The sun., 1908-12-06

teISOk = a cholsra woaId aSah BE- q thing
of the pAst
Thsre was aheoluteiy q bnblIo fright
over the diseaRe. The hehifng was O6Oo-
tive. The great epidemlo q 1909 dissp-
paared IN October. This eolild probably
do the Same. q psta
Meantime the neet was approaching
rapidly. A wise policy Of not oonosating
the truth about epidemica had prevailed.
but It was TO cost Manila heavily. The
news ofthe situation was communicated
TO Admiral Sperry. As the heet drew
nearer the detaiis became oleaFor. -
Wireiess telokraphy is . wonderful
thing. e. the people Of Manila now realize.
The work Of erecting arches. Of providing
entertainments on large scale. OF putting
up decorations, Of preparing plGns for
attending tho glad hand and OF receiving
the glad hand just when that exchange OF
civilities was needed most In the Islands
went on until it became known that Ad-
miral Sperry would grant no shore liberty
to the mon and that the officers would
not be allowed TO stay aahore over night
except In unusual cases, that no food or
drink must be purchased ashore, and then
Manila-well. Manila fell m heap.
She could not deny that she had oholera.
BRe said that 1t was practically all over;
that all drinking water in public places
was sterile; that all filth had been cleaned
up; that all the ice in the city was made by
the army in the splendid cold storage plant
itruus and came from artesian water found
$50 feet deep; that there really was no
danger; that it was absurd to make these
restrictions; that Admiral Sperry was
just mean thing. 80 there; that II 1t was
all to end this way she was sorry the feet
had come. DO. In other words, she
acted as any hslf-hysterical, grievously
disappointed woman would have done.
and shs remained sullen until the feet
sailed away.
FEW AMERICANS ATTACKED.
Nevertheless up to October there
were more than five hundred cases Of
cholera, with more than three hundred
deaths In Manila, most Of them in the last
three months, and in the islands tho cases
numbered l,46e, with 1891 deaths.
Nor did IL avail Manila anything to
point out that this epidemic was not
nearly so large as that of 1902; that
the death rate in the cities was un-
usually low for the disease, being about
IS per cent. when often it has gone to
90 per cent; that very few whites were
attacked with the disease.
All this showing, with the great fight
that has been made-and that fight ought
to be long remembered in the annals
Of Manila-oonvinoed the people that there
was no danger in allowing the most
friendly relations between the ships and
the shore, but Admiral Sperry decided
otherwise. Manila really didn't blame
him for it, either.
What hurt Manila most was not the loss
Of money; Americans stand up to that
Of prestige.
CHAEoKD MANILA.
But enough Of the gloomy side Of the
situation. 1t ia pleasanter to oontem-
plate what has been done by the Ameri-
cans in the last ten years.
There were men on this feet who came
here right after American guns pro-
claimed this territory American and the
United States paid Spain so 900 900 for
1t. What q change to-day!
Then.Hou could scarcely 60 on horse
back through some streets in Manila.
The highways we're lighted with oil lamps.
There were no signs over the shops On
the Esoolta. You had to 60 into store
and haul down the goods to see il they had
what you wanted.
A miserable street car hauled by di-
minutive ponies occasionally dragged it's
way through the street. The walled
city was almost impossible. Filth was
evident everywhere
Now Manila is modern. 1t still has
the cheerless. gray. musty appearance
of the old days. and the medieval srohi-
tectsfRe helps this out; but in five years
as much building has been done as there
was in fifty years before
The streets are clean and well paved.
One Of the best trolley systems in existence
anywhere is in operation. An up to date
FIRE department, installed by the late
Hugh Bonner. is in operation. It is tha
pride not only Of Manila but Of the entire
Orient.
A modern police department exists.
Modern sanitary conditions prevail.
Parks have been developed. The Govern
ment 10 building a new harbor system 20
that vessels may come right up to the
wharves inside the breakwater. and
new business city will be built with the
Custom House as the central feature.
The walls of the old city have been
punctured and easy egress and ingress
Is now afforded. Electric lights are
everywhere. It Is q modern city with
ancient settings and it is as picturesque
q place as one can find.
Education in English has 90 spread that
children speak with you in the streets
In your own language. Within q year
even the modern institution OF boot
blacks has been established. and It is one
Of the sights Of Manila 10 zee native
Eetting his old shoes shired when the
money he has to pay for It would help
10 fll his empty stomach.
A complete system Of sewers is. being
established in the city. The new supply
Of pure water from the hills twenty-five
miles away win be in operation In Novem-
Der. All over the islands something like
y, 900 600 year Is being spent for school
houses, good roads and other public i'm
provenents.
Nearly loo miles Of railroad are being
finished In the various islands. the in.
tercst guaranteed by the Government,
and the Government Ia paying It's own
expenses. One could all pages with the