Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1899-02-11
Something About IloiIo.

Yankton Press and Dakotan: Mrs.
Hugh l.. p. Chiene, of Yankton, who at
one time resided in the town of Iloilo. isl
and of Panay, in the Philippine group,
writes as follows concerning that town
and country for the Press and Dakotan:
'Iloilo pronounced Eeloeelo), the capitai
OF the island of Panay. the third largest
island of the Philippine group, ls at the
present time the headquarters OF the In
surgents, or rather the natives, who are In
rebellion against Spain. These people are
mostly q cross between a Malay q
Spaniard. and are very ignorant as a rule:
OF course, there are exceptions, some or
the leading families and wealthiest people
being amongst them. The lower or the
working classes have never had q chance
to improve themselves as they have al
ways been denied education and their
vices have been fostered by the Spaniards.
The working class. who comprise the ma
jority, are a people quite capable OF being
| civilized, but 1t must be by kindness. as
they are very sensitive. When once they
come to understand America and Amer
leans ways of living and progressing
their reformation will be easy.
II have lived amongst these people
quite in the interior, and was the only
white woman there for nearly three years
and was treated with every respect and
kindness. Iloilo Is a city, forty-eight
hours by boat from Manila, of some 5000
or 10000 people, mostly Nestigos, which
means half Spanish and half native, some
| BpanldrUS ana Germans, anu WUtu i was
there, there were about 100 British ana
two Americans in the town. The business
OF the day occupies about six hours. from
10 to 4, the rest OF the time being spent
in sleep and pleasure. Hardly any OF the
women of any class do any work, men be-
ing used as cooks and do all the mousse
work. The island of Panay Is fairly
healthy. the average Of the thermometer
being 81. The trees are continually green.
and all have lovely flowers. The chief
crops are sugar, rice, hemp and coffee.
which are k by small boats called
lorchas from all parts of the Island TO
Iloilo and shipped by steamers to all parts
of the world. Potatoes, ETC., will not
grow there. ALI these necessaries are
shipped in from Hong Kong; flour, oil and
lard from America; most of the canned
stuff and liquor from Europe, and there
is no lack Of the latter. very little tea or
coffee being consumed. The national
drink is vino" (wine), and the stan or
life is rice. There is endless variety or
Ash and fruit at all times of the year.
pineapples being very abundant.
"uoilo has splendid stores of all kinds.
quite as good as Yankton or Sioux city,
and any luxury can be obtained there pro-
Is very expensive. $50
81 have often been asked by friends
here what opening there is for young men
in the Philippines. l would say II IS use
less for anyone to go there unless he has
ample capital, or unless he is already &C
quainted with people there, or people doing
business there. 1t Is not like the western
states-a poor mans country-as naive
labor is ali the way from IL cents up to SO
cents a ~day-that being good pay. An
other thing, in order to make any head
way there a person must understand and
be able to speak two neutrality-suspicious.
and a cultural spoken by the natives
called "vosayas."
"Of course, these islands will undergo a
complete change for the better under the
happy auspices Of the American govern
ment, and no doubt will ultimately add
another lustrous star to its world-famed
banner.".