The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-23
ON THE
PHILIPPINES
Continued from Fourth Page.

s1py "AOAo VIC pScSCACo VI pElSbtt
would be required, it was his privilege
to state what the price might be FOL
this service, and usually was in proper.
tion to the ability Of the one seeking
such service to pay. It was a costly
tting to get married or even to die a,
Manila. The archbishop was to re-
ceive $12. 600 a year as his stipend; his
assistants were to receive $40, 800,
while the expenses attending the clean.
ing of the cathedral would be about
$4,000 more, making. altogether,
about $4,000 that the state paid for
the maintenance Of this cathedral
alone. I may say in passing that when
Manila was surrendered to the Ameri-
can forces. General Merritt one day had
a caller, who was none other than the
archbishop himself, who stated that,
inasmuch as thu Spanish government
had ceded all its rights to the Philip
pine Islands, he supposed that hereaft.
er be would have to apply to the treas
urer of the United States for his quar-
terly salary, and subsequently he did
this, applying to Colonel Mcclure for
the s 5000 that were to be his, and
they were not to be in Mexican silver
as heretofore, but rather in American
money, which wuld be double the
amount he had received. On feast
days and Sundays we noted another
perfectly legitimate way that the AGO.
lytes had Of obtaining a greater revenue
for the church. Each Of the attendants
was compelled to purchase a candle,
and these. made by Cinnamon, were
not always made FROM the purest stuff,
and one can imagine the terrible odoy
that might fill the great precincts when
all these candles were lighted. But
Immediately after the devotee had en-
tered the church, some one of the at.
tendaDts would extinguish the candles,
them back in the rear Of the room
and at stated times, possibly once a
month or once in two or three months,
these candles would be returned to
those from whom they were originally
purchased and sold, and this money
likewise be turned into the
treasury.
1.-The street lighting in this old city
vas very poor. Petroleum lamps, and
often a drinking glass filed partly with
water and with oocanut oil, with a
narrow wick at its top, was the only
light on the narrow, ill.defined streets
If old Manila. But leaving this old
,ity, we come out by the sea front gate,
and were on the famous luneta. This
is the popular drive in the evening.
and after 8 O'Clock until z, you can find
the most stylish equipages, the Spanish
magnificently dressed, the
merchant in his Sunday suit,
The American officer in all the grand.
sur of his military clothes, and even a
,ommon 'swatty' with his shoes with
IN extra polish. even, in a rig hired
rom the livery stable, or in one of the
arger rigs or cariametas that may be
Tired out on this popular thoroughfare.
e was a painful sight sometimes to
zee the gallant American officer en-.
leavoring to cast sweet glances at the
maidens. This is not to be
wondered at for these men held social
'ower when they were at home, and
specially the officers Of the regular
|rmy were courted and feted by the
'ounR women, who thought that the
American army officer was Just about
he proper thing, but you may believe
t or not that when they had got over
n this country and only saw the brown
aces of the natives. they became
homesiok; hence, when it
vas possible for them to gaze upon the
'eautiful face of a Spanish maiden, and
|ote the exquisite care bestowed upon
Ter toilet, 1t is little to be wondered at
hat these mems hearts went out to.
Yards them. But that was all the
God that it did. They would not
ven notice them, aud so long as there
we're any Spanish officers to be found
t Manila, just SO long did these girls
i've the American officer the icy stare
the marble heart. It was on this
uneta that all the executions were
.onducted. and there were pointed out
us the various places where men with
o shadow Of crime against them, but
Or political purposes. had been wan
murdered by the Spaniards in
uthority. Alter the carriages had gone
be length of the luneta and had turned
Il the river front around the statue
rected to commemorate the time of
occupancy. the vehicles would
and pass by the paRoda at the
Of the luneta with the Gale
where, during the times OF
'hich write. almost every night when
weather was pleasant, some one of
he military bands of the city would
iscourse sweetest music. It was a
lght we'll worth seeing TO note both
hs Oh the south side of the
agoda. choked with wagons. while the
about the pagoda was filled with
and natives. So thorough was
contempt Of the Spaniard, however,
1t was rarely the case that one Of
lese might be found in that vast
arong."