The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-06
LETTER FROM DUNNING.
Provo Volunteer Describes Life In
the Philippines.

Provo Volunteer Describes Life In
the Philippines.
The following very interesting letter
was received yesterday by Lieutenant
W. E. Simpson formerly of the signal
corps, from d. A. Dunning of battery
B, Utah volunteer artillery.
Mr.. Dunning enlisted in Provo, and it
will, be CHEEKY news to his friends
there, as We'll as those in this city, to
know that he has not had one days
sickness since leaving fair Utah:
Quartet de Meisic, Manila, p l., Oct.
Time passes so quickly that / did
not realize until today that almost so
days had elapsed since we took Ma
Mia.
We (battery b did our share, though
battery a seems to be more prominent
ly mentioned in the press dispatches.
The Utah artillery enjoys the distinc-
ton of being the only organization in
the expedition to take part in every
battle. and have had the pleasure OF
taking my turn in five "set-to's," in
Guiding the battle of SpanolaL Runny
Niche, fought July 81, and the capture
of Manila, Aug. Is. Our gun (No. p
was under a heavier and more direct
fire than any other in either battery.
and shows more scars of battle: this
fact may appear exaggerated, but it is
nevertheless true.
Captains Young and Grant have been
breveted majors for bravery shown I'M
der fire. Lieutenants Grow and Critch-
low of B deserve great credit for their
bravery and skill exhibited in all en-
counters had so far.
The infantry has had the easiest time
heretofore. but we have it now. All
that is required of us IS TO keep clean
4 Il
park. Our time is spent walking around
town in white clothes and examining
all sorts of Chinese and Filipino
places.
The Filipino, unfortunately, has no
morals to speak of. Before our very
eyes we can see men. women and
children bathing perfectly nude, and
they seem to think nothing of it. Most
of these FiliDinoS live in boats or in
any small space in stables, stairways
or alleys. or. in fact. wherever there is
room to stretch out and sleep. When
we empty our slOp barrels in the morn
ing whole crowds of them gather
around and jump in, fight and quarrel
over the pieces of meat and bread that
are thrown out: They are, with but
few exceptions, too lazy to work. and
are content to just live in their miser-
able, beggarly way.
One day recently I asked one of the
''belles" if she would marry me and go
to America. saying to her: Niche di-
nero America" to which she quickly
replied: No, dinero no necessito, me
matrimoniO Chino" meaning, mo,
money not necessary; / am married to
| a Chinaman," yet she was selling ba-
nanas on the street. OF course there
are some who are we'll educated and
1 refined. They are quick to learn, and
are experts at any work requiring quick
or fine touch, such as engraving or re-
touching. There are a number of Fill
| ipinos now working in the banks and
/ government offices in the city.
/ One thing very noticeable to US
Americans is the absence of large
| drays. The Chinese carry everything
on their shoulders. and will unload a
| ship and deliver the cargo to different
4 warehouses cheaper than a man with
! teams could. Six Cinnamon will trot
along with a piano as easily as I could
| with a small sack of flour. 1t is quite
a sight to see a well-to-dO family NOV
ing, Cinnamon carrying all the furni-
ture. some with such loads that it is
! hard TO see the Ching"
1t seems hard to realize that this is
| October, for it is so hot here that we
are not allowed out Of barracks be-
| tween IL a. m. and p. m, and are
not REQUIRED to do any work between
the Quartet de Meisic. the Spanish en-
gineers barracks, and they are with
out doubt the finest quarters in town.
| We have two plunge baths and six
showers, besides kitchens and sinks.
| The rooms are large, with high cell
ings, and we also have nice canvas
hunks to sleep on. The lawn is covered
with monkeys and birds. 1 am the pos
SCISSOR of three of these Philippine
birds, one a Daraquet and the other
two are something similar to the bull
finch, but of a different color All
three, with cages, cost me so cents,
Spanish money or 80 cents United
States money. Monkeys sell for 81 and
So, Mexican money.
You should see me washing my cloth
ing without Washboard or tub. and u.s.
ing cold water. We are obliged. I an
glad to say, to keep clean white clothes
on hand for guard and special Occa-
sions, and failure in this respect neces-
states a term in the guard house, SO
you see it is necessary to bend my back
and rub, or get in the mill"
In closing, allow me to say that
have never had 2 days sickness, al
though smallpox is the --latest thing
among the troops.