The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-26
PHILIPPINES
Continued from Fourth Page.

ton had been that Of M engineer, or
worker in the arsenal for the Spaniards
when this was their naval station, or
whether he had been just an ordinary
day laborer. when it was discovered
that the American soldier needed cloth.
ing. He guaranteed the clothes and a
At. and 1t was very seldom the case thnt
the at was a misfit. His method Of
measuring was peculiar. You would
stand in front Of him and he would
point to some part Of your body to ask
whether you wanted the coat, for in.
stance, to be SO long, II you would
answer yes, a piece Of any kind Of old
cord would indicate the length; the
same piece Of cord, with a knot in ii.
would indicate the girth under the
arms and around the waist; a oursory
glance at the length Of a mans legs
would be sufficient to give the measures
ment of the pants. You would deposit
probably 80 cents, and were told to
call around in a day or two. Your
coat had been roughly stitched together
and your pants joined in the same way.
You were kindly asked to get out
Of your pants and try the others IN. A
piece Of red chalk then finished the
measurement and when You came back,
in u day or two more, your clothes fit
you to a Il. II you do not believe it's
SO, just watch Fred Soule next summer
when he gets on his white suit. Cloth.
ing was very cheap; material and coat
aud vest could be purchased from ~. so
to $6, Mexican money. The making
Of shoes was a different proposition.
did not take kindly to the Chinamen's
shoes, for they would not always guar.
antee a fit. A narrow strip Of news.
paper served to get the length Of the
foot, and that same newspaper, with
a tear. according to the size of the foot
and width Of the ankle, was sufficient
for the measurement. The shoes were
made out Of poor material at first, but
later Of leather wal obtained from
Spain and from England for the better
class OF shoes. ! may say, however,
in passing, that before we left Manila
we disco, cred in q shop called the
Oriental Shoe store, about ten Filipinos
who made shoes equal to any that may
be obtained in the United States.
chaplain Stull here called our atten.
ton to tho excellent pair Of up.to.date
shoes he was wearing and which ha
had purchased at this sans Oriental
Shoe store.)
cigarettes and cigars were very
cheap. aud sometimes were made while
you waited. You could buy q box of
Havana oigars-that il, Manila cigars
for 80 cents a hundred; cigarettes,
az cents for thirty, and of course 1t Is
needless to say that the boys didn't do
anything but learn to smoke. Mineral
waters could be obtained also while you
waited, for a great many bottles OBJ.
tanned from the commisary, that had
Belfast ginger ale and beer.
had been gathered up by these same ma.
tives. who had been enabled to purchase
a little citrio acid, and, going down to
the river, had taken some murky water
and a little citrio acid and made a
quality of lemonade. This could
be bought for about 2 cents a bottle,
and a great quantity Of 1t was sold,
until 1t was discovered where it was
manufactured. Other fancy drinks
were made in the same manner. Gen.
eral Anderson, however. noting that
there was al increase Of sickness, for.
bade any Of this stuff being sold at
(To Be Continued Next Friday.)