Daily Kennebec journal., 1902-09-09
LIVING A HARDSHIP.
Housekeeping in the Phil
ippines.
Skill and Ingenuity Required to Keep
the Domestic Machinery Oiled.

SlllfisttiS SoiAuiSAOiAs0 oAN
the least of our trials; the food ques-
ton, the greatest. There are three
classes of Americans living here The
army people and those connected with
that department; the Government en-
ployees, and all others. For the first
elias. there is the military comlnissary
with it's fresh meat and vegetables; for
the second, the civil commissary, which
at present carries no meat outside of
cans: for the last class, there are the
Stores in Manila; without that city
iY11hing.
Hence it is wise to belong to the Gov
ernment in some capacity: the connec-
ton simplifies subsistence. In Manila,
lin addition to the public and depart
mental markets, there are the ice
plants; in the country the army posts
are supplied with ice and meat. If
ones station is remote from post
these luxuries are looked upon as treats
when it is possible to go to town.
When Americans go into the country to
live they have the good, bad or indiff-
erent houses to select from. For a
good house-one with wooden floors,
with from three to five rooms and nipd
roof-the rent ranges from fifteen to
thirty pesos month. Sometimes for
this money it is possible to get few
pieces of furniture with the house-a
table. two or three chairs, and in rare
cases dishes and a sideboard. Neces-
saray for setting up housekeeping here
will be found in kitchen untensils
which cost a fair price at any of the
china shops. (Our shopping should be
done almost wholly in Manila, where
there are better stocks and lower
prices) Easy chairs are essential and
the best place to look first is in the pri-
son. Bilibid prison has something like
a thousand boarders whose various
crafts are employed. In the prison
store is found a fair stock of ordinary
furniture, all of bambo: so it is easy to
pick up chairs, bookcase (Which makes
an admirable bureau, tables, couches,
sideboards, etc. These are not only
pretty, but the price is reasonable, too,
since there is no question of profit.
We leave our furniture marked
sold" and turn to buying supplies. 1t
| is within six months that any attempt
| has been made to keep in the provinces
branch stores of the civil commissary
for Government employees; the con-
stabuary Gnsular police and the
| teachers. At present the stocks are so
limited that the only insurance against
| dependence on native food is personal
| buying at the main store in Mania.
| Here, at "a slight advance over states
| prices. can be found a generous assort-
ment of canned goods. 1t is a good
| plan to take these supplies along since
necessary invoicing and transportation
| require time too precious to the proVln-
cial whose larder is low. This necessity
OF securing and caring for several box
es Of goods suggests one of the Incl
dents attendant on shopping in the city.
| Whatever you buy in Manila is wholly
at your disposal as soon as the money
| passes. Once paid for his goods, the
merchant dismisses all responsibility;
| the delivery wagon is slow in reaching
Manila. There you are with Kitchen
| goods in one place. furniture III an
other. food is still another. The ccl-
lection may be made by coolies VINO
| trot along with immense burdens on a
! bar across their shoulders; by null
, cart. which is still common in Manila 8
crowded business streets; by means or
several little pony carts, each with
| capacity for a good-sized trunk Ihefe
! is little choice in the matter. The pony
carts can more readily keep along win
| vour own team, the two-wheeled car
| romata, and it is very essential you loi-
low YOUR belongings. At the station or
boat there are no baggage-rooms' no
porters. You hire men to unload ior
Won. All this is wearing on the purse
aud body. for the sun is hot ana an
Americans patience sometimes oozes
in proportion to the number OF buholes
he has to care for. Shopping eXten-
sively in Manila is so far from being a
delight that even the women learn to
buy only things possible to be stored
comfortably i'll the carromata-
| Al the station. lust before train time, n
very sIow-moying individual arrives 10
look at your ticket before ne cohdescelit'ss :
To count and weigh the various pieces ol
check pasted on it before you are allowed
10 hire more men to put the pieces III 4
car. on u steamer the affair IS InucI
simpler, your belongings are aun'peu t
down in any old place i'll the midst Oh
chickens Ash, dry goods. barreis, ke,o-
sene-no man can say what not. Similar
labor attends disembarking; 50 once
home, however humble, Il great wave ol
relief comes from haVlnS d nlpa nut 'ha'
you know is your own
Some of our countrymen live in these
islands in n manner of which L, 1or one,
am not protId. Neither is 1t a good eX-
ample to set those we come to clVlllze.
1.-THE majority of the Americans living III
the provinces in all probability have been
used to clean if not comfortable living
that is to say, they had soap, and towers
changed at least once a week; WASH
basin IL tooth brush, a napkin at table, a
glass to drink from, one comfortabie
Il chair, a book or a picture. Why under
this tropical sun do they try to do with
out the same things? In the United
States | never knew Il person habltualiy
to wrap himself up in any army blanket
through summer nights. Only a certain
class at home uses a tin can for a dippei
and an iron mug for a coffee cup. q dc
not refer to the soldiers). Again, had a
Il Boston acquaintance given me for the
night a room so staggering with filth and
neglect as one lately given me l should
be justified in not recognizing that per
son at future meetings. This room long
i had been the bedroom of two clean-loOk-
ing and appearing American men. Sum
cuiduei man living alone can get
along with almost anything. and little of
| that II the man is married he leaves
the home-making rightly to his wife.
With her boys and cook she has to exer-
else all the patience, skill and ingenuity
j in her being to keep the domestic ma
Ichnery oiled. Good natured persistence
alone brings success: the nervous, fretty
housewife has no business with Filipino
servants houses and their management.
| Let her remain contented with rural New
/ ENGLAND and accustomed SurrnTndincS