The National tribune., 1902-08-14

Cne ground IN the vicinity WIN nttle pas
kets of wares before them. Whatever the
shopper buys is laid unwrapped in her
shallow basket, and when she is through
she walks calmly away with the basket
on her head, MS zcontents exposed to the
gaze of the public and incidentally accu-
mulating dust and germs.
The streets cf the city are very narrow,
and follow the curved line Of beauty. A
few of the most important are paved with
Belgian blocks, but the great majority
of those Impressed at all are of macadam
of good quality A great deal of time and
money seems to have been expended upon
them-tirhe, certainly, for l know of a
small patch of stone pavement in front
of the Hotel Oriente which received the
attention of repair gang at intervals be-
tween maps and cigarets for the space of
two months. The work of street gang
is thorough, but painful to witness from
an utilitarian point of view. A small patch
having been properly coated with rock
and gravel, dozen FilipinOs line up in
two ranks on either side of six tamping-
blocks with long handles, two grasping
each handle. One of them starts a march
song, and the blocks are raised up about
six inches and allowed to fall of their
own weight to each beat of the measure,
the bodies of the men swaying i'll rhythm
with the music, like the step in a schot-
tische. This is kept up for about five
minutes, and then all squat down on the
curbstone to rest and smoke cigarets
about 10 minutes, when the tamping is
resumed. In this way the whole dozen
accomplish about the work of two good
lrishmen in an American paving gang.
The keeping of the streets in good con-
NV rnff &c olsn 80
performance. A street sprinkling outfit
consists of three men, 20 feet of hose
without nozzle, and water-plug key.
One man turns on the water. another op-
crates the hose, using his fingers for a
sprayer, and third man squats on his
launches and bosses the job. In this
way half dozen short blocks Of the mar
row street may be sprinkled in the course
of day.
Along such narrow streets as these, es-
pecially as they converge to but two or
three real thorOughfares because of the
bridges across inlets from the river and
across the river itself, heavy traffic by
freight wagons such as are used in this
country is impossible. 1t is necessary, of
course, to move heavy stuff through the
streets. such rs the cargadOres cannot car
ry, and this is done by twO-wheel carts,
or drays, drawn by carabaO. The Filipino
pony is too small to serve as n draft ami
NAL, and the buffalo is substituted. Slowly
and maicstically this patient animal plods
along, shaking his crescent-hOrned head
from side to side, ard in a way almost
miraculous avoiding locking the points of
his horns in the wheels of passing vehicles
or impaling upon them the pedestrians on
the adjacent walks. Why there are not
many accidents l do not understand. for
l have barely escaped implement several
times by extreme agility. But, except
upon rare occasions, when one of them be-
comes frightened and starts down the
street at a lumbering gait, they are less
dangerous to pedestrians than the frac-
tious little ponies drawing the passenger
vehicles.
The tramviay which is the only passen-
ger conveyance, besides the quieZ, CARO-
mato and carnage drawn by ponies, is
very ancient aff,kir. Its open cars are
pulled by ponies, who seem to accomplish
marvels of traEtiHn for such dininutive
creatures. Two eff them attached to
street car seem Of about the proportion
of the mice (which drew Cinderellas
coach. When the car has to be started
they tug and strain as though they would
pull themselves out of their harness, and
often the male passengers, particularly
American soldiers, get off and lend hand,
trot along with it easily. The great de-
feet of these animals is a somewhat ugly
and stubborn temper, largely due, l think,
to lack of proper training and handling.
We have used them for cavalry
horses considerably, but they cannot
bear the weight of heavy Ameri-
cans very long and break down in
the field, though in other respects better
suited to the work than American horses.
l have been told that the Spaniards once
to improve the breed by import
ing some fine Arabans, but that the
money appropriated went the way of all
public funds in Spanish hands, the net re-
suit being the importation of few cheap
horses, enc of which brought the gland
ers and spread it all over the island.
No one ever walks here any distance
The Americans are considered wonderful
walkers by the natives, and also wonder
fully foolish in being so. They are right
about it, for walking under a tropical sun
is foolish when riding is so cheap. A
quileZ may be had for 40 cents Mexican
an hour, equal to 20 cents in our money,
and additional hours for half that sum,
Alhambra cigarets and lessons in Span
ish from the driver thrown in.
first hour and 40 cents each addi-
tional hour, but they are scarce and not
easy to secure. There is only one way to
get conveyance, and that is to go out on
the street and capture one. One must
stand on a corner ard hail the first that
goes by. If empty, and the cochero is not
going home to Chow" intention of which
he communicates by stuffing his fingers
into his mouth and shaking his head, the
driver may stop when hailed or he may
not. A little insistance is often neces-
sary to get him to take you as his cargo"
OF course a muchachO may be sent out
to get one, but he is very apt to return
in half an hour, shake his finger slowly
in front Of his face and say, mo ay, Sc
nor, Ho ay." Then, after few remarks
to tine gallery, you go out yourself and
capture one. There is no carriage COM
pany from which conveyance may be
ordered by telephone, though the tele-
phone is there after fashion, and no
way a carriage may be had at your door
at u specific hour. 1'he chances are that
Il arrangements were finally made for
carriage at u particular time the driver
would either forget the appointment or
would hire out to some other customer on
the way to keep it. Here is another Fill
pinO trait that must be reckoned with in
him, the utter lack of any
sense of responsibility. The muchacho,
cOcherO, cOsinerO and all the others are
absolutely and utterly unreliable and un-
truthful.
Another trait thai would resist the
process is the Oriental Gus
tom Of asking twice as much for goods
as the seller is willing to take. The
Americans wasted vast sums of money be-
fore. thev lea rnad this custom and tbav