The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-07-05
Humorous Side OF Mnnila life.

Major Eugene Colin, well know,, to
thousands Of travellers as one Of the
veteran clerks Of Williard's Hotel. is
now on duty at Manila a. paymaster
in the army. He writes home All in
tcrcsting letter, in which he tell some
OF the many things that struck his
fancy.
| ain living at the Hotel del Ori-
cnt, he writes. very high sound
ing title. but a very ordinary hotel.
The walters all dress in poiama> and
80 barcfootcd I'm in doubt as to
what ! am eating most of the time, 80
] take off my glasses and go it blind,
fgurativcly and literally speaking,
though sometime, feel like am
eating lizards and snakes pay s12O
month (Mcxican money!, and have
an enormous room. The windows
slide as we'll as the wainscoating. SO
that feel like ! was on a plazzo.
The weather is warm, Of course. since
we are only eleven degrees away from
the equator, but it does not seem to
be any warmer here than it is in
Washington in summer. There is
always breeze from somewhere. and
if you keep out Of the sun life j. very
comfortable.
"Thc floors Of the hotel arc Of hard
wood and all sawed out by hand.
These people have never seen saw
mill. The staircascs between the first
three floors of the hotel arc of rose
wood. They use solid mahogany here
for the cheapest things. ! took out
my rule the other day and measured
some of the boards in the fooa, and,
to my surprise. they were 22 feet long
and thirty and onchalf inches wide.
You can hardly realize how wide
thirty and onchalf inches is. Take
tape measure and mark it off, and you
will understand how amazed | was.
There's fortune here for the man
who will come in and start saw and
planning mill. They saw all their lum-
Der here by hand; a chino at each
end Of the saw. These boards have
been in use twenty years, and not
chink or crack in them.
Monkeys are cheap out here. If
you are nimble enough to catch them
they won't cost anything. Otherwise
you can buy u full sized monkey for
quarter. They are an endless source
OF fun for the soldiers, and every com
pany has its quota Of them.
The women Of Manila arc not hand
some, though some of them have what
you might call fine features. With
few exceptions they so barcfooted and
barchcaded. Men, women, children
and babies all smoke cigarettes; and
many of the women smoke cigars.
Still. when you remember that you can
buy very fair cigar here for two
cents, you sec that the habit is not
very expensive.
II had nine duck suits made to or
der for me here, and paid $3.50 in
gold for the entire lot. pay eight
cents suit for washing it. They
never saw washboard mere. They
wet and soap the clothes. then thrash
them on the stones, swinging them
over their heads like you would fail.
There is not cook stove in Manila
save those brought here by our boys.
But they have plenty Of sewing ma
chimes. There is not flat iron on
the whole island.
when our boys first got here they
got fifty-four Mexican dollars for
United States twcnty-dollar gold piece,
but the rate Of exchange has fallen
now until it is only two for one. We
are paying off the boys in paper money
now and the natives take to our cur
rcncy very kindly. They have never
seen SO much money in all their lives
as our boys are spending now.
"They have full brass band of
Filipinos here at the hotel. You
ought to hear them toy with After
the Ball is Over, and then hear them
get off 'Thcrc'll be a Hot Time.
You hire the full band for 81 day
for the whole outfit. But then nobody
hires it more than once. They play
by ear and muscle. .'-Balt;moye
Anltricun.