The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-16

city. 1t was formerly the custom to
have the draw bridges raised and the
CITY closed from II O'Clock at night
until 4 in the morning, but we were
told TINT in the year 1869. owing 10 "a
severe earthquake, when so many
were killed that an order was issued
by the Spanish governor that the gates
OF the city were to remain open aud
it is evident, from their appearance to-
day, that they have never been worked
since. We now have the American
soldier doing guard duty at each Of
these entrances, and Watching very
carefully the incoming and outgoing OF
all natives and suspicious characters,
"As at Cavite, the health conditions
were something awful, and yet, it Is q
difficult thing to know how they might
be different. The cutters and outhuild-
ngs, and ever the cellars at old Ma
nila, were filed with filth, aud the
wonder is thsre was no pestilei,ae OF
the part Of the American troops ut the
time they occupied this old city. 1t is
evident that no attention was paid to
sanitary conditions by Spanish authori-
ties. Carelessness in part, but natural
causes had much to do with some of
the filth, for the city, IL almost on a
level with the bny and the river and ia
dranied by a system of open canals and
bitches. and Is flooded aud flushed by
the tide. You may get some little idea
what these bitches are il it were to be
understood that the ditch that now sur.
rounds your city had lateral bitches
going through various parts Of the CITY.
and pretty much all Of the outbuildings
and small cess pools, and the sewerage
under the streets led into these bitches.
When the tide comes in the bitches
were flushed. but frequently, when IT
went out, much of the filth was left
high and dry, there to decompose md
there become a constant menace to tho
city. Perhaps it swnsn't n caution the
way that the health authorities started
to do up the city. Whenever they could
find n native that vas willing to work
rl,ey put him OH the streets. All the
caribou carts and all the native driv-
ers that il was possible to find were put
at work, and it was not long before
there was something like a thousand or
fifteen hundred Of these natives thnt
could be found in the old city Of Ma
Mia alone, cleaning out the alleys, the
houses, the bitches, so that within two
weeks after this work had been under.
taken there could not be found a clean.
or locality anywhere than the old
walled city Of Manila. IN passing,
one thing ought to be said to the honor
Of one man who had been placed in
charge and whom VIZ found there,
namely, August. believe he was
the 'whitest' Spaninrd that we found
during U stay on the island, for he
evidently was there not so much for the
gain as tor the welfare Of his people,
and the reason why he was singled out
Ia because he was such marked con.
TRAIT to Weyler and Blanoo. who left
the treasury in debt. left public work
partially completed, and left untold
suffering to the natives. OH their de.
parture. But August, on the other
hand, had begun to recoup the Spanish
treasury, was exaoting u full aud just
report from all the officials under him.
and had made himself to be respected
an honored by the natives and foreign.
ers that were under his supervision"
(To be, continued next Friday.)