Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 March 1900 — NEWS FROM OUR COLONIES. [ARTICLE]

NEWS FROM OUR COLONIES.

The higher class of Fi&pinos arc very exclusive. They are educated, refined and intelligent and great lovcjfs of music and the fine arts, as far as they have had opportunity to become familiar with them. "Few Americans,” writes a Manila correspondent, ’’become familiar enough with the better class of people to realize that they are very clever. They live in strict retirement all day, but at night they shine with brilliancy and beauty upon those who are fortunate enough to be admitted to tfeeir circle. They are natural born mwuHans. In fact, 1 think all Filipinos are. A very pleasant evening can be spent in the house of some of the wealthiest merchants of the city who are natives when once the ice IF broken and the invitation given. The largest business enterprises in the city are owned and controlled by natives and their homes are models of luxury and comfort. Few of them live in the walled city, but preferably build out on the Malacauan, the ■well residence* street of Manila.” A Kansas man who is with the United States telegraph corps in the Philippines in a letter home tells of the difficulties which the corps encounters. Recently two big army .wagons, each drawn by six mules, were loaded with rubber insulated wire, a battery and a reel to reel it out, keeping up with the troops. The road became so bad they had to strap the reel on a mule’s back .and the rest of the wire on other mules, leaving the wagon in the mud up to the hubs. One mule Carried the folding field telegraph table, with instruments all attached. Every few miles they would stop and telegraph back to Manila the progress of the column. ’To do so they viould take the table off the mule, unfold it, cut the wire from the reel on the other mule, connect it with the instruments and do the necessary telegraphing. This was generally done when the troops stopped for a few minutes to rest.

Spaniards are going to Cuba in almost as large numbers as Americans, according to the latest report to the War Department from the port of Havana. During January 1,720 persons from the United States landed on the island, 1,200 from Spain and 546 from other countries. For the year 1899 the total Spanish immigration to Cuba was 16,260; American, 22.301. Only 257 persons left the island for Spain, while 1,722 left for the United States. The port collections for the month, $1,152,513.43. were the largest of any month since the Stars and Stripes began to float over the governor general’s pulaee. The steamship Tacoma brings the news that the Japanese Government has prohibited further emigration of Japanese to Hawaii. For months thousands of Japs have been leaving Yokohama monthly, being, shipped generally by employment bureans, which expected a fee from each. It now develops that 4,000 more Japs have been shipped than the agencies had employment for. These laborers are now in distress, and the strict sanitary regulations enforced at Honolulu add to their troubles. Japan is contributing to their support. In the Hawaiian Islands, according to the latest reports, there are 21,616 Chinese. Of these 15 are doctors, merchants and traders number 822, including 3 women; 1,356 are clerks and salesmen, 18 of these women; of mechanics there are 220; mariners, 15 only; fishermen, 294; drivers and teamsters, 105. In the country, apart from Honolulu, there are 36 Chinese coffee planters, 98 ranchers, 718 rice planters, 2 of them women; of farmers and agriculturists 1.278, and the laborers number 10,941. There are no Chinese lawyers. A little item from the Manila Tribune gives a fair idea of the cost of living in America’s Oriental capital. Lee You, a Chinaman, runs a restaurant and the prices are given in Mexican money. Steak is worth 25 cents; bacon and eggs, the same; pie. 10 cents; coffee, 10 cents; tea, 5 cents; chicken, or chicken pot pie, 50 cents; pork chops, 25 cents. If the prices are reduced to American money they would be just about one-half. A well-known Cuban correspondent, J. D. Wbelpley, writes from Havana under recent date that the feeling against annexation to the United States is surprisingly strong on the island. The American who visits Cuba to-day, he says, “will be astounded at the strenuous demand for independence and the strong feeling of resentment, unmistakably manifest, at the continued presence of Americans in control of the island.” The Manila (P. I.) Times states that the attendance of children at the Manila schools was 4,849 for the month of Noveml>er last, a gain of thirty-two girls and thirty-one boys as compared with the previous month.