Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-04-03
Or. Edwards Lister.

"""h" e w lOs udl ~
probably the most startling thing to
be seen in Manila, and probably 10
all the surrounding country, is the
size Of the cigars smoked by men,
women and children. Wherever
you 90 you are sure to see children
OF both sexes smoking cigars almost
as large as themselves. am afraid
I would be accused Of exaggeration il
| were to say how large some Of them
were. | have seen little girls not
over ten years old, smoking big, fat,
black cigars fully a foot long. Every
body smokes, and as tobacco is the
cheapest thing here the expense is
never considered. From the inevitable
cigarette to these big black cigars
there is something In the mouth all
the time. ] visited one Of the cigarette
factories yesterday and was much in.
terested in the work. Hundreds OF
boys; girls and women we're rolling
the cigarettes and putting them in
packages Of thirty. The cost of thes e
cigaretts at retail is 6 centavos a
package, or, 3 cents Of our money.
How they can make cigaretts and
furnish tobacco and paper for that
money is to be accounted for only by
the cheapness Of labor. Many Of
these cigarette makers get from 90 to
y cents day and board themselves.
The board Of a Filipino costs so
little that it is never taken into calcu.
lation. Fruits and rice, with fish TO
be had for the catching; is the gener.
al diet. Taro, plant from which a
sort Of meal is made grows every.
where, and is exceedingly cheap food.
But little meat is eaten by Filipinos
for it is difficult to get and very ex.
pensive in comparison with other
foods. Rice is the staple food in al !
these oriental countries. There are
few vegetables because Of the labor
involved in growing them. Chinese
gardeners supply the foreign popula-
ton with what few vegetables they
have. Cabbages are rare and sell
for 81 head. Onions are plentiful
but potatoes are rarity. None Of
the tubers grow we'll here, aud sucf
as are to be found in the market arr
brought from Japan and the United
States by steamer.
There are few milk COWS on the is.
lands, and butter and cream can no
be habat any price except what come
from other lands. Condensed milk i:
used by the whites, and natives US
none at all. Owing to the:climate bee
and mutton butchered here must b
used up at once. Some Refrigerated
meats are brought in from Australi
and kept in ice houses, but the pric
is so high that nativesInever get il
the only meat the nativeslget is gam
and they seldom 60 after it.:LivinI
for whites is rather expensive OWNS
to the fact that many things usual
considered Injuries are necessitie
here. Ice is very expensive. AEreat
deal more is necessary here than
> the United States for it melS yer
rapidly.
Servants are nearly all Chinese
as the natives are unreliable and {
little worth. Formerly servants coul
be hired for small amounts but it VIZ
|, always necessary to have a great nul
Der Of them to have. anything don
Now the Chinese have raised price
and demand from SOS to $50
month, gold, but one good Chine
servant will accomplish more than
half dozen Of Fihpinos. The eli
|, mate is hard on clo.hing, especial
leather shoes. Your shoes viii be p
d away at night clean and bright, al
lnext morning they will be nnven