The sun., 1902-02-23
MORE FILIPINOS COME HERE.
UNEXPLAINED INCREASE OF
LOUISIANA COLONIES.
Surprise Over the Fact Nothing Known
as to How They Got Here-some or
Them Working ON Plantations and
Giving satisfaction - Mostly Fishermen.

Giving Satisfaction - Mostly Fishermen.
NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 22.-There has been
a remarkable increase in the Filipino popu-
lation of Louisiana in the last two or three
years.
When Speaker Henderson said, a few
months ago, that we need have no fear OF an
influx Of Filipinos, as there was not q
Filipino resident in this country. he ap-
parently overlooked Louisiana. There
have been Filipinos in this State for half a
century or more; and single colony that Of
St. Malo In the parish Of St. Bernard, was
800 strong long before Dewey's victory
An account Of this colony was printed In
THE sun soon after the battle of Manila
Bay.
What. however, has not been noticed
heretofore is the recent large increase of
these Filipinos. Their number. two or
three years ago, was estimated at from 6OO
TO 500.
They lived mainly In two settlements, ons
at st. Malo on the east coast of Louisiana.
where they were fishermen operating on
their own hook, and catching a large part
Of the fish supply Of New Orleans; and the
other on Bayou Barataria, west of the Miss
issipp, where they worked for Chiness
merchants. catching and drying shrimp for
the Chinese market.
There is no explanation Of the origin ~
these Filipino colonies. but it Is surmised
that they were established by deserfors
from Spanish vessels. These deserters hi!
in the swamps far away from human habi
tation and were very secretive and held
themselves aloof from their neighbors
Little Is known of their history.
They are never called Flipinos in Louia-
lana but Manila men. Most Of them know
a little Spanish, but among themselves
they speak mainly in Tagal. and live just
as the Tsgals do in Luzon.
Most Of these facts have been published
before. II is in regard to recent develop
ments that some surprise has been aroused
Apparently there has been no recent
immigration of Filipinos 10 Louisiana.
the Federal statistics give no account Of
any. Yet the number of Manila men seem
TO have doubled.
1t is now estimated that there are at least
| 900 in Plaquemines parish alone; so ne 800
at Barataria in Jefferson parish and nearly
"a many more in St. Bernard where on
ginally they were most numerous. Nor
are all Of them fishermen as formerly. many
of them are doing farm or plantation work
in Pladuemnes parish, one OF the richest
sugar districts of louisiana.
Theodore y Wilkinson, formerly member
Of Congress from New Orleans, and Collector
Of Gust oms Of New Orleans under Cleveland,
has sixty Manila men at work on his pan-
tation. Magnolia Grove, or about one.
fifth Of all the labor employed and several
other planters are using Filipino labor and
find it more intelligent and better than
negro labor.
No one has been able 10 suggest any
explanation Of tl~ eStraor-
1inary increase of FilininOs in louisiana
IN the last few years, and they themselves
will give no explanation II has been slg-
gested that the former estimate ~ we
number of Manila men IN louisiana Nere
lar below the truth. and that the apparent
Increase Is due to the fact thai Efeht
many Filipinos who were fishermen Va the
,wamps, and were practically hd i'n away
rom view there, have come out "a the
River and have gone 70 "orS
IN plantations there, as their houses anu
isheries were destroyed 10y the recent grea'
gulf storms.
This may partly explain the matter but
7 will not wholly do ~. IL j. evident tINI
here have been number Of new arrivals
II Filipinos. and this can b. eNphuleI
'ither by desertions from Spanish ana
British tramp ships, which always haNe
number of fuipinos among their sa,Ior1'
n by the arrival Of refugees from the rn!-
ppine Islands who knew Of the colony
II their people in Louisiana, Tor notWith-
tanding their great -cparat ION, intercoufrs
las always been kept up b''i "ccn the TWO
ountries
II il impossible 20 get a Manila fnaH
talk OF the Philippine situation ana sI'-
arently they do not know the relations i~-
ween the archipelago and thu county.
ut II IN said that they discuss the lndl'I
mong themselves and thcy ar" khoNu 70
ave sent money to Hong hong or Mahua'
resumably for the cause OF tie hsHTsshS