The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-11-03
In ANDAROUND JOLO.
characteristics of the Town-Brisk
Trade In Knives
IFrom the New York Press

a dirty and rather insignificant little
place, but it is the home OF the sultan.
JolO. on the northwest coast, is the
chief city of the island In way,
JOlO is an accident The Spanish Gen
eral Arokas was sent to the place as a
sort OF compromise between reward
of merit and a punishment for political
offense. He could not well be ignored,
yet had the audacity to be of outspoken
Republican tendencies Therefore ne
was sent to govern JOlo- He found the
city wholly conventional, from the sun
standpoint, in construction and dirt
1t held a Spanish garrison and was
surrounded by a kind of bamboo stock
AIDE Arolas was really rernar PIE
man, particularly for a Spaniard- He
possessed strong force OF character,
energy and ideas. Virtually banISHed
to Jolo, he proceeded to convert 1t
into the gem spot of all the Spanish
colonies He turned a filthy coast VII
lage into a beautiful park
In front of the city lies a bay, form
ed by adjacent islands, with good
anchorage and generally safe harbor-
age Along the shore runs a low sea
wall, with sentry boxes on corners and
in angles. From about the middle of
the wall a gated pier extends seward
with a signalling tower at it's outer
end. The bamboo stockade has been
replaced by a brick wall, Of some eight
feet in height, built upon a rock and
concrete base of some three feet in
height The wall is literally perforated
with perpendicular Sits for rifle use
in case OF assault. Sentry towers
stand at the corners and boxes occur
along the wall The enclosure thus
formed is irregular, though angular in
its shape It's greatest length is about
1900 feet and its greatest width $50.
The ends are narrower than the middle.
by reason of an area of made land
which extends into the bay
The streets are all laid at right
angles, are of good width, and heavily
shaded with palms and other trees
Among these are many of the brilliant
ale
found in extensive use along rOadWays
in the West Indies. Running inshore
from the pier is a broad shaded plaza
Small parks, mass Of foliage and
blossom crossed by paths, occur at
frequent intervals The rOadbeds are
sand, and upon both sides cutters of
concrete provide for the discharge of
rainWater by an easy gradient to the
shore. Most of the buildings are of
wood, two stories IN height, and of good
though not elaborate construction The
upper stories serve as the residences
of the merchants who occupy the ground
floors for commercial purposes. Hemp
bundIing and cOpra-drying Indicate a
moderate export trade The city has
running water, supplied from a near
by stream, good in quality and ample
in supply. Near as it is to the equator
almost exactly upon the sixth degree,
north latitude, there is nothing of IN
cOmfortab bic heat Just now the sun is
almost directly overhead. but such
weather, with the cooling breeze. would
MAKE the a New England
seaside resort The nights are entirely
comfortable for sleeping, and mos
QuitOeS are not seriously troublesome.
l nave found It a charming, a fascinat-
ing place There are many little res
taurants. but no hotel or anything that
takes the place Of one. Not many
civilians have yet visited the place.
The few who have arrived have baen
cared for by the courteous officers of
the Twenty third United States fnfan-
try, to whom I gladly acknowledge
myself deeply indebted for an endless
number of delightful cOurtesies. Their
hospitality and Kindly attention have
known no limit.
But, charming as the place itself IN
doubtedIy is, its chief interest centres
IN the people of the vicinity more than
in the people of the city. Exclusive of
| the American military garrison. the
population of JoIo (the city, is about l.
200 OF these all save a few are Chi
nese- Only a limited number of the ma
tives have been allowed residence with
in the walls The Spaniards evidently
distrusted them and feared them Yes
terday two army officers and I took a
walk into the country. I asked if it had
been the custom of Spanish officers to
do that sort of thing. I was told that
no Spanish officers ever went more
than a few rods from the city walls
without strong military escort We
were totally unarmed- We visited two
villages, watched the people at their
work, sat down with them, and made
such efforts to talk with them as we
could in a few words of their language
and a few more of Spanish. We laugh
! ed and joked with them, played with the
children, and had the very jOlHest kind
of a time altogether. We were gone for
some four hours and there was no
minute Of it that was not filed with in
I terest- To see the people one must go
/ to their homes and village. A limited
number, one hundred from the land side
and fifty from the water side are al
I lowed to enter the city daily for pur-
b n Ia 9 hsa
J of a Spanish law, and does not seem to
/ be at all resented. They are accustou-
I ed to it and accept it But there are
( always enough of the Moros about the
/ streets of the little city to add much to
/ its attrac tiveness by their brilliantly
/ variegated garments.
I The special centre of interest has
. been a little square structure rooted
I but not sided, a few rods behind the
/ city on the road to the island gates. In
/ Spanish days, and the custom is con-
tinued under the American rule, no
: Moro was allowed inside the walls
wearing his weapon Exception &C
/ Cured. and continues, in the case Of
/ the vigilantes, or native police, in the
I town. Every Moro man carries his
| weapon at all times So do many of
| the women and children. The weapons
| are swords, or knives, variously known,
! according to the shape, as the kris, the
! bOrOng, the campilan, the bangkOnRs
! etc They correspond to the boIo of the
& Filipino and the machete of the Cuban,
I except that their purpose is more gen
+ orally warliIze- The Spaniards obliged
! every Moro who desired to enter the
/ city to deposit his weapon at this Ian
| ceria, ten rods or 50 outside the gate.
/ Upon going away, the knife was re-
| sumed- A dead line was indicated be-
I tween the gate and the lanceria, and
! any Moro crossing that while having
/ his knife was shot without question or
! parley. The armed Moro would not be
/ allowed TO pass the guard at the gate
! today but he probably would not be
! shot at the dead line But they do not
I seem to try any experiments on it
/ This 1anceria, or spear market, as it
/ i ID hacnr1na