Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-07
PHILIPPINE METROPOLIS.
Facts About Manila and Its Inhabis,
tants.
From the Manila Jus,icia.


Manila has population of some ;eo 600 .
people. divided as follows: Natives 225,ooo;
Chinese, 5000, and others, principally
Americans. 10000. 1t is a quaint old-fash-
Toned city, built upon the northeastern shore
of the bay, which is nearly round and
about twenty-four miles across. The houses
are principally built of manufactured stone
and are one. two and three story structures.
The walls are from two to four feet thick
and built to withstand the earthquakes. and
do-that is. the less severe ones. The streets
are toleraoly straight and from thigsy TO
sixty feet wide. with the majority of ,hem
about thirty-five feet.
The city is lighted very poorly with dec
trio lights. There is a street car line. the
cars being drawn by small ponies: The
telephone system is poor. Manila has a very
good waterworks system, presented 10 the
municipality by a Filipino who has DEPART
ed this life. the condition of the gift being
that the poor people should always have
water free, and public hydrants are ac-
cordingly well distributed about the city.
The Pasig river courses through the city
from the northeast to the southwest. Be-
low the first bridge, above the mouth of
the river. at the famous bridge of Spain,'
the river is wide and deep, and is constantly
crowded with commercial boats of all de-
scrptions. 1t is sight worth a long joGr-
ney to see.
The churches. and cathedrals are
marked feature OF Manila. Their grandeur,
and in many instances elegance, is Won
der and surprise to the stranger. And the
bells. the beautiful bells" the deFoton
of the people their music foretells. Those
who do not like them think they are
something awful On feast days and
there many. business in the immediate
vicinity of a church has at times to be
suspended during their ringing, and that Is
many times during the day, and il is not
unusual for them to be heard at midnight,
and they always mingle with the voices Of
a myriad of cocks growing all over the
city at ) and 6 o'clock in the morning.
The people go to bed early and rise early.
The first thing we hear In the morning is
the sweeping of the streets or the running
OF the hydrant after the cock growing and
the ringing of the bells has ceased. Fires
are lighted by the poorer class at an carly
hour, by many before 1t is fairly light, and
the women prepare breakfast so the men
go about the live-long day in many in
stances doing nothing, and easy time
they have. The women, too, for that mat
ter. 1t Is safe to say that there no poor
people on earth. who are more content and
suffer less for the necessities of life than
Ignorance is bliss" either. They simply
obtain without much exertion the comforts
OF life
The Chinese are the bone andsinew of Ma
Mia and the only people here who take kind
~ to manual labor. The Americans here are
no fonder OF hard work than the the Fill
pno. The walled city contains probably
two-ifths of the population of Manila and
but small portion of the wholesale and
retail business. The courts the government
buildings, both civil and military. and the
principal schools in the walled city"
To our liking. the climate Is perfect Ncrer
hot like it is N the United States During
the rainy season there is cleanliness AMI a
freshness that is always invigoratins. and
the dry season is a change, but not So
healthy.