the crowd looking at the bull.
letin boards. When a cable from Manila
was posted up Kellar turned and said
Beautiful country out there. II
never forget the time, though, 1 jus,
escaped being arrested there
And as we walked up the street he
spur this yarn to me:
II was out there in 1883 or 1854, I for
get which, but it was one of the years
of a great typhoon. We'd come over
from Hong Kong on a tiny steamer
known as the E~smeralda, and every
blessed soul of US on board, including
the cook, was as sick as death. 1t was
the first time in all my life that 1 was
ever seasick-and the last time. But
that little boat was nothing more nor
less thar a mere shell on the water,
and when it wasn't going up to the sky
or down to the depths it was spinning
around like a teetOtum. And when
they put me ashore at Manila I was
so weak thai I had to cancel my open
ing date and go to my hotel m be put
to bed.
LAS soon as I opened my eyes the
next morning the porter in the hotel
told me we were going to have a ty-
pnOOI mat evening.
How do you know?'
"'Oh, l know he said, shaking his
head significantly.
"At first I thought of canceling the
evenings performance, but, recollect-
ing l had not played the evening pre-
vious, and fearing that the two dis
appointments in succession might jeop-
ardize my future fortunes in Manila,
l determined to brave my weather.
wise friends prediction and open my
show that evening. But 1 needed some
eggs for one of my tricks, 80 I asked
him Where 1 could get some nice fresh
ones.
ga very worthy woman sells eggs
within a stones throw of here he said,
in the market place..
And so l went to market to buy
some eggs. I found the worthy woman
who dispensed them and asked if they
were fresh.
Indeed they are she answered,
breaking one open to prove her words.
1T was the rankest looking egg l
had ever seen-a disgusting, greenish
mass.
"'Do you call tina fresh?' I asked
Indignantly.
"'There are no finer eggs in Manila
she retOrted, warmly. Nv been at
this M stand for 16 years, and you
are the first person who has ever ques-
toned the eggs I sell. They are fine
eggs-good eggs and she turned away
from me as if I wasn't worth talking to.
And I thought, as I walked off, that
if I could lie with the perfect grace
born in that woman I'd be the finest
cOnjurer in the world.
THAT afternoon, while I was driving
with an English friend of mine, I re-
counted the circumstance to him He
laughed: My dear Harry said he, you
do not know n of the great d~elicacies
of Manila. There is no finer entree
served than one Of those semi-decayed
egs. They are just two days distant
from h Matching ~stage-then they are
perfect. They are boiled hard, chop
ped fine and served, and they're deli
cious. No n here thinks Of buying
what you understand as fresh" eggs.
Why, I'll drive you now to where the
eggs are prepared for the market, just
to prove the high esteem in which these
added affairs are held here.
HE drove me along the river Pasig,
abOut three miles from where it emp
ties into Manila bay, and there, for a
mile or two, on both banks of the
river, I saw scores of natives lying On
their bellies, the sun beating down on
their backs.
"'Get up said my friend to one Of
them. He jumped up, and there lay
about two dozen duck eggs. These fell
lows said my friend, as we drove
homeward, dc nothing but lay in the
sun all day and bring these eggs up
close to the Matching point. When they
are properly matured the eggs are
brought to market
THAT night I opened my perform
ance in the fonda Theater. Immedi-
ately after the performance we began
to cover up my %conjuring apparatus
with tarpaulins, for every one now said
the typhoon would be along with
in the hour. And indeed, hardly had we
got into the street when the roof OF
that theater was taken off as neatly
of it it was bound in the direction Of
Manila bay.
"Luckily, our hotel was only two
blocks away and we made a dash for
it through wind, rain and lightning.
But hardly had we got to u rooms
when off went the roof Of the hotel
to join hat of the theater. We stayed
awake all night waiting for the hotel
to be moved somewhere gu into the
adjacent country.
"But the morning broke beautifully,
and I felt so good that I determined
to have my revenge on the fresh egg
woman, who had stood for Is years in
the market place. So I made some
little preparations and again vent to
market to buy eggs.
"'Fresh?' I inquired, picking an egg
from the basket.
'She eyed me disdainfully for a sec
ond, and then said coldly: I told you
yesterday I sould none III fresh eggs
"She broke it open, and out toddled
the healthiest and most surprised
duckling YOU ever saw,