Evening star., 1901-08-24
CONDITIONS IN MANlL A.

There are about $500 Americans in Ma
Mia in business OF various kinds" said
returned army officer, "and as far as nave
ever heard there is not one who has made
any kind Of a well directed effort who has
not made money. OF course, the climate Is
against the place, but people get used TO
II. and stand It fairly well. The thermom-
eter never shows as high a range as II
does in Washington in summer, out II
hangs all the year between seventy-nVe
and ninety, and that sort OF thing tells on
a man in a few years, II he Is not useo TO
1t. It tells anyhow, as may be seen IN the
person and character of the natives. 1t Is
better in the mountains 10 miies away
by rail. where 1t gets cool at night; also
on Subig bay forty miles away, Wnere
the humidity is much less, and i had
friend who had house on point III lhs
sea sixteen miles from Manila, VINO assuIeu
me he slept under blankets nearly every
night These points VIII nave tneir tFoite5
lines some day, and the American In Ma
Mia can live comfortably. The only street
cars now are Of mule motor, anu ale
patronized almost exclusively by natives:
The fare Is 10 cents (Mexican), thal Is .
cents American, and the cars are 1uil All
the time, as walking In the Mamma ciiihalo
Is wearing on the walker.
Real estate Is almost as high as It Is III
New York city. 1 lived in a five-room two
story house, in a good neighborhood, Tor
which l paid 500, Mexican, a month. Inc
house stood on a lot about loo rect square
which was valued at about 30, Mexican, q
square foot, say, $4,000 for the lot. Ihe
square meter, about square yard, IS the
basis of calculation on Manila real estate,
and in the business part OF the city ~ Is
held as high as $50 square meter. me
owners are usually English, Germans ana
Spanish, and they will not sell. but give
long leases at enormous rents. l knew one
man who paid $500 a month for a little shop
not twenty-five feet square. Inc puhuiiiss,
of course, are all low, as a pfotection
against earthquakes. Good labor Is hlgn,
and an efficient cook, usually Chlnese: Is
worth $40 a month. and elbows himselI III
the contract, though his employer iaius
usually supplies his wants. Chickens are
worth 81 80 a pair and the country Is iuii
Of them, but they don't get to the city;
Eggs are from 40 to 60 cents a Dozen anu
butter imported. Is worth q pouhu.
Clothing is cheap, and man can get
duck suit made to order for twelve 10 NJ
teen dollars that would cost him thirty IN
this country Beer Is % cents a Dottle,
liquor % cents drink, and chahpagnte S -
25 per cent lower than it Is in the United
States Meats are high, as, in fact. are all
things to eat
"As slight evidence Of the changes since
American occupation, ! may say tnai IN
1ss2. when 1 was first in Manila, l paid
dollar a day, Mexican, at the same hotel,
not 80 well kept now, where the rate IS ~
a day. Ponies worth then from ten to
twenty dollars are now NoI iioiii oiA
hundred to five hundred; chickens sold at
and 3 cents each and other things In
proportion.
sThe Filipnos are a bright, quick-witted
people ready and willing to learn. one OF
my duties was as instructor In a govern
ment school, and / don't think l ever saw
sharper kids than those were. Ihe one
thing that caught them in the beginning
and never became uninteresting was
large photograph of lower New York city,
showing the skyscraper buildings huns
this in the school rooms, and the little lei-
lows. who had never seen any but one and
two-story buildings, never grew ureu Oh
looking at 1t and commenting upon H. IN
the beginning feeling that the way to make
friends with the older people was only
through the children. l got up an enter
tainment by the children to which invited
the parents 1t seemed at first TO be suf-
ficient for them to send their children to
the foreigners school. and my hrst Few en-
tertainments had no visitors, but the little
ones evidently did some tall talking. for
they were greatly pleased with their own
efforts, and in time the parents came. NOT
many at first, but more each time, until
at last I gave up an entire afternoon to
the entertainment and the school was
and they seemed to be as pleased as the
We're.
I'm my opinion the Philippines will come
around all right, and we will have coun-
try out there in the orient that will not
only be pride and a profit to the home
government and people. but will be much
more to the natives who, when they realize,
as they surely will. what is being done for
them. will take hand themselves and
come to the front in shape that would
have been utterly impossible under any
other conditions