Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-12-10


Victor +. Scofeld, former resident Of
and member of Co. of this city, ap.
peared in the Pioneer-Times of the 3rd
inst:
Manila, P. l., Oct. 81, 1898.
| / have been in the hospital three
weeks with malarial fever and came
pretty near going over the range. The
fever was up to 1l0 degrees all one af-
ternoon and they had to give me an
ice water bath. When the fever went
down it did not raise again and / am
rapidly recovering my health. am
now able to sit up and write and walk
around the ward. If get no back set
/ will soon be able to 60 back to my
company. DR.. Conant, f,rmerly of Buff
falo Gap, Custer County, who is here
with the Idaho regiment, is my doctor.
Captain Denny had severe attack of
the fever and was in the hospital q
long time. He went back to his COM
pany to soon, took a relapse and was
brought to the hospital again last night.
There is great deal of fsickness mongst
the troops. 2500 we're reported on the
sick list yesterday. There has been
seven deaths from small pox One of
the boys, belonging to Co. L, was taken
down with this disease but l have not
learned his name. Co. / has only two
men on the sick list at present. Captain
Denny and myself Since last wrote
our regiment has moved to Manila and
is quartered three miles up the Pasig
river. There are five companies includ-
ing Co. l in an old Spanish mansion.
At first eight companies were quartered
in this building but it was so crowded
that they had to move three companies
out. We have plenty of room and nice
quarters now, but the boys have to sleep
on the floor. All the other regiments
have cots. / suppose ours will get them
after while.
We have great time trading with
the natives. l have got so / can talk
their language Oingo as the boys call it,
pretty we'll. The dress Of the natives
is quite comical, the women wearing
wooden soled shoes and no stockings
Their shirts are very short and there is
about three inches between the skirt
and the waist where they try to meet
but cannot. The mems entire suit con-
sists Of pair Of knee pants. This is in
the city, in the country their costumes
are much simpler. We all want to get
back home. Some Of the regiments are
getting up petitions and sending them
to the governors of their states asking
them to try and have them mustered
out, but do not think it will do any
good. For my part / do not see what
they are keeping us here for, it is quiet
er than it is in Deadwood the night after
pay day. We would like to get home
and see some cold weather as constant
heat day and night is getting monoton-
Gus. Our regiment is now doing out
post duty, having relieved the Pennsyl-
vania regiment. None of US have been
able to get into the interior and i do
not suppose we will as the native tribes
are fighting each other and it is not safe
to go amongst them. Some of our Off
GERS tried to get to the mountains but
had to return without accomplishing
their object. The natives say there is
plenty of gold forty miles from here but
| guess We will never sec any of it.
This is no doubt good country to make
money in but is too unhealty for peop.e
to live In who were born as far north as
we were.
Many of the natives carry their pro-
duce to market on their heads or in
baskets slung on the ends of bamboo
poles which are carried across their
shoulders. Large quantities OF produce
comes down the Pasig river in canoes
In the morning about daylight the river
is black with them loaded with every.
thing from hay and cocoanuts to pigs
and chickens. There are two nice herds
of Jersey COWS near where we are sta
toned. | haye seen no nice horses,
nothing but little mustangs. none of
them weighing over 700 pounds but it is
surprising the loads they haul Most
of the heavy hauling is done with water
buffaloes. They work them single in
two wheeled cart. They are very strong
but stubborn and do not work as well
as our oxen. The boys have bought
lots ofcuriosities since pay day; knives,
guns, canes, and other odd things. l
have a curious paddock l got from
hungry Spanish prisoner for two hard
tacks.
The last mail steamer brought about
fifty tons of mail and it made happy
lot of boys got three letters and lots
of papers. The Hills boys were wild
after the papers as all were anxious 10
find out what was happening in the