Evening star., 1898-10-28

street than whole posse of army and nav
al officials of all countries in uniform. To
begin with, he's an olive-skinned native,
and then his uniform is a dream night
mare. 1t is of blue with brilliant red and
white facings and embellishments. with
heavy festOons of white braid and tas-
sells on the left side, completed by a tall
picturesque and striking glazed cap that's
a sort of a cross between a bishops miter
and a long-handled tin basin. He is gem
orally barefoot and is armed with a staff.
1t is said that he is extremely cruel in the
exercise of his duty and open to bribery
but ] am informed on good authority that
in 1895, during the rebellion, the Civil
Guards showed more stamina and discipline
than the Spanish soldiers. But he is out of
a job now, for good American soldiers in
serviceabie suits of brown and armed with
hrdg-Joreensen rifles are now doing police
duty in Manila, and good order prevails,
while the Civil Guard lends picturesqueness
to the landscape as he wanders aimlessy
about the city streets, smoking cigarettes,
wondering what is coming next.
The Women.
The women of Manila would attract at
tention even in Washington cosmopolitan
though 1t be. By women in this instance
We mean the native women. Spanish Sc
noras and senoritas keep very close and are
seldom seen by the hated Americana. while
the wives of the English and other foreign
residents moved out of the city to Hong
Kong after Mr.. Deweys May call and have
not yet returned. These native women,
young and old. make many concessions to
the climate in the way of clothing. The or
dinary native girl appears on the street
attired in a very light upper garment that
leaves the shoulders exposed; a skirt that
reaches barely to the knees, and cigar
cite. The cigarette, however, is not inev-
table for sometimes the little paper roll
will be missing, and in its place Will
appear an immense cigar, tightly grip
teeth
ored an offensive red by constant use OF
the betel nut. woman thus attired and
embellished, balancing big basket of fruit
or eggs on her head, with naked baby in
her arms, scufHing along In pair of san-
dals with high wooden heels is a more or
less picturesque feature in the landscape.
This is the common type, but you fire.
quently see women of attractive feature
and form. with their raven black hair neat
ly combed attired neatly and lacking the
cigar and betelnut establishment. But in
all cases the women seem to be the beasts
OF burden and the business head of the
family as well. The mestizos or half
castes are different class of people, dress
ing better and being as general thing
quite well-tO-do. The ordinary Philippine
women, however, may be an object of in
terest, but is not often attractive. Many
a face that might otherwise be rather
pleasant to behold is marred by the raw
ages of smallpox. which seems to have
confined itself largely to the female popu-
lation.
The Philippine has very simple tastes and
desires. The inevitable rice, some prepa-
ration of COcOanut and a little fish consti-
tute his regular bill of fare, and the ward
robe of the man is almost as limited as
that of the woman. In Cavite we saw the
man of the house standing patiently in his
shirt while his wife washed out his only
pair of trousers. When they were washed
and wrung out he calmly and placidly put
them on, wet they were, and started
out in life again with a clean wardrobe.
The price of servants in Manila has a
wide range. The Spaniards have been pay
ing So local silver a month for servants,
furnishing the servant his chow or food
This Is less than $1.5O American. But
since the Americans have come in prices
nave naturally risen. Good native cooks
can be procured for 16 pesos, or less than
$50 American. These cooks are allowed
so much money 4 day to furnish the table
In our mess of four the cook is given So
Mextcau-S1.5o American, approximately
to supply the eggs fish. fruit and meat for
the three meals and with that money sue
ceeds in serving three excellent meals a
day. No stores are In use here except in
the camps of American soldiers and few
foreign residents. Iron and earInen pots
such as are in vogue among the Chinese,
are in common use, and the triumphs
achieved by these native cooks with these
primitive appliances are many: Chinese
are also in demand here as cooks, and are
somewhat higher priced than the natives.
Filth of the City.
Manila was foul city when Uncle Sam
took possession. Garbage and filth were
| everywhere, and so fetid was the air that
soldier of the 18th regulars was shot on
frequented thoroughfare and the body
hid in an out-of-the-way corner and the
remains lay there and decomposed in the
sun, and although q sentry was posted
near the foulness of the decompCsing body
| had so little effect on the already tainted
ard filth burdened air that the body was
rot discovered until the force of street
cleaners found ii in prosecuting their work.
| This terrible condition of things is rapidly
being changed under the new regime, and
| cleanliness is being enforced at the point
| OF the bayonst, yet It will take some time
| to root this evil out from city as large as
/ Manila, with a native, Chinese and Span
| ish population that for centuries has been
| accustomed to revel in uncleanliness. Ian
| grage cannot adequately describe the foul
| condition of affairs as found here, and with
| all the energy shown by the military
L AM fhnrif dies To remedY tha auiI fhA fnnln ESQ