The Hartford herald. [volume] (Hartford, Ky.) 1875-1926, 1908-03-25
THE CUSTOMS IN
PARKWAY MANILA
How the Natives Live and
Amuse Themselves.
RACE IS NOT VERY RELIABLE
The Climate Is Hard and Ho-
tel Accommodations.
Are Only Fair.

Manila, l.. L., March 12..-What is
probably the most startling thing to
be seen in Manila, and probably in all
the surrounding country, Is the size
Of the cigars smoked by meh, women
and children. Wherever you go you
are sure TO see children of both sexes
smoking cigars almost as large as
themselves l am afraid | would be
accused of exaggeraticn if ! were to
say how large some of them are.
have seen little girls, not over 10
years old, smoking big, fat, black CT
CARS fully a foot long. Everybody
smokes, and as tobacco is the cheap
est thing here, the expense is never
considered. From the inevitable Gig
arctic to these big black cigars there
is something in the mouth all the
time. l visited one of the cigarette
factories yesterday, and was much in
terested in the work. Hundreds of
boys, girls and women were rolling
the cigarettes and putting them in
packages. The cost of these ciga-
rettes at retail is centavUs pack
age, or cents of our money. How
they can make thirty cigarettes 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 rs to q
cents a day and board themselves.
The board of Filipino costs so
li;cle 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, a plant from which a
sort of meal is made, grows every
where, and is exceedingly cheap food.
But little meat is eaten by Fillpinos,
for it is difficult to get and very ex-
pensive in comparison with other
foods. Rice is the staple food in all
these Oriental countries. There are
few vegetables because of the labor in
volved in growing thSm. 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 well here, and such as
are to be found in the market are
brought from Japan and the United
States by steamers.
There are few milch cows on the
islands, and butter and cream can not
be had at any price except such as
comes from other lands. Condensed
milk is used by the whites, and ma
tives use none at all. Owing to the
climate, beef and mutton butchered
here must be used up at once. Some
refrigerated meats are brought in from
Australia and kept in ice houses, but
the price is 50 high that natives never
get it. The only meat the natives
get is game, and they seldom go af-
ter it. Living for whites is rather
expensive owing 10 the fact that many
things usually considered luxuries are
necessities here. Ice is very expen-
sive. A great deal more is necessary
here than in the United States. for it
melts very rapidly.
Servants are nearly all Chinese, as
the natives are unreliable and of little
worth. Formerly servants could be
hired for small amounts, but it was
always necessary to have a great num-
Der of them in order to have anything
done. Now the Chinese have raised
prices and demand from $35 to $50 a
month, gold, but one good Chinese
servant will accomplish more than a
half dozen Filipihos. The climate is