aurant for a lunch--say
for two. If the account is $2 you put down a $5 United States gold
piece and receive in change eight Mexican dollars. If you buy cigars
at $40 per 1,000 a $20 American gold piece pays the $40 bill. There is
now pretty free coinage of Mexican dollars and they answer admirably
as 50-cent coins. That is one of the ways in which free coinage of
silver removes prejudices against the white metal; no one thinks of
objecting to a Mexican dollar as a half-dollar, and our boys, paid
in American gold, have a feeling that their wages are raised because
all over the city one of their dollars counts two in the settlement
of debts. These useful American dollars are admitted free of duty.

The headquarters of the American administration in Manila are in the
city hall, situated in the walled city, with a park in front that
plainly has been neglected for some time. It also fronts upon the same
open square as the cathedral, while beyond are the Jesuit College and
the Archbishop's palace. Just around the corner is a colossal church,
and a triangular open space that has a few neglected trees and ought
to be beautiful but is not. A street railroad passes between the
church and the triangle, and the mule power is sufficient to carry at
a reasonable rate a dozen Spanish officers and as many Chinamen. The
fare is 1 cent American--that is, 2 cents Philippine--and the other
side of the river you are entitled to a transfer, but the road is short
and drivers cheap. There is a system of return coupons that I do not
perfectly understand. The truth about the street railway system is
that there is very little of it in proportion to the size of the city,
but the average ride costs about 1 cent. If the Americans stay there
is an opening for a trolley on a long line.

There is no matter of business that does not depend upon the question:
Will the Americans stay? If they do all is well; if they do not all
is ill, and enterprise not to be talked of.

The most important bridge across the Pasig is the bridge of Spain. The
street railway crosses it. The carriages and the coolies, too, must
keep to the left. It is the thoroughfare between the new and old
cities, and at all hours of the day is thronged. It is a place favored
by the native gig drivers to whip heavily laden coolies out of the
way. A big Chinaman with powerful limbs, carrying a great burden,
hastens to give the road to a puny creature driving a puny pony,
lashing it with