Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1910-05-27
NOTES OF A TRAVELLER
WHAT | SAW WHILE IN FOR
ElCN LANDS.
Cock Fighting One Of Manila's Chief Amuse-
ments-Fire and Police Service Good
Accurate Weather Proenostications
Immense Prison, Under Model System
-Lunetta.
RY ERANK N KENNEX
BY FRANK M. KENNEY.
MANILA ii.

-Lunetta.
BY FRANK M. KENNEY.
MANILA-U
Sunday is the one day of the week
when Manila's native population
turns out in force to participate in
their favorite amusement - Cock
Fighting. II you looked into a yard
and failed to see game bird fastened
to a stake. you wondered if the bird
was battling or if it could be possible
the resident was not the proud pos
SCISSOR of the Filipino National bird.
1t was a common sight to SEE q rig
en- route to the cock pit and a militant
rooster stuck under the arm of one
OF the Filipino passengers. Sunday
afternoon is when most of the fights
are held. One pit is fitted with elec-
trio lights and here evening sessions
are also carried on. Thus does in.
ventiOn promote mans pleasure.
The attendance at the cock fights is
large and excitement is intense, for
the Filipinos are inveterate gamblers
and much money changes hands as a
result of the matches.
The police, as rule, is composed
OF Americans, and this is also the
case with the fire department, but
natives are to be found in the ranks
of both. Efficient service is given by
both department. Modern fire fight
ing apparatus has been provided and
is in daily use.
The Jesuits for many, many years
have maintained a we'll equipped OBJ.
servatory in Manila and at present
are employed by the Government to
furnish weather reports. Through
observations covering nearly a cen.
tury OF time they can foretell,
twenty-four hours in advance, when
a typhoon will occur and the direc.
ton from whence it will come. This
knowledge has saved man2 lives and
its value cannot be estimated. The
forecasts are not used in Manila
alone, but are also cabled to Hong.
kong. Ships being forewarned either
do not 60 out Of the harbor or else
change their course so as to avoid
the danger. The instruments used
are placed on a cement foundation
going down thirty feet into the
ground, and although the observa
tory is quite little distance from
the shore the action Of the waves
beating against the land Is what fore
tells the approaching typhoon. A
nearly perfect record was made OF
the instruments at this station of tn,
San Francisco earthquake.
Another interesting place is Bill
bid prison. 1t covers an area o
about seventeen acres; is the larges
prison under control Of our countr,
and is said to be the biggest in th'
world. The inmates vary in numbe
from three to five thousand but il
addition there arc, at times, prison
ers employed on public works in tn
islands who are not within the prison
walls; hence the large fuctuation
but five thousand in all is the maxi
mum number within prison walls q
any one time. This prison is very
much different from the usual kind
There are no cells-the d0rmitor,
system being used and no lock.stel
or corporal punishment. Day ant
night schools are conducted by tn,
prisoners themselves, and every en-
couragement is given to the learning
of trades, so they will be able to carr
an honest living when released
Blacksmithing, machine iron work
ing. carriage and wagon making
tailoring, carpeutering. and many
other trades ore taught. and those
who have been trained at Bilibid are
spoken of highly by their employers
for the faithful and excellent perform
ance of their work. The evening pa
rade at 4:45 is sight worth going
many miles TO witness. The prison.
ers are marched out in twos, military
fashion, to the music Of the prison
band; Then laying down theil
dishes and hats, setting up exercises
as given In the United States army
are gone through. After this they
are marched in single file to the place
for distribution OF food, and so sys
tematically is it handled that the en-.
tire issue is given out in about seven
minutes. The prisoners are divided
into three classes. First class, hav
ing an average of not less than 80 pei
cent, second class not less than 81
per cent, and third class below the
last mentioned sum. When the
prisoners were first classified 80 ne,
cent. OF them were in the third class
Now over 80 per cent. are in the frs,
class and large majority of them
have a conduct rating of 100 pei
cent. This seems to indicate the
method pursued gets results. and
even though 1t is much different from
the usual way it might not be q bad