Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1898-08-11
MANILA'S ONE RAILROAD.
Runs to Port of Dagupan and is a
Foot 6 Inch Gauge.

The Manila and Dagupan Railway,
the only railway in the Philippine Is
lands, is running along smoothly as
if peace prevailed throughout the
land, says the Manila correspondent.
Ordinarily railroads suffer as much
inconvenience and loss in business and
damage as any other line of business
when comparatively small countries
are in a state of rebellion. This loss
is not only because of decentralization
in freight business and from common
Discrimination of people to travel
where the existence of social disorder
creates an additional element of risk
in travelling on public carriers, but
because of destruction of railroad
property, as a matter of proper war
fare and military strategy, as has
been the case Of Cuba. The Philippine
railroad has been remarkably fortu-
nate in this respect of enjoying i'm
munity from inconvenience and vio-
lence at the hands of the insurgents
so fortunate, indeed, as to agreeably
surprise and difsappoint the manage
m6uI OIL Tue property.
The road is of three foot six inch
G tuge, and runs from Manila, with
population of over 100000. in an al
most northerly direction, 125 miles,
through several large municipalities,
to Dagupan, a reasonably prosperous
seaport of about 10000 souls. The Is
land of Luzon, Of which Manila is the
capital, has a population of about 3,
100000, nearly half the population Of
the twenty-one islands that form the
Philippine group, and with an area of
nearly double that of Great Britain.
The railroad, as might be expected,
runs through the most populous sec
ton of Luzon.
While the railroad is private prom
erty and owned and managed by
was thought the insurgents would
nevertheless try and prevent it's op-
Grafton, at least spasmodically, mas
much as it was proving of so great
advantage to the government in the
effort to uuell the revolt. There has
however, been no trouble with the
road as yet. The forbearance Of the
rebels has caused no little surprise
among Spanish officials. The insur-
gents derailed passenger train sew
eral months ago. Since that time
there has been absolutely no violence.
The rebel leaders were very much
displeased when they learned that
some of their subOrdinates had mo-
Tested a train, and at once gave Or
ders that the personal and property
rights of foreigners other than Span
iards should be respected and that
this order was intended to apply par
ticularly to the railroad, which they
we'll understood was the property of
English capitalists. The fact that the
railroad company has not since been
subjected to the slightest trouble or
inconvenience, while the immediate
country is involved in very serious
and formidable revolution, demon
strates these fcats l. That the Flip
pinos are not savages, warning just
for the excitement Of the thing. 2.
That they are a peaceful and easily
governed people, ard are regarding
with respect the wishes Of their rec
ognized leaders. 8. That they value
the good will and sympathy of Euro
peans who live in the Philippines and
will unquestionably see to it that these
foreigners are protected to the fullest
possible eXtent.-Railway Age