The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-15
THE CITY OF MANILA.
How 1t Seemed to an American Four
Years Ago.

Chicago Post
Mrs. Charles H. Cowan, of 465 Fullerton
avenue, is the widow of former consul to
Manila, the capital of the Philippines, and
she has many interesting letters written by
her husband descriptive of the islands, their
people and customs.
Mr.. Cowan, who died about a year ago,
was appointed consul at Manila in October,
1898, and remained in that Office until 1894.
He then returned to Chicago and resumed
connection with the leather and shoe bust
ness here. In one of his letters, written
soon after his arrival at the antipodes, he
said:
Il find Manila, my new home, a much big
ger place than | expected, with its popula
ton of 10000 souls Like Chicago the city
is built on plain and has a river passing
through it's center. The water of this stream
is very good. Narrow and poorly paved
fect1ve There is street tramway, on
which one can travel for 2 cents. All sorts
OF odd traps and carriages are seen; for
light conVeyanceS a species of small but
tough pony is used, and for heavy carts the
native buffalo is made to do service
Manila is not cheap place to shop in,
low priced. For So hundred you can get
'tip-top smoke Good living is expensive,
and L cannot accustom myself to Spanish
cooking Since my arrival have made my
home at the English Club, where the fare
is good, and have no complaint to make
In any respect. Almost everything we eat,
from other parts Everything is tropical.
| am rather disappointed with the fruit; the
bananas and oranges here are not very
good; not as fine as those of China or
Japan. But l am promised a treat when
the mangoes come in; also when the pine
apple season is at hand. We have very
good tea and coffee, but no milk or butter.
Il arrived here at the coolest period of
the year, the average temperature being
about Is to 80 degrees in the shade. This
has been, quite comfortable, but from now
on the thermometer will be doing some
climbing. and the wet season sets in about
the Sth Of May. Last week we felt a slight
such visitatiOns almost at any time.
The amusements consist in going to early
mass in the morning and to bull fights or
cock fights in the afternoon. Everybody,
it seems owns a fighting cock. From to 8
O'Clock in the evening the whole town turns
out to drive on La Sanneta. which is much
like our Lincoln Park in Chicago, and
where the best Of music is to be heard at
all times, making this most enjoyable re-
sort"
Mrs. Cowan talked entertainingly to-day
of the far-away city on which the world 5
eyes are now riveted. There are, she said,
in Manila superb public buildings and ca
thedrals, and there is a very gay social life.
The English colony, composed chiefly of
young Englishmen who left their native
island to seek wealth in the Philippines,
maintains circle of it's own. There are few
of the higher types of Spaniards in Manila,
the majority being of a mixed race descend
ed from Spaniards and the native Taga-
days, just as many Cubans are the pro-
geny of miscegenators. This race combin-
ing the well-known traits of the Spaniards
with lingering traces of Malay savagery, is
not the most docile in the world. The peo-
pie are held in restraint, however, by the
church, whose power and influence are su-
preme. The chief religious festivals are
made the occasion of great popular fetes
in which religious ceremonialS and ques-
tionable sports are curiously intermixed
Mrs. Cowan says that four years ago there
thority in Manila. 1t seemingly con-
tented and prosperous community of people,
naturally prone to Incidence, fbut by no
means as sluggish in commercial affairs as
are some tropical cities on this side of the
globe.