The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-01
Every Family Provided with at Least
One Gamecock, and Betting on
Their Prowess Is Heavy.
PROCEEDINGS AT THE PITS
BETTORS CAN PLACE MONEY WITH
OUT SHAREHOLDER OR BROKER.
While Not Despising Profits, the Ma
tive's Reward Is ratification OF
Pride i'm Owning a Winner.
correspondence of the indianapolis Journal.

Correspondence Of the indianapolis Journal.
MANILA, Oct. 2O.-It is common to hear
of gambling as a vice to which Filipinos
are peculiarly prone. They certainly like it,
and in their simple, untutored fashion, not
having advanced to the stage of stock tick
ers or clubs. they do it openly. Nor does
that way seem specially repellant to those
not of their race disposed to follow the
customs of the country. A recent call at
noilo having prompted curiosity as to h
residents there found to do elimited this
information: Week days everybody tries
to drum up a little business. After service
on Sundays the Catholics go to the cock
fight and the Presbyterians play billiards"
Moral niceties fade SO fast in this sunny
land that differences between diversions
lack that prim clearness dear to the Ameri-
can conscience. The native thinks it as
harmless to fight chickens and play monte
as is driving. rambling in the woods. visit
ing friends. reading books or any other
innocent Sunday pastime.
Evil as may be the combination Of native
and game cock, there is something fetch
ing about it. A recent census Of the Board
| Of Health attempted an elaborate enum-
eTdllOn OF InlnSS animate III oldhild, anu
after listing the human kind ii accounted
for %, I'll of other tribes, chiefly dogs, cats,
horses, caribao, pigs, ducks, monkeys and
goats. 1t took note of three white mice.
That there is not a pen scratch about game
| cocks certifes to the impracticability of
computing their numbers. No native fam
lily considers itself we'll regulated that does
not possess at least one for each male mem
Der. That would account for some $1,000.
There are more than $4,000 male Chinese,
who press the natives very close as adj
mirers and judges of fowl. Since both ma
tives and Chinese are distrustful of white
men taking notes on their premises and are
alike peculiar in never knowing how to
answer questions from a white source, the
wisdom of the census takers in letting
game cocks alone will be appreciated.
One can so nowhere in a native neigh
borhood without humping up against that
bird, sometimes strutting freely in the
streets and yards, sometimes with a bit of
rope tying it to a doorstep. cart wheel or
whatever may be handy for that purpose,
making itself one of the family in the liv-
ing rooms, under the bed, on the porch,
and appearing in all sorts of places strange
and unexpected except to those who know
it best. 1t likes petting as we'll as a dog
and seems quite in its element when one of
the family is grooming ii. Apparently the
reason why many of them are seen tied
is that they may be handy if wanted on
short notice. 1t saves the trouble of hunt
ing up the bird when the master wants to
take it visiting. At night the furniture,
roofs or trees furnish equally acceptable
roosts. The joyous night carolling to which
they are addicted must make music as
sweet to the native ear as their eXultant
song by day, for they are not interrupted,
however dark the hour. 1t is an old story
that when a native hut catches fire the
man of the house grabs the gamecock and
carries it out of danger, leaving the family
to look out for itself and the other house
hold belongings.
When the law permitted cock fighting in
| Manila meets occurred three afternoons
every week besides on Sunday. That posi-
bly, explains why birds may now be seen
tied up so often all over town. A bird will
scarcely bulge while a native walks up
TO it and picks 1t up, but when a man is
dressed for calling in a clean shirt with the
tail outside and a new straw hat he is in
no condition TO go searching through the
weeds for a bird, especially when the bird
has been groomed and might muss it's
plumage If permitted to wander. Where
the master goes with the bird now sew
eral times a week no one stops to inquire.
AS they pursue their quiet way along the
streets, the bird smuggling in the crook of
the mans arm and talking back softly as
he chucks to it, there can be no doubt that
they understand each other. They might be
on the way together TO confession or to
meet friends with whom to lament the
Puritan influence that has put it's blight
upon a gentlemanly sport, or they may
think so we'll of their chances as to be
heading for outside Of the city lines. where
pits yet run free and odds may always be
had superior to those possible in private
mains, supposing that such occurrences can
escape the eyes of the police within tho
city or that there is any disposition TO out
wit the law.
COCKPIT ALWAYS CONSPICUOUS.
Next to the church. and possibly the
chief official building. the cockpit is usually
the most conspicuous structure in a town.
1t will not be mistaken for either of the
others, for its style is quite distinct. A
fence of split bamboo. as high as a mans
head, lines the outer boundary. Only rare
iy are tickets sold, and, therefore. there
can be no return passes; but since natives.
having paid a fare. often wish to pass in
and out without multiple tax, a man stands
near the money collector with a paint pot
and brush. with which he makes his mark.
a red daub, on the foot of a native. TO
whom Identification may be useful. This
badge entities the native 10 the privilege OF
the enclosure all day, going or coming as
may suit his business or his pleasure. A
visitor has no occasion TO go out for things
to eat. drink or smoke. for stands well
supplied with these articles occupy much Of
the space Immediately within the gate. a
walk OF varying width, seldom less than 4
dozen feet at its narrowest part. separates
the outer fence from the building in which
conclusions are tried. This structure Is
circular, and has a high conical roof OF
leaves. all else being bamboo. In the space
between the building and the fence the
natives take the birds on arrival and make
the matches. space is continually
vocal with the efforts OF aspirants 10 as
sert themselves. There also the experts
gather TO obtain opinions and back them;
the trainers. grooming their charses To
the last: and men with small leather cases