Daily inter mountain., 1899-11-08

lor intelligence explained that it was a
characteristic of Manila women that they
never left their homes. A very few, he
sala, mad gone to Spain. but these We're
the only known instances Of Manila wo-
men having left their native land These
"Manamen" took wives from among the
spanish and French creoles. and, in a
VERY few instances, from among the
,nesfoes. They seem well contented in
thelr matrimonial alliances.
~ great many of these Filipnos are
very old men. I'VE live to be much
osu, sad one. They have one vice, that
on gambling In the center of the coll
ony stands gambling hail. At night
When the days work is done, the men
cohsregate i'll large numbers around the
gambling tables and play until their la st
| nickel is gone. Crowds of women enter
ana stand around as spectators of the
| game. but seeming to take as much in
| tereSt as the men.
| Liquor is used to a very limited eN-
tent. There is a small bar in one cor
ner of the gambling room, but during
! a two days stay on the island not one
case of intoXication was observed.
The quiet. peaceful habits of these peo-
| pie are most remarkable. living as they
| 40 without police authority, and with
absolutely nothing to fear from the law.
There is an utter absence OF lawlessness
and crime.
! The principal street In the village of
clarkcheniere has within the past year
| been christened Dewey avenue. 1t iN-
tends along the water front, where the
most modern, as well as the most sub
stantlal buildings on the island are to
| be seen.
| The island is owned by white man,
who lives in New Orleans, and eXacts
| from the colonists a normal rent of from
$l.5o to 81 and even SIS a year
There is net a church or schoolhouSe
i thA in, +l,,t
country. The swarms of little swarthy
faced Filipinos. the rising generation,
are thus entirely without training, except
such az their ignorant parents are able
TO give them. AS they are within the
limits Of the state of louisiana they are
entitled to school facilities and about a
year ago a kindhearted, wellmeaning
southern gentleman went among them
and urged them to make application for
school but they did not take kindly
to the idea, and his efforts We're not
crowned with success.
These old fishermen have not seen their
native land for many, many years. Most
Of chem left it as sailors on Spanish
vessels and upon arriving in this coun-
try ran away and Joined the colony of
their cOuntrymen.
One very old man, who claims to be
the pioneer settler. stated that he had
been in that region for seventy-tive wars.
When he was a BOY he worked on a ship
engaged in a slave trade. On board this
ship he had made many trips to Africa
returning to this country With loads of
| negroes, who were sold to southern
planters. Tiring of that life. he ran
away from the ship and took refuge in
these marshes, where he still lives.
Although they speak the Spanish Ian
guage, there is scarcely one who does
not make more less attempt to speak
English. They retain many traditions
Of their native land, but none could
speak with intelligence of it's govern
ment.
They dress very much as do all the
other delta creoles. They subsist for
the most part upon shrimps, oysters,
| crabs and fish, which they catch in great
numbers. A very lucrative trade is car
ried on by them in this line with New
! Orleans, to which the oyster and fish
luggers make almost daily trips
In New Orleans very cleaniy and
fairly we'll patronzed restaurant is kept
by one of the families living in this set
tement, the oysters and fish being sup
piled by those members of the family
who remain in the colony.
A short time ago "Manilaman" from
this colony was tried in the courts of
New Orleans for muir ]erng his wife.
The jury failed To agree, however, and
it seemed that the wife had come to her
death bv accident,