The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-22
Editor Howe Becomes AcQuaint-
ed With Kansans in Manila.
One P. f. Wall Former Carrier
on the State Journal.
MAJOR BISHOP ALSO.
Natives Have the Baseball Fever
Very Bad.
Too Small and Too Lazy to Make
First-Class Players.
The Editor Discovers Fifty Miles
of Electric Railway.
MAJOR BISHOP ALSO.

Manila, Dec. 1O.-Among other
places I visited yesterday was an ex-
tremely creditabIe club house. main
tanned by the Episcopal church There
is a chapel in the second story, and
wide balconies, gymnasiums. lOunging
rooms, etc, en- the lower floor. This is
a kind Of missionary work that any one
can appreciate, and lately the tendency
is. very decidedly in that direction. The 4
Catholic priests in the old days amused
the people as well as looked after their
spiritual welfare: it is claimed that
after the early Sunday services, the
old time priests took part in the cock
fighting.
The Protestants might make head
way in their work in the islands by
Tavoring baseball, which takes Won
derfully well among the natives at a
dozen different places, during my drive
yesterday afternoon saw crowds OF
native boys playing the game Manila
has better baseball games than Atch-
isOn or Lsavenworth; games played by
army and navy teams against teams
maintained in the city by government
employees. 1t costs a dollar (natiVe
currency to see these games, and the
natives who attend know all the talk
Of the game, and become wildly eX-
cited in true American fashion. At q
normal school visited, I found the
school rooms fun of catching masks,
catching mits, and other baseball
parapharnelia. The professors said
the students played baseball with great
enthusiasm and with considerable
cleVerness. AS there is no winter here,
the game is played all the time. But
do not expect that American league
clubs viii ever draw on the Philippines
for star players: the Filipino is not big
enough to become a professional and
not capable of sufficient eXertiOn to
meet the great climaxes of baseball.
Before left home, a friend gave me
a letter Of Introduction to Major W. II.
Bishop, formerly of Salina, kan, but
now a leading lawyer Of this place
Major Bishop came over here in the
early days Of American occupation with
the Kansas regiment, liked the country,
and has remained ever since. never
present letters of Introduction, but soon
after my arrival, Major Bishop walked
into the hotel looking for me, accom-
panied by P r. Wall, a Manila news
paper man. formerly a carrier boy on
on the Topeka State Journal These
gentlemen aided by Sam Thistle, anoth-
err newspaper man, have paid me a
great deal Of agreeable attention: agree
able because they are pleasant gentle
men. and because they know the
town thoroughly. Every time I leave
the hotel, / find Major Bishops private
carriage waiting for me, and the other
evening, when I returned from Cavite.
found the major waiting Tor me at the
boat landing. When the major has been
bIsv ia court. Mr.. Wall or Mr. Thistle
have accompanied me on different ex-
cursions- And have kept them pretty
one morning, I started at o'clock
Tor a drive to Fort Mckinley; at go,
left by the naval launch for trip
&c Cavite; at 2:S0 p. m, I attended
luncheon on board the battleship ore
ron:'' at o. m, I attended cock fight;
at 6 % m. I heard the Constabulary
band OF so men on the Lsuneta, the great
Ta1u nF a i
attended a dinner party The other
days I have been in Manila have been
equally busy, so that have seen q
good deal accompaniment by the best
have made two railroad trips
into the country, and a launch trip
up the Pasig river by moonlight, al
ways accompanied by an intelligent
citizen of Manila, and I imagine my
guides will sleep a day or two after
my departure, to rest up, for I al
ways start out before breakfast, and
return late. One day did not eat
D single meal at the hotel When
went on the first railroad trip, Ma
5or Bishops carriage was waiting for
me at the hotel door, all right; I start
ed at 5-4b a. m. When 1 reached the
station, Major Bishop was there. and
had provided a lunch, a package of
cigars and a bottle of distilled water.
(When people here go into the cOun-
try. they take distilled water with
them. as the ordinary water is con-
sidered dangerously Major Bishop
could not go along, so Mr.. Wall ac-
companied us. But we met the ma
ior again, later i'm the evening when
we started UP the Pasig river for a
launch ride by moonlight accom-
panied by Mr. Wall and Mr.. Thistle
] doubt If Secretary Taft and Alice
Roo evelt received more attention i'm
Nc iila than we have received In
addition to the three named we have
had attention from Mr.. and Mrs.
Hills several army and navy Off
GERS, and several passengers we met
on the Siberia" mention these
details in order that readers of the
Globe may know the sources of my
Information.
Manila IS said to resemble Havana i'm
many respects 1t is divided into two
sections by the Pasig river eighteen
miles long. At the upper end of the
river is a large lake thirty or forty
miles long, and twenty miles wide on
the Pasig river are numerous boat lines
carrying passengers, and the boats are
always loaded, as the shores of the river
and lake are thicl1ly populated. The old
section Of Manila is known as "The
Walled City 1t is surrounded with an
a 49,