The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1898-05-20
Chicago Record.

ont Oh the filo-t I'LL lDOlldill ldNtDiS
in the great chain OF Islands which
girdle the eastern and southeastern
coasts of Asia is the magnificent
archipelago known as the Philippine
Islands. Their number is not de fl
nitely known, but is variously sta
ted by different authorities as from
| 400 to 1000; some OF them are
mere islets and uninhabtable rocks,
but others are magnificent in size
aad resources. The two largest are
Luzon, which has an area OF Al 600
square miles, and on which Manila,
the capital, is situated, and Min
danao, containing 81 ,45O square
miles. As even the larger islands
have never been thoroughly ex-
plored Or surveyed it is impossible
to give definite statement OF the
aggregate land area of the group, bat
the mos. reliable estimates ia 1856
square miles, which is equal to the
combined area of New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and Mar land.
Nor is it in regard to area alone
that our knowledge is defective; all
Spanish statistics are VIGOROUSLY
unreliable and no thoroughly accu-
rate census has ever been taken,
but the aumber of inhabitants is a
bout 5000, 900. The bulk of the
native population is of Malay origin,
but there are in the interior OF Luz
on and particularly of Mindanao
many semi savage tribes, decend-
ants of the aborigines, which have
never really submitted to Spanish
taxation, and where they escape the
latter it is pretty certain that they
are not under control. Another
element Of the population are the
Chinese and half-breeds of mixed
Chinese and native blood. Few
Chinese women come to the island
and the men intermarry with the
native women. Throughout the
islands, or at least in all the larger
towns and the cities, the bulk o
the retail trade, banking and money
lending is in Chinese hands, anc
many of them have considerable
wealth There is also large mum
Der of half -castes, derived from Eu
ropean fathers, who form an intelli
gent middle class, many OF whom
are engaged in trade and the profes
sions There are in the islands
but few thousand European anc
Americans. Generally speaking
the natives are mild and amiable
excet dinghy superstitious, and wher'
they profess christianity are eas IL.
influenced by the priests, like mos
tropical people are somewhat apa
thetic, indolent and lacking in ener
gy when at peace, but fierce an
revengeful in war. They are fon'
of music and amusement, but arr
bern gamblers and their great pas
sion is cock-fghting. Every tow
and village has its cockpit, and il
the large communities the specta
tors can be numbered by thousands
OF course, this amusement, lik
everything else in Spanish colonies
is heavily taxed and the annual rev
enue derived from this sourc
amounts to hundreds Of thousand
of dollars. The gambling spirit j
} also fostered by the allurements 0
of a lottery which is lun for tn
profit of the government.
The forests occupy an lmpor
tant place in calculating the nativ
riches of the islands. Ebony, ce
dar, logwood and many other valu
able trees abound, including tn
ever-present cocoanut palm, whic
supplies SO many Of the nativ
wants. All the tropical fruits ar
abundant, such as the orange, man
90, tamarind and guava. Tn
|. most important vgetable product
however, is known as Manila hemp
which is a misnomer, as It has n
relation TO the hemp plant; its ma
tive name is abacs, and 1T is tn
I, fiber of the stock of species OF ba
! mana or plantain (musa textllis)
: Nearly 100000 bales are exporte
F, annually, of which 40 per Ger
comes to the United States. Suga
is also largely grown, but is OF
poor quality, and brings a To-
!. price in consequence OF slovenl
{, methods Of cultivation and lack
high-giade machinery. In II
last ten years the United States hs
y imported from Mnnila hemp an
}, sugar valued at $74 900, 900. II
q bacco is an important crop, an
g Manila cheroots and cigars are
famous and highly appreciated ea
! of the Cape Of Good Hope as Il
= Havana product is among the ives
lern natives. In the Binondo su
'e urb Of Manila is a cigar factory er