The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-10-03
CORPORAL BOSHARD'S VIEWS
TELLS HIS IMPRESSIONS OF MA
MIA AND THE NATIVES.
Considers the Spanish Colonies About
One Hundred Years Behind This
Country In Everything.

The following letter, descriptive Of
the city OF Manila, was received this
week by Mrs. Mary A. Boshard OF
Provo from her son, Corporal ]. A
Boshard of battry B, Utah artillery;
Manila, P. l., Aug. 29.
Dear Mother and SiSter-We have
been in this city for two weeks now,
and have had good rest after our
months compaign. We are just get
ting Strengthened out in our new quar-
tiers, having changed for the third
time after entering the town. Since
our bombardment we have had no
trouble with the Spaniards. They have
all laid down their arms and are now
out on parole. We are on quite friend
ly terms with some of them, and they
think better of us since they know US,
as they expected to be imprisoned or
shot as soon as we captured the gar
rison, that being the fate we would
have received had the advantage been
reversed. Now they enjoy rc-e priv
ileges than we do, as we are shut up
most of the time, while they seem to
be out most of the time.
The rainy season has now passed, and
it is intensely hot during the day, but
our quarters are always cool, and we
need never expose ourselves while the
heat is on. Most of the men take a
sleep after dinner. 1t is quite cool at
night, and we could sleep with quite a
degree of comfort were it not for the
mosquitoes However, we will soon
have mosquito netting issued TO us, and
with this over the cane-bottomed beds
or hunks we have, we will be quite
comfortable We may have to stay
here during the whole of our enlist
ment, but l hope not, as we might have
been sent to a worse place
The climate here is much more agree
able than that of San Francisco. How
ever, the fruit is inferior, but this is
because it is not properly cultivated,
and as a consequence it is all small
and lacks the fine flavor found in ours
grown in southern United States and
Honolulu The population here is made
up of all classes and races of people.
The natives are the most numerous,
with a large share of Chinese and Jap
anese. Among the white races the
rank first in numbers, Ger
mans next, with a few Englishmen and
Americans scattered about.
Manila is quite a picturesque old city,
with its moss-grown walls and
churches. and it's narrow streets, run
ming in all directions. The old town OF
Manila is separated from the new by
large wall of masonry about 80 feet
thick and Is high. This is surrounded
by an old moat spanned by two or
three bridges on one side and the ocean
on the other. In this old city nearly
all the Spanish soldiers are located.
They have a fine hospital, and 1t is
we'll filled with the wounded, there be-
ing about 1000 or 1000 patients: We
are allowed to visit this hospital, and
the poor wounded fellows seem to en-
10y our company. They call us to them
and talk, trying to make us under
stand. explaining how they were
wounded, and trying to exchange SOU
venirs, such as buttons, cross-guns,
etc. Most of them were drafted into
the service of their government, and
thew don't know why we volunteered;
they do not understand our methods,
and think it strange that our govern
nent can raise so many soldiers with
out forcing them into the service of
the army.
The general condition of things here
IS about 100 years behind the United
States. but in some respects the peo-
Die are up to date; they have no rail-
-oads, and the only means of locomo-
ion is in their little carriages drawn
)v ponies no larger than the Shetlands
We have at home. The natives among
he country classes use carts drawn
Nv water buffalo or yak, which is the
proper name. These animals are as
slow as oxen, and can pull consider
ible load for their size.
The natives are small race of peo-
BE. somewhat like Chinese, but with
larker skins and more savage. Some
# them are quite intelligent, but the
treat majority are ignorant, as the
Spaniards have, instead OF educating
hem. made them more savage, and
IS a consequence they are degenerating
Ill the time. The more l see of them
he more l hate them. Nearly all of
hem. besides smoking, chew what is
allied a beetle nut, which destroys
heir teeth and makes their mouths
lirty and red. Nearly every man, wo-
nan and child smoke cigars and cigar
ties. You can see small children go
ne around with cigars in their mouths
hat look as though they would over
balance and tip them over.
But although these natives are small
hey can carry a large load. One often
ees women going about with large
baskets of fruit on their heads, weigh
ng so or 20 pounds. The men can carry
90 or 900 pounds fastened to the ends
# a stick resting on their shoulders.
saw four Of them carrying a large
,iano in this way, and as this is the
My means of transfer in the cities, !
ne can always see a crowd of men |
oaded with furniture, sacks of wheat |
r rice, large dry goods boxes, kindlins |
wood, coal and all manner of articles.
There is a little pony street car run
ing down the principal streets, and |
his is about the only means of loco |
notion that can be furnished cheaply. |
he principal streets are paved with |
ranite cobbles. The lower streets dur |
ng the rainy season are covered with |
foot or two of water. Both the |
treets and sidewalks are narrow. Two |
ersons can hardly walk side by side !
own the sidewalk, and If you meet any |
ne coming from the opposite direction |
GU have to go single file or push them |
IF the walk. They are crooked, and |
I'm and twist in all directions. The |
ouses are long and low. seldom more |
han two stories high, except the towers |
nd church steeples, and these are not |
uilt very high, as we have heavy
here quite often, and they
-ould destroy "a tall building. There is
large, muddy river running through |
ne center of the town, which part is