Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-07-29

three miles before one gets away from
the built-up streets and reaches the
open country. Even then the rural
townships are found full Of Of the resi-
dences of Manila business people, for
five miles or more, and so it is diff
cult to say exactly what should be con-
sidered part of the town and which
should not.
The town is as badly built as can be.
The houses are much too close togeth-
er and the streets too narrow. For
the metropolis of a big country, for z
city of quarter of million lnhaDlS-
ants, a rich and prosperous mart, CEN
ter of education and luxury. as the
buildings in the walled city indicate.
it is a disreputable, ill-arranged and
unsightly town. The principal bust
ness street, the Escolta, is narrow,
wretchedly paved, crooked and filled
with the most commonplace, mean
looking structures. So are the other
streets, but further from the center
there are trees to hide the ugliness
Manila } has earthquakes, typhoons,
thunderstorms and floods as the rea-
sons for not having passably present
able town, but Manila is not the only
place with earthquakes and all the
rest. Toxic is infinitely worse on, out
is much cleaner and the roads are bet
ter.
The, Pasig river is sixty or seventy
yards wide and perhaps twelve Ieet
deep, yet the bridging Of 1t has never
got beyond primitive stages. lnere IS
one narrow bridge. the Huenta rs
pana, connecting Binonbo with the
city; but this bridge is far too mario"
for the traffic, and would never be con-
sidered sufficient in civilized country.
There is another large bridge near 1t,
but it is seldom, if ever used FOR vehl-
cular traffic, and the Puento Espana
is constantly choked And the Mania
bridges both those Of the Paslg ana
others over smaller streams, are SO
frail that nobody is allowed to drive
over them at anything faster IMAM
walk
THERE ARE TRAMWAYS
running into outlying parts OF the
town and a. steam tramway 10 the
northern suburb of Malabon. Ihere IS
also a railway from Manila to Dagupan,
about 100 miles north, run by an Eng
fish company. The Manila railroad
station would not be excessive for
remote and unpretentious japanese VII
lage, but for a metropolis like tnls us
modest dimensions do not speak very
we'll of Spanish progressiveness. There
ought to be a hundred-fold bigger BUS
mess.
In the rural township of Santa Mesa,
about three or four miles out, is a big
powder magazine, or "polverin,' close
bv the right (north) bank of the river
Pasig. On the opposite side OF the
river is the village of Santa Ana,
mile or two away. 1t is about here
that the first shots were fired in the In
surrection of 1896, and several English
people having villas in these parts had
a lively time.
Another "polverin" is at Malate, on
the seashore, just south of the walled
city. I understand that these two
are the only powder n,asazines- the
Spaniards have in the immediate neigh
borhood of the city, excluding. OF
course, the forts own stores. Malate
is reached from Binondo by pretty
drive outside the city walls, either
along the sea front or behind the city,
and beyond the city is the esplada call
ed the Luneta, where the bard plays
every evening in peace times. At the
far end of the Luneta Is the battery
of two big guns which fired on the
American ships until Admiral Dewey
talked seriously of replying
A little beyond this battery IS the
English club, surrounded by number
of pleasant residences, English, Span
ish and Others
Furthest of all, quite near to the fort
and powder magazines. is the Eastern
Extension Telegraph Company's estab-
lishment (British). A little way back
from the sea is the Jesuit Observatory,
a splendidly equipped institution.