New-York tribune., 1901-10-28
LIFE IN MANILA
THE OLD ORDER OF THINGS RAprnrv
PASSING AWAY-THE LUNFrA W.
THE AFTERNOON AND DIN
NERS IN THE EVENING

NERS IN THE EVENING.
lrRoA STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF THE rsr,rx
Manila. Philippine Islands. Aurn., .,
To those who have been eye-witnesses IN ,v,
city OF the Kaleidoscope changes which -
taken place in the last three years IL Seem. g.,
yesterday that the little wizened old r,.,
barefooted. in white trousers and stovepips h,.
with a black coat. under the tails OF wbich
gauzy shirt aggressively asserted its indenard
ence of European and Western convsrt,,u-
gave warning in strident voice OF the cor,,
of the typhoon; only yesterday that a. rasyas
and anxious throng surged in front of the r.
teria Nacional in the walled city 70 watch n.
dropping of the prize balls in the revolving cyr.
|! inder that meant to some fortune and cocL-
| fights seven days in the week. TO others rna-alv
a renewal of that hope which nnaketh the hear,
sick; only yesterday that back on that broad
avenue near the public sIaughtering house N,
| garrote did its CHASTITY work amid the husbd
silence Of curious and thoughtless rabbIe; ouh
yesterday that the bodies OF sixty or more IN.
| fortunate Fflipinos were dragged smothered "a
/ death overnight, into the sunlight OF an earIv
summer morning up yonder the parapet ot
/ that grim old fortress which guards the an.
trance of the Pasig River: only yesterday tbs,
the crack Of rifles in the moat facing the Luueta
mingled with the patriotic strains Of the biz
artillery band and the exultant shouts of Suar.
ish men and women. while the blood OF lima
! Of writhing bodies stained the ground in vind-
cation OF the authority of His Most Catholic Maj
/ esty.
! The old order of things is rapidly passing
away. and in the place of that life which seemed
/ like a long drawn out siesta. rudely INTERRUPTED
now and then by the arrival Of mail steamer
[ he Of
earthquake. there has come the bustling activity
Of government on wheels which actually in
| sists upon trampling under foot the old Spanish
/ traditions OF never doing to-day what can pos-
/ sibly be done tomorrow. The measured gait Of
/ the Archbishop's dinlinutive white horses on the
/ Malecon drive has given way to the businessIke
trot of the huge Kentucky mule pulling regu-
| lation army wagon. The benches on the Luneta
| facing the bay longer occupied by little
| sallow faced men, dressed in white and wearing
the irrepressible black pot hat their places have
been taken by men in khaki. sturdy in figure and
bearing. and with you be d" expression in
! their faces. On the Escolta the American, for
merly scarcely known good naturedly iostles at
every corner the heterogeneous mass Of Asiatie
humanity that throngs the busy thoroughfare all
day. noon hours excepted. from early morning
until late at night. On the porch Of the Orinte
the scent Of garlic and onion soup no longer
greets the visitor but instead the aroma Of cock
tails and OF Scotch made in Manila pervades
! the atmosphere The patient carabao in the
/ street seems TO view with Iarrn'' the rapidly
| with which the new tangled drays are moving
about, while the motive power in front Of
these archaic wonders of streetcar arehitscturs
wonders which could be duplicated In New
York onIy-looks with confidence TO the day that
/ will end his misery and stay forever the arm
I which so cruelty wields the butt end Of the
/ thong. In the side streets the old oil lamps
/ blink brighter in the consciousness that betors
/ long they. too. will enter into well earned rest
and their burden be taken UP by lights as bright
as those on the Puente de Espaha. along the
/ river front and on the way out to Ermita and
! Malate The poor old stunted and moth eaten
/ palms on the Malecon shore drive seem to shake
/ their heads in grave disapproval OF the activity
/ in the quartermaster's corral opposite. where
/ there is constant going and coming. and where
/ thousands Of horses and mules accentuate the
/ sterniy practical side of the military character
which converted a sandy beach into place Of
/ sheds and stables. The old stone walls Of the
/ fortified city. which for more than hundred
/ years have uncomplainingly borne the indign!ty
/ of moss and mould. the rotting drawbridgss
/ whose slumbers have not been disturbed FOR
many a generation. and the mephitic stenenes
/ OF the mOat which for ages gamboled above
the accumulated muck and filth OF decades. have
rudely been awakened by the unpoetic contrac-
tor. who will utilize part Of the walls for gov
ernment "go down." and by a sanitary engineer
who insists upon sacrificing fever beds 10 con-
siderations of health Yes the old order Of
things Is rapidly passing away; but If you will
hurry you may still be in time to see many an
/ interesting sight.
There are the friars and monks. in white, blue
or brown cassocks and sandals; some clean
/ shaven. others with patriarchal boards. most ef
them protecting their tonsure by stranseE
shaped felt hats. or. when discarding this con-
ventional protector against the rays of troplea
sum- content TO walk under the shade OF huge
bright green or faring red parasol; all carrying
somewhere about their person, either around
their neck or hanging from girdie in 'front.'
their cruciix and beads Then there are the
church professions in the streets. now not SO
numerous as formerly with their floats and tneH
banners. with their tinsel and tawdry gill. Win
their figures OF wood and Of wax. the whole so
pathetic, and at the same time so ludlcrous' 50
inspiring. and yet so "of the earth earth!'
There too. is the old Spanish official. who. either
unwilling unable to get away, now mOpes "
private or airs his grievances whenever he can
secure audience patient enough to listen :"
him. There too. is the native sport" with the
instincts of a fatalist, who is no longer alowea
to indulge in his favorite pastime of cockhshtins
within the limits Of the city proper, but who can
still be seen marching every Sunday. after mass
out into one of the suburbs. with his bird uhue'
his arm and hope of victory in his heart.
These are a few of the features OF old Mania
life which in time will disappear. perhaps or De-
cODoe much modified There : one, however,