1280
ILOILO
During the last two years a considerable number of good houses have been built, and the town is fast resuming the state it was in before the bombardment. The streets and many private houses are now lit with electric light.
On the 23rd December, 1898, the Spanish Governor-General resident in Iloilo resigned, giving over the care of the town to the Mayor, or Alcalde of Iloilo, preparing with his troops and Government officials, naval, military and civil, to evacuate the place, which on the 25th December was accomplished.
On the 26th December, 1898, the town of Iloilo, which for over a month had been entirely surrounded on the land side by Revolutionary forces, was delivered over to them by the Spanish Alcalde, and the Philippine Republie flag was hoisted on all the public buildings.
On the 28th December, 1898, the United States forces, composed of the U.S.S. Baltimore and three transports with 3,800 troops, under the command of Brigadier- General Miller, arrived in front of Iloilo, but did not land, as the Revolutionary forces declined to give up the town unless under orders from Aguinaldo, their chief. Affairs in Luzon having come to an open rupture between the United States and the Revolutionary forces, the General commanding the United States expedition advised the foreign Consulates that hostilities would commence after 5 a.m, on the 12th February, and on the morning of the 11th February, about 8.45 a.m., the first shot was fired. The Revo- lutionary forces set fire to the city, leaving it almost in ruins, and retired outside the city limits. Iloilo was immediately occupied by the Americans.
The principal manufacture in Iloilo for local consumption and export to Manila is that of pina, a cloth very finely made from the fibre of the pineapple leaf. Another cloth called jusi is woven from silk, and is made in white and colours. The country round Iloilo is very fertile and is extensively cultivated. The crop of sugar for 1903-4 was estimated at about 1,650,000 piculs. Tobacco is also largely cultivated. Rice is grown on a considerable scale, but locusts are very plentiful in the island, and often do great damage to the cane and paddy. Earthquakes seldom occur, and now-a-days typhoons are rare in the district of floilo. Hoilo is about 250 miles distant from Manila. The principal traders are Chinese mestizos, who are very numerous in the port.
The island of Negros is extremely fertile and contributes three-fourths of the sugar shipped from Iloilo, the quality of which is excellent. The cultivation of hemp on a larger scale has been commenced on this island.
DIRECTORY
ABRAHAM, JUAN, JR., Carriage Builder,
Sto. Niño Street
AVANCEÑA, Señoritas, Teachers, Molo
BANCO ESPAÑOL FILIPINO
Alfredo Rocha, director
M. Custodio, contador
A. Velez
E. Sendres, cajero E. Rocha
BISCHOFF, S., Merchant
Samuel Bischoff
M. Cruz
D. Navarrete C. Theulaz
H. Theulaz
BOSTON-ILOILO COMPANY, Buenavista, Gui- maras & Iloilo, Panay; Iloilo-Negros Coast Passenger & Freight Steamship Lines; Cable Ad. Bosilo
John Bordman Jr., vice-president and
general manager
Hon, Charles T. Witt, treasurer
BORREE & HAMILTON, Stevedore
CALA, VIUDA DE, Teacher
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & AGRICULTURE,
THE ILOILO
President The Hon. Raymundo Mel-
liza, Governor of Panay Treasurers-Inchausti & Co. Secretary-Francisco Villanueva Asst. do.-Rafael Piquer Committee:-A. R. Cotton (chairman), F. Seligman, Smith Bell & Company, Luchsinger & Co., Yap Tico, Benito Lopez, Ker & Co., J, H. Grindrod, Compania Tabacalera de Filipinas
COLLECTOR OF CUSTOMS-J. S. Stanley
REMINGTON TYPEWRITER, 327 Broadway, New York, U. S. A.
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