March IS, 11)00.
Life and Business
In Manila Town
(Copyright, 1900, by Frank a. Carpenter.)
MANILA, Fob. 5. (Special Correspondence
of Tho Uco.) Como with mo this morning
and tnko a look at ono of tho big markets
of Manila. There- nro many scattered
throughout tho city, but tho largest Is oer
tho river in Tondo. It was formerly hold
In a big building, but this wus burned down,
nnd tho government Is now advertising Cor
proposals for a now steel market house.
Tho temporary market consists of perhaps
ten acrca of rudo sheds made of a frame
work of polce covered with straw matting
or corrugated Iron. Theso sheds nro ar
ranged llko a little city with a wide street
through tho center and numerous alleys
running this -way and that. It Is a noisy
city, a busy city nnd a city In which tho
chief business la dono by women. Tho most
of tho sellers arc women.
Let us enter tho cloth bazaar. Wo walk
through a long nlsle of sheds tilled with
low platforms made of bamboo, upon which
women squat, with fancy calicoes nnd cot-
ions iincu up uoout mem. r.acn mercuuni
sits on her counter, tho most of her goods
FILIPINO
being so near her that sho enn reach them
without moving. Somo havu mantles and
shawla hung up on poles above their heads
so that they can pull them down as their
customers demand.
All of tho women merchants arc In tholr
baro feet nnd all nro bareheaded. Their
sleeves, as big around at tho end as a
washbasin, come only to tha elbow, nnd the
necks of their Jackets nro cut so low that
na thoy handle tho goods n baro shouldor
now and then slips out and you fear tho
whole may come off.
There Is a woman who Is soiling somo
cloth to n couplo of young girls who aro
dreEscd In Filipino costume Tho cloth Is
black; it looks like a shawl. See, ono of
the girls Is taking It nnd is wrapping It
mm tightly about her waist so that It falls to
Just below tho knee. Thnt Is ono of tho
garments worn by tho Filipino women nnd
sho Is trying It on. Sho evidently likes It,
for eho Is scowling nnd protesting at tho
price which tho merchant nske for tho goods.
Buying nnd selling Is hero to a largo coctenr.
a matter of bargain, nnd the two may dlckor
a long tlmo before the salo can bo made.
Women I'oiIiILth.
At tho next counter a man Is buying a
bright pleco of cnllco and farther on other
women are turning over tho calicoes att rap
idly as our women handle tho goods on a
bargain counter. As wo go on down the
alslo wo meet women peddlers. They have
baskets as big around ns an umbrella nnd
about nn inch deep, filled with nil sorts ot
notions. They carry them about upon their
heads, tnklng them down when they meet a
posslblo customer.
, Wo go out of this alslo Into another, whero
wo And nothing but shoes. Tho most of tho
shoes have wooden soles, with merely a
strip of lenther on top to fasten tho toe.
There nro somo which aro nlmost stilts, the
tee nnd heel of tho solo extending two Inches
below tho Instep. Thoso shoes nro much like
" tho rain shoes of Japan nnd they nro In
tended for U60 In wet weather. Tho ordi
nary Filipino shoo is llttlo more than a
slipper and nono of tho shoes conHno tho
heel. Thoy nro held on by the too nnd as
but fow people wear stockings their bare
heels go bobbing up nnd down whenever
inoy waiK. sco inose two gins coming mi
way. Notlco how thoy throw their feot out as
they push their way nlong on their heel
loss clogs. Thoy swing their arms to and
fro as they ko and throw their stomachs
out, standing so straight thnt thoy almost
lean backward, Tho girls of Japan nn
plgoon-tced. Tho Filipino maldenn nro Just
tho reverse.
In another part of tho market wo And
(fscoros of women soiling vogctnblcH of all
kinds. Thoy havo sweet potatoes and
squashos, lottuco nnd onions nnd many vege
tables strnngo to our eyes. Hero Is ono
squatting with a uasket of whllo roots be
ldo her. I wonder what they aro and pick
up a root and bito Into It. It mnkes my
tongue smart and I find It Is ginger. It la
tiug in the woods, where It grows wild, but
so far almost none is exported. It Is sold
to tho natives, who make a weak ten of it,
which they drink with their rice and fish.
ciumUiik the ll.i.l
. , . . ' , , .
,U"1 wl,at n!" t1hos 1Ucor looMns nutn
, K , i. , J ... . r "
h,,Hu i "i7 i"un unu our uuuur-
nuts or white walnuts. There Is n Uttlo
pllo of wet lime near them with some palm
lt-nves beside it. A woman has stopped and
Is handling the nuts. She picks up ono and
hltes It.
As sho opens her mouth I notlco hor gums
seem to bo bleeding. Her tonguo Is red
nnd hor teeth seem to drip blood. Now
and then sho stops nnd chows a bit bo-
iwccn nor sentences, biio seems to nave
n quid Insldo of her cheek. See, she spits
blood. Sho Is chewing betel nuts, a supply
of which sho Is nbout to buy. The betel
nut comes from tho arcca nalm. It Is
ground or cut up. nnd when chewed n bit
of llmo is mixed with It. Tho cflo:t Is
somewnni iiko mat oi touacco. uncwing mo
betel Is common among both men nnl
PKDDLRHS.
women here. Thcro nre hundreds of shops
In Mnnlla where tho nuts nnd llmo are
sold. Every other woman wo meet in tho
market shows signs of betel Juleo on hor
teeth nnd her lips, and we aro told that
tho custom Is common among tho lower
clnsscs throughout Luzon. Tho habit may
como from tho Mnlnys, who entered tho
Island centuries ngo and Intermarried with
tho aborigines, forming tho race of Fillpln is
as wo know them. Among tho Mnlnys
nbout Singapore and In further India every
ono chews tho betel, tho nurmeso having
n saying that "nny dog can have whlto
teeth, but only thoso who aro able to af
ford tho betel nut can havo beautiful black
ones."
I'rlct'H iif 1'iMiil,
Hero Is a ivoman selling eggs, and further
on is a man with chickens nnd ducks. On
nskltig tho prices we nro told thoy have
doubled and trebled since tho Amerlsnns
came. Wo And that chickens rango In value
from CO cents to $1.20 each, and that eggs
aro 22 cents per dozen. All tho prices nre
given In silver, and they must bo divided
by two to rcduco thorn to gold. Unnanns
cost 10 cents silver per dozen, coconuuts nro
5 cents npleco and beef SO cents per pound.
In parts of Luzon tho finest kind of cattle
can bo raised. I am told thero aro vast
regions covered with pasture In tho northern
part of tho Island, nnd that our horses
which aro lu chnrgo of tho soldiers graw
fat upon It. Still, beef costs more thnn
twice ns much In this Mnnlla mnrket as It
does In Washington City nnd pork sells for
10 cents, Mexican.
Pork Is the chief meat of the people.
Every family out in the country hns Its pigs.
WOMEN DO
IXMAIIA ILLUSTRATED
Thoy aro tho scavengers, tho vultures, the
buzzards of tho country, living on food so
vllo that I cannot descrlbo It. In somo of
tho camps tho soldiers havo been forbidden
to eat natlvo pork nnd no soldier who has
nny respect for his stomach would think of
disobeying this rule. Tho natives, however,
us" ,hls ,ncnt ' n11 B0 ' ways, n fnvorlto
clhod of cooking It being roasting n pig
wl'olo 0I suit over tho lire. Tho spit la
n )0,0 which is thrust lengthwise through
tho pig, tho nnlmnl being turned round nnd
ro,lml 1,1 ordcr ilm U ny ho evenly coked,
A curious part of tho market Is that In
. . 1 nm,iy ' vegetables. Tho
wiuiios, na uno Clilncso nro called, are t in
chief vegetnblo gardeners of Manila. They
also sell most of tho vegetables In
tho markets, maiiv of them imnnrtnii.
cabbages and potatoes from Hone Konir
Cabbages nro sold In wlinto luvula.
halves or quarters, to order. They
nro exceedingly high, n line head bringing as
much as CO cents in silver. Potatoes are
worth 5 cents n pound, young onions o cents
n bundle nnd peppers n cents a dozen Kan
plants sell for S cents n dozen, tomatoes for
10 cents nnd sweet notntors brine f, ('I'll I H II
nound.
i- .......... i .......
things In tho market nnd no string, although
th,8 , a lnm, of ropo. Now thpn tho
purchases are put In n bannna leaf or more
ften Into baskets or trays. Such things as
aro tied aro bound up with wisps "f grass or
a thin strip of bamboo. All heavy loads nre
carried home on tho head.
(Infer MurLi-1 St'vut-N.
What a noise there Is nil nlKiut us as wo
go through the market: Women and men
nro yelling and screeching nt ono another
their offers to buy and refusals to sell.
Thoy protest and protest until tho purchase
Is made, when they stop and, llko as not,
laugh nnd chut with each other. The
crowd Is a strange one, ono which you will
not see outside of tho Philippine Islnnds.
There nro men and women wearing nil sorts
of hats, women with hats of straw as big
as umbrellas and hundreds of women with no
lints at nil. There are scores of girls, with
their long, black hair Hying loose In tho
breeze. In iiust cases It Is thick nnd glossy
nnd It often reaches below their Malsts.
Thero are men, women nnd children in slip
pers, crowds in their bare feet nnd hundreds
trettlng nbout on clogs. There aro Chinese
in curious costumes, from tho halt-naked
coolie to tho rich merchant In silk.
What n kalcldnscopo of color rattles Its
changes beforo our eyes. Thcro nro rods,
blacks nnd browns, pinks, greens nnd yel
lows moving In nnd out through tho white,
which Is tho most common dress of the peo
ple. What n lot of queer women thcro nro
and what queer things thoy nro doing.
Hero comes ono with n cigar In hor mouth,
nnd thcro Is nnother who is chewing tho
betel. Thero are women eating nt tho cook
stands, women focnrlng great burdens on
their heads, women peddling, women buy
ing, women selling, women with bnbles
nstrldo of their hips, old women squatting
nnd smoking, young women going along
hand In hand, women everywhere.
A MIiIiII.-CIiinn I'lUpl
During my walks through Manila I have
entered many of tho homes of tho common
people that I might tell you how thoy live.
They nro sntlsllcd with living, nnd without
they materially change, thoy will never bo
great consumers of Amerlcnn goods. Thero
nro houses hero in which wholo families
llvo In ono room, huddling together on the
lloor or on a platform of bamboo splints,
which hero tnkes tho place of a bed. There
aro small merchants who have two or three
rooms In their homes, and thousands who
llvo on tho outskirts of tho city In thatched
huts upon poles.
Ono of tho homes which I visited todny
was that of n seller of plnn cloth, tho beau
tiful stuff which tho Indies of tho army nnd
navy aro buying In such quantities that
they have doubled the prices. Tho man
probably considers himself well-to-do nnd
comfortnbly situated as to his home. The
wnll of the house was Hush with tho street,
but upon entering the door I found myself
not In a room, but in a garden about ten
feet wide and twenty feet long, roofed with
thatch, through which great banana trees
had grown up nnd extended their broad
lea vis above, making n denso shndo over
It nnd keeping tho garden cool. There were
seats on each side of the walk through this
garden Into the house proper, an J on the
THE WOUK.
It 13.13.
right there was n gamo cock tied to ono ot
the banann trees. Passing Into tho houe, I
went through n narrow hallway with ono
little room on each sldo, Into tho living
room, which was also tho dining room. This
room was about twclvo feet Bquare. It was
celled and walled with boards, which wero
blackened with smoke. The lloor was of
square, red bricks nnd tho only windows
were holes In tho wall nt tho back. On one
side of the room was a tablo-llko ledge, on
A LITTLH CITY WITH A WIDE STREET THROl'tlll THU CENTER.
which a 2-ycar-old boy and a naked baby the ground when the washing Is done nnl
wero sprawling, and on the other, close up the dirt Is scrubbed out iiy rubbing iho
ngnlnst tho wall, a table, with n long bonch clothes against tho tub. slapping them upon
before It, the eating place of the fnmlly. stones or beating them with sticks. The
Thero were ono or two chairs, nnd a wicker public washerwomen do their work In the
lounge, which was hung up to tho celling canals and at the river or at any stray
to bo kept out of tho woy until needed. puddle they can find. They dry their clothes
rillpluo Ht-ilN mill lleil Himiiiin. on tho nearest available fence or on th
At tho front of this room on each sldo of Br"'Js- ni.it.-
tho door wero tiled steps lending to tho ''o Is a disease here, called tho oho
narrow bed rooms nlong tho hallway by tel., which nearly nil tin Amer cans, civil-
which I entered At tho Invitation of tho ns and noldlers ol lcers and privates, havo
mistress of the house I walked In nnd looked "''- which Is sn d to bo caught from their
at them. Fnch room was just wide enough fhly " " llwcil to bo
to hold n narrow bed, consisting of n frame-
work ot bamboo poles with strips ot bamboo
111 IV Ul uuiiiwvj.f I'uiva ...... ...,.. .............
something like the half cf a Ashing rod nailed
across tho framework so that tho rods lay
l,,..l.. It la anMi lin.la Hint ttintiv
Filipinos sleep. Others sleep upon boards
.l ,! l.t l.n.l pM. fnr ltnnr.. n U'n
have at my hotel, Is n groat four-poster, with
: my hotel, Is n great four-poster, witn
r of enno made of llttlo threads of
which aro woven together across It
f-, nf n ,nHrn,a int nvnr-tlv tiim
a cover
bamboo,
I. tUn tnrm rtf n mnttrnflfi Innt nvnntlv lllfn
somo of tho cane-seated chnlrs which wo ,sl"co l 'o Americans cnn.e. They are now
havo in our country. Upon this hard foun- from six to ton silver do Inrs per hundred
datlon a thin mat of woven straw Is laid " lccc". whc l cons dernblo wncn you ro
nnd this, nnd this only, forms tho bed upon niombor that In his hot climate jou should
which tho best of tho Filipinos sleep. Some '"ivo a fresh suit of linen every day.
few havo sheets, but tho mnjorlty go with- A Won! About ( 1I.iI. Ih.
out. My allotment nt tho hotel, where I Thoro Is a chnnco for n good hotel or two
am paying nbout $7, sliver, a day, is ono Mnnlla. Those which aro hero nro ex
sheet a week. I havo a Filipino pillow, i coodlngly poor, high priced nnd unconifortn
llttlo, round roll stuffed with something hlo to nn extromo. Tho Orlonto, whero I
which wnds Itself up ns hard as n brick nnd nm stopping, Is tho biggest nnd supposedly
so Inrgo that It gives mo a stiff neck every tllo best hotel In tho Philippines. Ita chnrges
morning. In addition to this I nlso havo a nro trom ,fll sllvur dollnrs nnd upward a
Dutch wife, ono ot which goes with every 'hiy. nnd It s not so good ns tho nverngo
bod room and Is supplied with every bed. V"1, ,lotcl "f 'h Unl (l lcB who
Don't bo horrllled! It is nothing but n "a" chn,r1SCB ""i0 U? The rooms are
round pillow nbout four feet In length nnd ln,r,B"' w,t 1 cel,lnB8 "Icon feet high nnd
ns hard ns n log. It Is merely used for you wlthout, nsB or, ,a"srU1,,n" 1,1 11,0 wln,,ow
to raise your feet oft tho bed In order that fr""lc8flto Ucop 0Ut 11,0 '""IK ,
thero may bo a circulation under you during . T"J nfloor8 , M nd my baro
, . , ., t .i... ... 'cot lcavo footprints upon thorn llko thoso
tho hot night. As for mo, I throw my leg whch KoblnBon CnB0 , ,
and arm over tho pillow in order to rollovo Th(J wUh thor mo8 uto not8 nl)out
my hip from tho strn n of my weight bearing lomi ,ook ot unl,0 ,101irsC8i nd unt ,
down upon the hard bed. Rot UBod to BiooplK 0Il tho cnno-covercd
A Tyiilcul Kllelien. mattresses thoy mnko you wish thoy wore
Hut to return to tho homo of tho Filipino hearses nnd you ono of tho corpse within
merchant. Leaving tho bed 'rooms, wo next them.
went down through tho dining room nnd TI'o hotel has electric lights nnd electric
out Into tho kitchen. This consisted ot n "oils, hut tho bolls seldom ring when you
shed opening Into n llttlo yard about eight ttnlch thorn nnd tho boy Is nlwnys coming In
feet squnre, in which a couplo ot ducks nnd nsklng If you rnng when you
were paddling nbout In tho Blop from n low have not. Tho dining room Is on tho third
Filipino washtub. As I looked at them I 'loor- Tho waiters nro Chlneso boys dressed
heard tho vehement crowing of n rooster nt I" whlto gowns, with pigtails which nar-
my right, nnd turned nround to sco that rowly cecnpo being lllrted into tho soup,
thero wnn a gamo cock tied under tho Tho wnltcrs do not spenk Kngllsh nnd you
kitchen tnblo. Tho tablo Itself was much order your meal by tho numbers upon tho
llko a crato of bamboo slnts, so wldo npart hill of faro. Tho cooking Is poor and thoro
at tho top thnt tho ecrnps foil through, I3 Utile variety. There nro no chnmbcr-
and thus fed tho chickens below. mnlds. Filipino boys tako their places, but
At tho right of tho tablo was tho cook '1 nt 1111 thorn,
slove. And such a stovo for a family ot Stilt tho Irtol Is Hllod to overllowlng.
ten, the number of women told mo lived in Thoro nre beds In tho halls and lu many
tho huiiKo! It was merely n ledge of bricks cases are three beds In ono room. Tho othnr
and mortar running nlong ono sldo of tho hotels nro doing nlmost ns well nnd tho
ronn. On tho top ot the lodge, hollowed hoarding houses which havo been established
out of It, as It were, wero four holes, each hero nnd there by Americans nro full,
about the slzo and Bhnpo of n tin wash Many of our government oHIclnls havo prl-
bnsln. Upon each a black bowl of clay vato houses, but such nro scarco nnd tin
rested over somo llttlo sticks, each nbout
the slzo of your linger. Thoso woro alight,
and tho petty Hres wero cooking tho dinner
for tho fnmlly. Thero was no outlet for tho
smOko but n holo In tho wnll high nbovo tho
stovo, nnd everything nbout tho kitchen was
blackened with soot. Tho bowls contn'nod
rl o, flsh and n stew of pork nnd vegetables
One pi t had boiling benns and Hsh In It, tho
two articles being cooked up together. I nm
t- Id that tho beans and tho Hsh aro well
mashed and mixed together nftcr thoy nre
cooked, nnd thnt thoy aro eaten with salt.
Fish Is also bollod with ginger root, hut
In this ease It Is served whole Hlco Is
co ked In all sorts of ways. It Is caton with
fruit. Is made Into brend and cakes and Is
eaten as we eat It, steamed. A favorlto
dish among tho children Is rice Hour sweot
ened In fhort bamboo tubes, which nro
plugged up nt tho ends find then thrown
Into boiling wntor. After a short tlmo thoy
nro taken out and served hot. Tho only
cooking utenslla in this house were n wlro
gridiron, two cocoanut ladles nnd some clay
bowls.
lion I In- I'ltlplllllN Wunli ClotllCN.
All washing of clothes Is dono In cold
water nnd kettles or boilers of largo alzo
are unknown. No washboards are need and
tho washtub Is a round wooden affair about
half tho diameter of our common tuba ami
about six Inches deep. The tub Is put on
" ..
once caught, It spreads over tho body, es-
...... . . . .. i. .
Pcclally attack ng the toes, ho armpits an t
thor places where the perspiration Is great-
il millluillilLH hit.hib uiu i.iiiuiii lu uiu
i ti t I ... ...1.. 1 t I i II.
hospital, but ordinarily not, nnd In minor
CB"8, by Washing tllO body With llstorllle,
enn bo curcl In a short time. I have ao
" , ,, . . "
fnr n"1 hxl ,nm '"J vvur ll,no
m,l, 11 chn ehlrt. I ho price ot wash-
'"B. Hko everything cIbo, hnvo Jumped Up
rents nro excessivo.
FRANK O. CARPENTER.
We Will Make You $50
ASUITorOVERCOATfoTO-T
If jou Imvoniijf Koo.lmiri linrnl tolm mucin IntomilU
iirovri'iiiilH,tMiwriil,iniiki,iiiiil film lh nil lln.
lt-Is. ttit t ti.t ,f r I'liiiilMm. prici,. FIT and
W0KKLIAN8HII' Ounrantefd. KBlf.ii1..5rVii'"t
liliuikH, fiiohliiii iilnliiiif liilimt kI)Ih,(.c., furiilnliful
r"juti nnm nn mr n riiixr nroniiM an. i
THE COLUMBIA TAILORING COi 1
J;il, H IIIII.IIIT lM.ll.iin !.. . Mil Alio. A.U j
DON'T BE HARD UP
Ucu'.& I. ! l,i m,r iritfllm, iklo oram,
u.lijj u I uriiini lrof. Uraj'a ruitn. PUtet
Jcw.irj, lautwin, Jilojoloi, tu4 til
."... io fiptritDCt, Drar
tal, nioil- ru miho4i. Wt do platlpf,
lutnuhoiura outfl'i. all altri. lli,l
cuiflli conipltta, all tool., Inlbfi, ma
terial., tio., r.alT for work, (laid,
Nllver and Mckel, alo Uctul
Wat
UtaBaV i.LI.TI
IHaa
He tmch jou lh ail, rurnl.ti fcr.tl and formula, FlttE.
W rltt ludur. TrbllinonliU, aamr!,, tio. HIPP
II. (J HAY A: CO,, I'l.ATIMI HOIIKs, 7, (IMIN.MTI, U
