The Globe-republican. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1889-1910, 1898-06-30
LIVING IN THE
PHILIPPINES.
MORE PARTICULARLY IN THE CITY
WHERE DEWEY CONQUERED.

In Manila no one ever pays for anything
thin white suits that are everywhere
worn are not made for transporting coin.
Bank-notes are practically out of circula-
ton. and heavy Mexican dollars stand at
the hand of motley family of hfty-cent
pieces Spanish pesetas. and huge coppers.
to give weight rather than value 10 the
currency system. II you draw the 1rst
prize in the monthly lottery run for the
benefit of the government. your 100000
is all paid to you in silver "cartwheels'
or subsidiary coins. and you really feel
that luck is after all something tangible
when it takes a heavy dray or two to hauI
the results of your winnings from the
government Office to the bank.
\ dollar is about all the coin that
properly clothed resident of Manila can
carry about with him. and .as il general
" turns out he dosen't need more. for
the shopkeepers. tailors. and boot
makers have all been educated to recog-
nize in the famous ''chit system neces-
sary evil that springs out of certain
monetary and climatic conditions. and are
always ready to accept the small bit Oh
paper on whichever your name you
write an i. o. u. for the amount Of your
purchase.
If the cook wants a new stove. or the
cOachman jar of ''micI mo!asses to
sweeten up the feed for the horses, or II
the gardener wants a lawn-mower. which
can only be bought at the English drug
store. or the ofice-boy a new rope for
the punkah. says Joseph Earle Stevens.
in the New York Evening Post. Write
out a chit for each of them. and that's
the last you hear from the transaction
till the first of the next month. But
scarcely has that day come before all
your creditors send in their collectors to
cash those carelessly pencilled "chits.
and then your Office is turned into
money-changer's. Armed with big cam
vas 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
effort to discover lead. or drop dozen
pieces on the hard floor to verify the
ring. is not to feel complimented By their
opinion of your integrity.
About the only people that Will not
cab-drivers; but as car-fares rarely
amount to over three coppers. and cab
charges to "peseta.' it is easy enough
to satisfy them with prompt cash.
The general mode of dress adopted by
well-to-do half-castes and Europeans OF
the masculine gender throughout the
Philippines, is simple and cool in the ex-
IRENE. consisting as il does OF two pieces
20 the white suit. top jacket that but
tons high around the neck in military
fashion. and pair OF troUsers-both
made of strong sheeting. The price is
only $2-made to order. A thick felt hat
of broad brim, pair nf white canvas
shoes, light under-vest and socks. and
there is your Philippine costume all the
year round. No boiled shirt to bother
with. no collar to wilt; everything wash
able. everything but the hat and shoes
changed each day. and nothing hurt by
a wetting. About eighteen of these suits
are sufficient for q newcomer in ordinary
standing. and he must expect often to
wear two a day. If is begins to rain.
there is a certain pleasure in being able to
feel you've got ''rothirg on TO hurt" and
even the natives shut their umbrellas on
such occasions. carrying them open only
as protection against the sun. and seem
to enjoy feeling the very thin cloth cling
close when wet
The costumes worn by the women are
not SO simple. and are made up of the
brilliant calico skirt. with long train.
that is swished around and tucked into
the belt in front. the short white waist.
with huge f1aring sleeves of pima fibre,
that show the arms. and the costly pima
handkerchief that. folded on the diagonal.
encircles the neck. Costumes Of this sort
are hardly as sensible as those worn by
the men. and to this day the Philippine
pony IS not altogether used to the swish
of that crushed-strawberry skirt-train.
In fact. 1 owe a sudden upset off the
main road into muddy rice-field to the
unexpected swirl of one of those long
trains as it was gathered around to be
tucked up in front.
1t probably costs less to live well in
Manufacturing peaceful seasons-than in
any other capital of the east or west.
Take the case of my messmate and my
self for example. We had a good house.
with three bedrooms. parlor. and
tiled floor diningroom hallway
reading room. kitchen. boys quar-
shower A small stable. garden
and ten-foot iron fence to keep out the
burglars. who used to grease themselves
and prowl around naked at dead at night.
seeking to steal ponies or even carriage
laps. completed our establishment Our
cook. to be ready for unexpected guests.
served dinner each evening for four. and
got but forty cents to privide enough raw
materials for six courses-including the
firewood necessary. At the end of the
month everything going into the general
mess aocount-house rent Us month),
wages of three servants food. drink. ice.
and light-was added up and divided by
two. The result was astonishing, as SO
was the sum total OF my monthly share.
To live in such state and entertain ones
friends for less than an American dol
lar a day absolutely spoils one for subse-
Queut existence in this country. and Ii
is no wonder that many a Britisher-re-
turning from Manila to England via the
States-haS been SO overwhelmed by his
first laundry bill in San Francisco that
he has taken a through train for New
York and sailed by the first outgoing liner
without sti piping even to see the brides
at Niagara or the winter garden at the
Astoria.
The methods of marketing in Manila
are noteworthy in themselves.All meat
of course. must be eaten on the day it
is killed. since in the tropics even ice fails
to preserve fish. flesh. or fowl AS re-
suit while beef and mutton are killed in
the early morning. a few hours before the
market opens. the smaller fry. such as
game and chickens, are sold alive. From
six to ten all the native and Chinese
cooks from many families come to bar
gain for the days supply. After filing
their baskets numbers of them mount
the little tram-car for the return trip to
their kitchens and proceed to pluck the
feathers of the live chickens or birds as
they jog along on the front or rear plat
form
By the time they have arrived home the
poor creatures are almost bare OF cover
ing. and keenly suffering. they are peg
ged down by string to the moor OF the