The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-11
IMPRESSIONS OF MANILA.
PRICES OF ARTICLES IN STORES
TEMPTING TO AMERICANS.


Would BE Disastrous.
CORRESPONDENCE OF the New York Times
Nsnii8.-Arriving at Manila in the
steam launch from the transport at an
chor a mile and a half ont in the bay,
hasty impressions of things where every
thing is so novel are not without inter-
est
We see the ancient looking fortfcations
81 the mouth OF the Pasig, moss covered,
mounted with cannon-veritable antiques
and the more important defenses sur
rounding the walled city or Manila prop
er, with the official headquarters and pal
ace of the governor general We land at
Binonda. or new Manila, outside the walls,
which is reached by several bridges across
the Pasig river. The river wharves are
lined on both sides with shipping from all
parts OF the world and barses for light
ering from the larger vessels outside.
These bargos. called cascoes. are huge
boats. on which whole families live; pro-
PEELED by long bamboo poles, one end Of
which reaches TO the river DottOm; the
other eud the boatman presses against
ms barred shoulder. Men. women and
CllNHFtn are seen HdtllHE constantly IRON
these cascoes, ANA the women doing their
laundry work take half squatting positions
on the end of over-reachiug planks. A dip
OF the garment in the water. a dash or
soap and vigorous pounding with a fiat
paddle, riusing and pounding several
times, and the washing is done.
Al the landing we are urged with Amer
lean push and persistence to have a Car
Tiase" in various languages Spanish, Fill
ipino, Chinese. and attempts at English.
There is little choice in the selection,
some being merely older and more dilapi-
dated than others. Cabs are cheap, but
the drivers, not understanding the pro-
nunciatiOn of Spanish as learned in the
United States, seem TO us very dense, and
invariably take one to the wrong place
and then blandly smile and bow. We,
however take a "quiley," and as the two
passengers enter the back weight quite
lifts the little pony from his feet. The
charges are very reasonable. A pulley
with one horse for half an hour costs %
centimos, each succeeding hour 40 cent?
mos.
one might readily fancy ones self in
some town in China so numerous are The
Chinese running along with a little dog
trot and carrying heavy loads suspended
from each end of a bamboo pole. They
are. as elsewhere very Industrious and
frugal. once shown how 10 do a thing,
they do 1t wei. never forgetting, but
awkwarduess was shown in getting my
trunk ashore from the cascoe. In New
York one eXpressman handed ii with
ease. Here there were eight Cinnamon
lifting at it.
A Good Hotel Needed.
There is an opening for a good hotel
here, with American convenience and an
American table. There is one leading no.
tel where you get a good room but
where the beds are without mattresses or
springs and a first calculated to induce
early rising. The bottoms are of split
and interlaced bamboo with a flexible
mating, and have four high posts, from
which hangs an elaborate lace mosquito
netting, TO be tucked in all around at
night The table fare, at "a and s. a day
is extremely unsatisfactory. The Army
aud Navy club has fine accommodation
for the members, who, however, can only
have a day off at the club at long inter
walls their field and campaign duties in
the trenches prohibiting social indulgences.
The English Club near by, is longer es-
tablished, but wholly deserted during the
day for the 'tiffin" branch, in the bust
ness part of the town, where a member
may enjoy his siesta between noon and 2
p. m, in huge, easy bamboo chair Dur
ing these hours all business is suspended
all the retail stores closing up completely.
is general, and might be adopted during
the hot July and August days in Wash
iugton and New York with profit to all
The general appearance of the town il
not imposing, the buildings being usually
not over two stories in hight, through fear
OF earthquakes. The streets are paved
and rather wider than those in Cuban cit
les, and are lighted by electricity The
street cars are drawn by the diminutive
ponies. The shops are very interesting.
both in the Chinese quarter and on the
Escolta. The latter is the principal bust
ness street. There are new and curious
garments in beautiful light and soft silk
at prices that are extremely tempting.
Mems silk pajamas, for example. at $3.50
would cost at least five times as much in
the United states. Khaki uniforms.
made to order, cost $3.50. just about half
the American price. Anything involving
labor is very cheap. Laundry work is
well done, the usual prices being from 3
10 cents piece, while work is done at
the penitenuary for 3 cents eacn piece
The enterprise of American brewers Is
everywhere in evidence. Every blank
fence and dead wall announces the merits
of respective brands, giving quite a home
feeling until one discovers that beer costs
80 cents bottle The tempting sign OF
ice cream proved on investigation 10 be a
delusiOn.
smoking Is I ntNers0i.
At the great tobacco factory La Insu-
lar some 5000 people are employed, and
we were courteously shown through all
the departments. Cigars are the only
cheap luxury in LuZOn. Cuban cigars are
not 10 he had, though. to suit the prefer
onces Of some English and Americans, Lu.
zon cigars have Havana labels on the
boxes. The filling Of the cigar Is known
as tripa Uripe), the wrapper being called
capa "a cape or overcoaD. Every one
smokes everywhere except in the churches.
The women smoke cigarillos. The cult
walton of tobacco was government mo-
nopoly until 1891. Fines, imprisonment
and bodily punishment We're inflicted re-
rnorselessly upon Illicit growers of tobacco
Good cigars can be bought for $40 a
hundred, and the very best. each cigar
econ anillo papel plata o oro," wrapped
IN silver or gold foil. only cost s. hun
dlcd. The cigars lack the fine Havana
flavor, but those at $40 a hundred are
quite good enough for ordinary smoking
far better than the usual 10 and 12-cent
cigar in the United States. and without
any rank odor or taste. The best tobacco