New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-05-15
THE CHINESE ~ MANILA.
THEY ARE INFLUENTIAL AND THEREFORE,
DTSL.I ED.
From The Boston Transcript.

From The Boston Transcript.
Forming as they do u very large proportion Of
the population, nearly equal 10 that Of the
natives themselves, and. having by their indus
try and business ability sustained the fame Of
Manila as Il commercial port, they are a thorn
In the side Of the Spanish mercantile class
aside from the conventional dislike extended By
the latter toward all foreigners Being CON.
mercial by nature, and having realized the good
policy OF keeping their word IN business mat.
ters. in contrast with the everlasting procrast-
mating and "ma1ana' ing OF the Spaniards they
have built up a large business with the Eng
lish and American houses who infinitely prefer
10 deal with them rather than with the owners
OF the soil. Their thrifty ways and tendency
to save money and send II home to China rather
than to spend 1t where they are Is another
source Of grievance to the naughty "Espanoles'
Then their ability and willingness to perform
every kind OF manual labor from carpentering
shoe making, etc, to coole work, from morn.
ing to night at the lowest Of wages is cauS
OF envious irritation to the indolen; native
"Filipinos." and n constant feud Is waged be.
tween the two races. which has been handed
down for generations. In a street fight how
ever have noticed that the "Filipino' is yery
apt TO come out ahead. although many Of The
coolies have the most superb muscular develop
ment which have ever seen.
Long ago. according To history. fleet o.
Chinese junks, under the famous pirate chiG
Ii Ma Hong. bore down on Manila with the
intention of capturing II and It's many treasures
The little garrison in the fort defended it with
a gallantry such as Spaniards can and will dis
play when In desperation. and Ii Ma Hong,
possessing no petroleum shells and storm
coming up provldentially. the fleet was ingori-
ously defeated Some OF the Junks went ashore
on the northern coast OF the island and there
~ to-day curious race OF so-called Chinese
"Igorotes,' or savages. living in the Businesses
OF the mountains. and supposed 90 be the De-
scendants OF the shipw:cCked pirates. certain
day in January is the anniversary ~ the fight
and on that day hardly a Ch'naman ~ Mania
dares show himself out OF doors, for every sn'al
boy, native or Spaniard. feels in duty bound
"heave n rock at him.
Whenever there liz n big fire In the town. II u
always assumed that the Chinese have set
and they are very scarce IN the streets whNe
the confiagration lasts for taCit Instructions
would seem to have been given on these &C.
casons To the effect that III you see emma
man hit him"
Early in the spring OF 1893 the Spanish Iron
steamer San Juan sailed from Hong Kong lv'
Manila with n cargo largely composed OF kerv
sene. which had been carefully slowed as hea'
the boilers as possible, and on deck. whee lux
some three hundred Chinese coolies VINO com
posed the passenger list could SIT on the cas-,
and knock the embers from their pipes againss
them. 1t is not surprising that the snip tova
fire when just within sight OF Luzon, ana Wv
Spanish captain, with most OF MS olllce,s
promptly took To the boats and pulled LOT ~
shore. leaving raging, frenzied mass OF ".
nese shrieking at them from the doomed vess ~
for no provision is made on these steamers w. ~
the safety of the coolies in case Of accident ~
few minutes the San Juan was ailre iiv Tue
stem to stern. AS many as could climbed Wv
masts only to fall back suffocated into the p. .,
Ing furnace below. Even the more Hlereisu .
death of drowning was denied them ioi ~.
sea was alive with sharks. attracted by w
glare. swarmng around the ship as flache's
swarm around u buCketful Of curry .,a
Thirty six hours later another steamer slsn"
the wreck and bore down TO the rescue ou isS
the original three hundred some eighty wfe"ss,
creatures were found alive. clngng TO the M ~
90 D. Ahh stt.t fhn cid
stern davits and boat tackle. with the iron ~ Ss
OF the steamer redhot in places. and the s'i', H.
leapng at them The rescuing boats hau ~ ~,
orally to fight their way through the raVe"''
brutes. ,s
saw the survivors as they were landed S ca,
q discouraged looking lot they were Inc me 'T IN
Juan an empty scorched hull. was to"eu oo
and anchored I'm the mouth Of the river 70 vsr
off until the seventy thousand Mexican uo s A
IN her bottom could be dug out Of the dep unss
melted mass And not an expression Oh le s.s,
did hear from any OF my Chino frlehus 80
tho disaster to their countrymen "PAp' ="
liesr was ali they said