The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1898-05-11

be deserted in twinkling if the word
goes around that there is a cooking
main. Every town has its pits At
Manila the audience numbers thou
sands, aud the government revenue
from the tax on mains amounts to
hundreds of thousands. However
poor native of Luzon may he-many
of them live on $S5 a year-he always
manages to keep fighting bird; it is
recorded that ON the occasion of dres
and earthquakes the head of the house
hold has been seen flying to place of
refuge with his precious bird un-
der his arm, and leaving his wife and
children to take their chances in the
disaster.
The excitable race is prone to plot and
conspiracy. In July, 1896, a brother
hood of Malays and Chinese was form
ed to overthrow the government. Each
member on being sworn made the
"blood compact From cut III the
arm or leg the blood was drawn, and
with this blood the name of the MEM
Der was inscribed on the roll of the
Katipunan. The plot was betrayed.
The authorities laid hands on the ring
leaders, and before New Years the
prison at Manila contained 4,377 per-
sons, many of whom afterward met
their fate at the hand of firing party.
But the spirit of rebellion was not
quelled. a petition was signed by 1000
natives, Malays and half-breeds, and
was addressed to the mikado of Japan,
begging him to annex the islands
Japan had acquired Formosa, as one of
the results of the Chinese war, and
from the southernmost cape ofFormosa
to the northernmost cape of Luzon the
distance is not great. Commenting on
the petition, a japanese newspaper
which was supposed to be inspired OBJ
served: ''The revolt in Manila is really
a consequence to some extent of the
rising power of Japan in Pacific wat
ers. Having acquired Formosa and
become ambitious of a territorial and
commercial empire, the eyes of the
japanese have lately been directed tow
ard the next islands on the south. The
weakness of Spain is regarded as the
opportunity of Japan"
1t is remembered by some who met
General Grant on his return from Asia
that that far-seeing statesman predict
ed the acquisition by Japan of all the
islands lying of the Chinese coast.
When the Inikado was studying the
Philippine petition, the rebellion broke
out more fiercely than in LuzOn, though
force of ten thousand Spanish regu-
lars had been imported to suppress il.
Battles were fought at scores Of places,
and shocking massaeres ensued. Both
sides were imbued with fiendish fe-
rocity.
SCARED WITH THE "BLoOD COMPACT"
Whenever an insurrection breaks out
the captain-general calls for volunteers
to assist the regular troops a prompt
response generally comes from the ma
tives of all races and colors, but on re-
cent occasion, when the new recruits
were examined by surgeon, it was
found that most of them bore on their
arms or legs scars of the "blood COM
pact,r which showed that they were
secret members of the Katipunan.
Less than year ago the insurgent
FORCES in Luzon were said to number
forty thousand, about five thousand of
whom were armed with Mauser rifles,
the others bearing bowie-k knives, spears
and formidable bamboo lanees. They
have few cannon, mostly cast from
church bells, and a mitrailleuse or two,
fashioned from cast-ircn water pipes.
Last October they were in undisputed
possession of Cavite, San Mateo, linus
and Novalete, four miles from Cavite.
Bodies of insurgents were eneamped
within three hours march of Manila,
which they might have captured by
sudden dash.
Mr.. Foreman, who travelled through
the Islands, looking at the case from
the standpoint Of an Englishman con-
csTned for the safety of the British
millions invested in Manila and in the
sugar plantations Of the islands of Ne
gros, hopes the instruction will be
suppressed, but he cannot help remark
ing that the theoeracy which, after
three centuries of European domina-
ton, still rules the island group, has
proved failure.
Yet these islands, like Cuba, would
be veritable paradise if order could be
maintained. John Barrett, who was
United States minister TO Siam, wrote
Of them last year: "The prodigality
Of nature impresses the traveller wher-
ever he travels. In the forests he sees
ebony, logwood, ironwood, sapanwood
and cedar; between the forests and the
gardens the fruit trees, orange, mango,
tamarind, glava ahi cocoanut; in the
cultivated area, sugar-eane, tobacco,
rice, hemp, coffee, cotton, BAN
anas, vanilla, cassia, ginger, pepper.
indigo, cocoa, pineapples, wheat and
corn. The minerals include gold, cop
per, iron, coal, quicksilver and salt
petre. From the sea, mother Of pearl.
coral. tortoise shell and amber are de-
rived. The animal kingdom keeps
pace with the vegetable and the min
eral. To say nothing of the water buff
falo. the most useful beasts in the trop- |
les, goats, sheep, swine and tough little
ponies, the jungle swarms with such
variety Of fauna that the naturalist |
finds here a paradise. Snakes and |
lizards, spiders and ants, tarantulas
and erocodiies abound Strange to re-
late, there are few beasts Of prey worthy |
of note. The fora Of the country is as
rich as the fauna. The physical con-
formation of Lazon Is conducive to ex-
tensive cultivation AMI large popula-
ton The high mountain range in the /
interior gradually lowers TO the sea,
milking beautiful valleys, rolling bills,
upland and lowland, forest and field,
drained with numerous rivers, aod
dotted here and there with lakes. The
coast line is irregular, and bays aud
bayous extend far inland"
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