Cottonwood report. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1893-1901, 1898-11-11
OUR MANILA LETTER.
FRIEND WoLBERT:


/ take this op-
portunity of writing you today,
the LIST. Idaho, after sea voyage
of 35 days arrived safely in the har-
Dor Of Manila, in the waters made
famous by admiral Dewey three
months before. We are anchored
inside the blockade in the midst Of
a large fleet of merchant vessels,
transports principly, from the deck
OF our ship, Morgan city, the wrecks
of the Spanish can be seen attesting
to the prowess ofthe American sail
ors, after lying in the bay five days
we received orders to go ashore
which were recieyed with cheers for
we were all tired of the ocean and
glad to set our feet on terra-firma
again no matter what we would
have to meet.
Our camp, known as camp Dewey
was in large pea nut field and our
first duty upon our arrival was for
aging for wood, the first thing con-
nected with actual war that we
learned. we had no sooner set foot
on, at that time Spanish soil when
we were surrounded by native fruit
peddlers by the score anxious to
dispose of their wares and I can say
i'll this connection that they are
equal to their white neighbors across
the Pacific as traders.
The native PHILIPPINES are race
OF small, degenerate superstitious
people three hundred years behind
the times. The women I should
Judge are from Al to 5 feet tall and
weigh from 75 to 100 pounds, while
the men are from 4 to inches tall
ef, and weigh from 10 to 20 pounds
more. Although small and appar-
emily weak, a native will carry more
on his back than two six. foot Amer
ican soldiers.
[ have seen two little scrawny,
scruby, shriveted natives carry two
thousand rounds Of ammunition for
four miles; and have seen one
man carry a load Of green grass
that I could hardly lift, one hun
DIR ed pounds is the average load for
the average PHILIPPINE, or Filipano
as they spell it here, and they will
jog along with such O. load in way
that is amazing; faster than l want
to travel empty handed.
AS an example of their supersti-
tious beliefs will say their chief
Aguinaldo. before the final struggle
here, that is shortly after the naval
battle gave each of his soldiers a
SIN all piece of paper upon which a
figure sWere written. Ii they swal-
lowed this he assured them they
would not be pierced by the enemys
bullet; and they all believe it.
They say bullet will come with
in six inches OF their breast and
then drop straight to the ground.
Native huts are all built of bam-
boo and thatched with coarse grass,
all buildings are from 2 to8 feet
above the ground to Nuke them as
cool as possible as every breath of
air must be utilized, and then there
is shortage especially during the
middle of the day; the evenings
and nights are generally endurable
and if mosquitoes are not too num-
erous. one can sleep fairly well.
This is a tropical city, bananas,
cocoa nuts and spices can be seen
growing from the window where 1
am sitting. Streets are all narrow
at least all 1 have seen, not more
than 40 feet, and, sidewalks about
four feet, to marrow for two men to
walk side by side, on account of
these narrow streets it frequently is
difficult to get through at such
times, all you can hear is "gang-
way" the only english the majority
of the natives have learned, but
they make use of these two words
when eyer they possibly can, all
the houses are of the oriental style
exclusively, have seen no house
built on; the American plan, built
as l said up from the ground, very
little glass is used in fact none is
needed, the roof projecting over from
A to six feet. The sides are made in
sections and so fixed that almost
the whole side of building from
three feet above the floor can be op-
ened, a shingle ROOF is something