The broad ax., 1898-08-20
LIFE IN FAR MANILA.
HOMOGENEOUS. BUT GROWS
ENDURARLE IN TIME.
ImportAncs of the English Club-Ths
Noonday siesta - Gen. Bianeo sna
How He Impressed an AnsrieAn-
spaniards Like Dress.

tbs American. One has - to jour
ney to that capital in the far est to
find out what an important factor In
the life Of the foreign resident that
same English club is, which somehow
binds the community together and
makes a side-tracked capital much
more llvable by reason OF its exist
ence. The English Club is not only
sort Of social center and bureau Of
Information. but Is also q trade center,
at which sales are made, contracts
closed and deals consummated. II you
want a man and he is not to be found
elsewhere during business hours, send
to the club for him or go there your
self at about noon. and you are sure
to find him shaking his thirst and
talking to somebody.
In Manila the club afforded shelter
and cocktails to its members at two
widely separated points of the COM
pass-one just on the banks Of the
Pasig, where its waters, coming down
from the big lake at the foot Of the
mountains, are first introduced to the
other In the heart of the business sec
tion. The same set Of native servants
practically served for both depart
ments," since no one uses up town
during the middle of the day and no
one down town after business hours,
AS a result on week days, after the
| light breakfast of the early morning
was over at the up town building the
stan of walters and assistants hurried
down town in the tram cars and made
! ready for the noon meal at the other
structure. returning again to the sub
urbs in time to oficiate at dinner.
At the suburban clubhouse in Nag
tajan were the dining room. parlor, bill
lizard rooms, bowling alley, bed cham
bers for members and guests, and a
boathouse for those who had the en-
ergy to buck" the muddy current of
the Pasig in the heavy working boats.
In the down town or tiffln rooms were
merely the breakfast parlor" and IL
brary. with billiard table perched out
| in the hallway, the whole establish
ment was modestly located on a perma-
nent corner in the main street, over
the Office Of an English bank.
At 10 o'clock in the morning the
brokers and heads Of houses used to as
semble at the tiffin rooms as a sort of
chamber Of commerce, and discuss the
news from home as related in the pri-
vate cablegrams. At noon the mem
bers Of the foreign business community
stopped work and most OF tAsm re-
turned to the club for the hearty break
fast which was served below the laZily
swinging punkahs. This was the first
square meal Of the day, and consisted
Of so many varied courses that long
sleeping chairs were provided in the
library for the comfort Of members,
most Of whom found an hours rest
absolutely necessary after battle with
Chinese curry and canned plum pud-
ding.
Prices Varied.
THIN was supplied on every business
day in the month to subscribers for
$3.50 Mexican, or about 81 In gold.
II there were few holidays IN the
month. the price per meal was cheap
enough, say rs cents; but when those
ever rscurrent church feast days came
along-sometimes two a week-meals
were suspended down town, and the
club got the best Of the bargain. At
such times the body Of servants re-
manned at the suburban establishment,
and the ''tifin" cost dollar.
The library in the tifin rooms was
excellent, consisting as II did of some
1000 volumes and a set of original
Arabian Nights kept In q big tin box
near the door. ALI Of the latest papers
and magazines-six weeks old though
they were-could be found on the Ia
bles, and nothing induced sleep so
easily after that hearty breakfast as
the slowly swaying punkah and the
perusal Of stale news. The punkah
boy slept with the rest and pulled on
in his dreams. II he awoke, the cool
ing arrangement generally stopped,
and someone would throw Sir John
Lubbock across the room to put him
to sleep again.
In Manila in times of peace, the
whole city slumbers from twelve to
three Carriages disappear from the
streets, the shops draw down thsir
blinds. and the little one-horse tram
car Is about the only sign of life. At
o'clock the mercury begins to sink
little and life revives. At the En-
glish officers served tea, toast and jam
to customers and clerks, and at the
community paid q final visit to the
tim rooms before driving to the prom
enade or to the uptown club at Nag
tajen. II they went to the promenade
at the Luneta, the foreigners saw hun
dreds Of carriages circulating around
q slightly raised eclipse 1000 feet long,
whose center was marked with large
band stand. and whose surrounding
roadway was guarded by mounted po-
lice that kept the carriages In nle.
And nobody but the governor general
and archbishop can turn his carriage