Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1898-06-17

| -Naliist -VuiihS l'nNSi"A "S""'i'
than in any other capital of the East
or West. Take the case of my mess
mate and myself, for example. We
had a good house, with three bedrooms,
parlor, and titled floor dining-room
and hallway reading-room, kitchen,
boys quarters, bathroom, tiled tub
and shower. \ small stable, garden,
and ten-foot iron fence to keep out
the burglars, who used to grease them
selves and prowl around naked at
dead of 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 provide enough raw ma.
terials for six courses-including the
tirewood necessary. At the end of the
month everything going into the gen.
eral mess account-Eouse rent ($lj q
month), wages of three servants food,
drink, ice and light-was added up
and divided by two. The result was
astonishing, as $50 was the sum total
of my monthly share. TO livein such
state and entertain ones friends for
less than ali American dollar day
absolutely spoils one for subsequent
existence in this country, and it 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 Fran
cisco that he has taken through
train for New York and sailed by the
first outgoing liner without stopping
even to see the brides at Niagara or
the winter garden at the Astoria.
The methods of marketing in Ma
Mia 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 result, while beef and
mutton are killed in the early morn
ing, few hours before the market
opens, the smaller fry, such as game
and chickens, are sold alive. From
6 to 10 all the native and Chinese
cooks from many families come to bar
gain for the days supply. After fill
ing their baskets numbers of them
mount the little tram-car for the re-
turn trip to their kitchens and pro-
ceed to pluck the feathers off the live
chickens or birds as they jog along on
the front or rear platform.
By the time they have arrived home
the poor creatures are almost bare Of
covering, and keenly suffering, they
are pegged down by a string to
the floor OF the kitchen to await their
fate. When the creaking of the front
gates announces the return of the
master or mistress of the house, it is
time enough to wiring the necks of the
unfortunates and shove them into the
boiling-pot or roasting.pan, that seems
but to accentuate certain toughness
which all cooked meat freshly killed
possesses. / never visited our kitchen
oitener than necessary, for a person
brought up under the influence of a
S. P. c. A., the sight just before dinner
was narrowing.
The stoves used everywhere are but
small, shallow earthenware structures
OF a peculiar old shoe appearance, the
toe of the shoe representing the hearth,
the opening in front of the place for
putting in the small sticks of wood,
and the enclosing upper" the rim on
which rests single big pot or kettle.
In our kitchen there were six stoves
one for each course-and their cost
being only twenty-five cents apiece, it
was simple matter to keep half-a.
dozen spare ranges on hand in the
bread-closet. And, speaking of bread,
no Manila cook ever made his own
loaf, but always went across the street
to the little " tienda" and bought from
a Chinaman what was needed for the
household. The quality Of bread be-
ing uncertain, toast was in general
favor with the foreign residents, and
was to be found on every table at every
meal. Ice was cheap and plenty, and
for the sum of S. per month the
wagon would leave piece weighing
ten pounds at your gate every day in
the week.
Good servants in Manila get eight to
ten Mexican dollars per month, or
four to five in American gold. My
head boy got six dollars, was married,
had two children, and bought all his
own food out of this modest stipend !;
and don't think he stole from me,
though he may have done so from
somebody else now and then. To be
sure, he besought advances on his
salary to bury a sister or brother, as
he said, and it was not until he asked
me to pay for burying the same men,
Der of his flock twice that saw the
necessity of tabulating his family and
checking off such as were defunct.
Although servants are cheap, it is
necessary to have plenty of them
so that a certain given few shall be
awake when wanted. 1t is always
easier to to get up from ones chair,
ring bell On the center table, and let
boy come 10 fetch you book from