The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-12
A Gilt Edge Mans Impression of
e. the Filipinos.
A LETTER FROM J. B. RITCH
An Interesting Description OF Condi-
lions IN the Philippines-rrying TO
Get Back to Montana-The
Gilt Edge Contingent.

ham Of Gilt Edge. The post mark is
Cavite:
Your welcome letter. which both by
Its photography n chirography gives
such eloquent evidence as to the Jag
you were toting at the time of it's writ
ing. was received two days ago. and j
can assure you that / am more h
glad to know that the old gang are
on earth and kicking as hard as ever.
A letter is a treat in this country. I
have seen M newspaper. dated Aug.
]. since / came here. / wrote to Was
son a short time ago and you will
know by this letter of our trip across
the ocean and arrival here. so that II
is unnecessary for me to repeat 1t. We
ave moved our quarters three times
since we landed and are now in the
Spanish marine barracks just vacated
by the 4th United States cavalry. They
are first class quarters and we lave
plenty OF room. There is a large hole
in the roof and another in one of the
walls where "Dooly." while in a play
full mood. threw some shells. our reg
INV NV = aihliitIg ~ it Jill
troops in Cavite now. The war is over
here as far as the Spanish are con-
cerned, but some OF our men predict
trouble with the insurgents. But 1
hardly think they will attempt to fight
with the Americans. as they have only
10000 armed men at the best, and my
impressions are that they would not
he very good fighters anyway.
We drill about two hours each day
now and about every two weeks a day
each of guard and fatigue duty. The
drills are early in the mornings and
late in the afternoons. From 3 until
3 o'clock IL Is too warm for any exer-
else but reading or card playing. I do
not know just how hot IL does get here.
but a soldier in Y company said the
thermometer went up a palm tree last
Saturday. m feels the heat more on
account of the air being so heavy and
moist. There is a great deal of sick
ness. mostly typhoid and malarial fe-
vers. One of our boys died the 5th. He
was from Belt and a splendid fellaw.
His name was William O'Leary and
he was a X. Of p. i'm good standing.
We buried him at the marine hospital
burying ground. and our captain Is
going to have The company fix up his
grave nicely. Company A OF Great
Falls has lost three men since we came
here. / have been very well, though.
d1u am SolHB 10 Try 10 OH DICK 10
Gilt Edge some day with a load Of guf
that will MAKE you tired. And. by the
way, dear William, I want to tell you
something. If you are going to leave
Montana, don't do II. ] ave not seen
any country in travelling 5000 miles
that beats the Treasure state. and I'll
own up, my heart often yearns with
a big mans size year, for the welcome
sight of a snow drift. These tropical
countries are all right for Kanakas and
Malayas, but for a white man they
are everlastingly too slow. Even a
Son. whose only aim in life is to find
sweet. u~ndisturbed rest. becomes irri-
tated by a country and people who are
at least 100 years behind the rush.
These people here are a study for me.
They do not appear to have any par
ticular aim in life. only to exist. Work
is very repulsive to the male part Of
the population and the women do
nearly everything. The government
has a few of the men at work in the
navy yard. and some of them, PROB
ably so. have n pony n two-wheeled
rig, called a ~collasa, or cart, and do a
hack business. i have not seen a pony
here which would weigh more thar coo
pounds and seldom one hat weighs
more than 500 pounds. The men who
rave no ollas or do not work in the
navy yard. do not do anything but fish
a little. or once in a great while
has an inspiration. u from his
lethargy. rushes frantically forth into
the forest, secures for himself a dozen
cocoanuts. a bunch of bananas, FIVE or
six pepinos. and upon his return TO
the city, he engages in a mercantile
business, whereby the poor poverty
stricken soldier is beguiled into part
ing with his last centavos upon the as
surance of the willy Filipino that they
- ~ -.l I..a - g. l.. -.
err his first stock of fruit is sold he le-
lapses into the old don't care any
way" / have a strong abiding belief
that there is among the F~ilipinos a
large and growing order of the Sons
of Rest, but thus far l have beef I'M
able to get onto their work" They
do not use any of the high signs 1
know. I believe hat fully so per cent.
OF these people are afflicted with syph-
little and scrofulous diseases. i never
saw an Indian camp that was one
fifth as bad as Is this whole popula-
ton. One cannot know without see
ing them how disgusting they are.
There are some Chinese here. too. and
they are all big, strong fellows, much
larger and stronger, as a rule, than we
have them in America. The Filipino
soldier is cleaner than his civilian com
patriot, but they do not drill or appear
70 rave much idea of military tactics.
They have a large number OF Spanish
prisoners at different places near here.
Thirteen OF these prisoners escaped
two nights in a boat n come into
our lines. They tell horrible stories
Of murders m cruelties practiced on
them by h Filipinos. There Is not
much in favor of these poor devils.
only hat they We're here first. The
climate here does not compare favor
bly, with that of the Hawaiian ISL
ands and is not healthy for English or
Americans. / think / have probably
seen the worst part of the islands.
though. as / have not been able TO get
over TO Manila yet. n I rear that
IL is a very nice city. II will have "a
be a long way ahead OF Cavite TO be
anything. You can have an idea OF
the progressiveness OF the Cavitan
when I tell you the lights in their
street lamps are what we call in Mon
tana a bitch" that is a cup Of grease