The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-11-15
Latest From Manila.

Latest From Manila.
The following letter from Manila, was
written by Mr.. Jay Henry, who enlisted
in Montana, and whose parents live in
Des Moines, Iowa. Mrs. Henry is
sister of Mrs. Loofbourrow and of Mrs.
A @. Mcclure, and daughter of Mr.. ].
8. johnson, deceased, of Northwood.
The letter is interesting as giving
al American boys views of the other
side of our farms.
Dear Parents: 1t hardly seems pos
sible that this September finds me in
the Philippine Islands. am not sure
that year ago I would have known
who owned these far away islands.
From what have seen of them, do
not think much of them. The climate
is too hot, and we are now in the cool
season of the year. am just out of the
hospital, where I have been having
pleasant time with malaris, and have
been giving most Of my attention to the
absorbtlon of qdinine, which still causes
my head to be rather light. You can
not imagine the welcome given to U. s
mail by soldiers here. I never was 30
tickled to receive mail in my life. Many
of the boys had not heard from their
| friends for five or six weeks. We know
absolutely nothing that is going on in
the world. The Fourth cavalry moves
to Manila this morning-we know not
why. The report is that there is trouble
with Aguinaldo's forces. You probably
know the truth, but we do not know
what is going on seven miles away. do
not think much of these natives. They
are lot of swindlers and thieves, and
about the lowest people 1 have ever
come across, 1t is nothing uncommon
, to see girl from IL to IA years of age
running around with cigar in her
mouth or chewing q beetel nut. Be-
fore was sick few of US took car
q riage and drove around Old Cavite,
: across on the island of Cavite, the Span.
ish navy yard and garrison. 1t is q
4 little island connected with the main
: island by q bridge. Old Cavite is all
h native, and built of rushes and bamboo
In the center is a market, where any
= thing cen be bought in the line of fruit
:. fish, etc. 1t is the strangest, out-of-the
Ia way place ever got into.
We made friends with some of tn,
!. natives, who wanted to learn English
ar They say Americana mucha buena"-
10 meaning the Americans are very good
a. They point to the sunken Spanish
of feet and say the came. The Spaniard
as are much smaller people than Ameri
N cans and the Philippines are smalIe
IL yet. The latter belong to the Mala.
a. race. I have learned quite a lot o
"a Spanish and if had Spanish diction
DO ary:it would help me greatly. I hav
no paper at present but leaves from th
old record books of the Spanish nav
d yard. There are churches enough her
q to accommodate everybody in this part {
q, the island, and jails enough to hold a
Re the island, it seems. The building
A. are very ancient looking-and at frs
these with the sunken a f,et were YER
" interesting but they are beginning to b
t. familiar sights. *** Garrison life
D. not 80 bad but I would prefer the ez
K. element and hardship of actual servic
D to the easy lezinees of garrison duty
at an Asiatic town full of prisoners and th
ae sick of two armies. II the rest of th
g. island is not different from Cavite wi
,e be satisfied to return to the Unite
r States whenever Uncle Sam is ready
tv send us back. The regiment receive
IN white uniforms a few days ago.
ID. looks very swell. You ought to see th
sick, Spanish prisoners, in the insurger
be hospital. They are the most starve
nd looking people ever saw. I cann'
pass by them without spending m
coppers to buy them fruit and pa
ch between the bars. They say the
,e- would rather be U. s. prisoners tbs
as Span ish soldiers.
he There are only two things in th
at country that are really alive-the fiji
h. and the mosquitoes. The flies NAL
of thems elves busy in the day time al
the moequitos are horrible at night.
send you q few curios home-one
Ied these papers is a notice torn from Il
w. door of Aguinaldo's printing Office.
of With love to all. JAY.