The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-12-19
WITH THE FILIP|N0S
The Boys Take q Trip Into the
Interior.
NATIVES WERE FRIENDLY
Nothing Was Too Good for the Ameri-
a soldiers-An Interesting Let
ter From Private Grindrod
OF Company L

island Of Luzon to people in this part
of the state is one by Private Grindrod
of Company 1 to Halsey r.. Watson Of
Lewistown. In It there is apparently no
effort at fine writing. and the result is
that the reader feels the situation in
that far country much more keenly. N
part it reads as follows:
A few days age a party of Company
j men was organized to cross the bay
and to penetrate a few miles into the
interior. hoping to gain a more extend
ed knowledge of the Philippines than
is afforded by the cities of Manila inc
Cavite. In the party were WEIGH,
Grant, Cordeiro. Shugart and myself.
We hired a native boatman to take us
across the bay to Bacoor on the oppo-
site side, and back again, for the sum
of a peso y media" which amounts to
about rs cents in American money.
This was as well as we could do with
the Filipinos down on the beach, and
we concluded these terms.
As we walked along the road the IA
tives would come to the windows of
their bamboo huts and accost us with
n Good morning" This is about the
lutl tAttflt VI thtA hIo"l tbSt VI TITS
lish. but they appear to take great
pride in showing off their linguistic at
tainments. Their huts are very har1 to
describe. but these who saw the village
of Dahomey on the Midway Plaisance
will have a fair idea of What they look
like. Occasionally n of the natives
would come out and converse with us
as well as signs and our extensive
Spanish vocabularies would permit US
to do. We have all been applying our
selves to the study of Spanish. and can
talk with the natives with more or less
success. After a while one of the ma
tives would suddenly disappear into his
hut and in a few minutes reappear with
such relics in his hand as a machete or
a Mauser bayont. These they offered to
sell us for a peso apiece.
Almost at every turn of the road we
were overwhelmed with evidences Of
the good will and friendship which the
natives bear for the Americans. I do
not think this applies so strongly to
A~guinaldo's army. nor to the people liv-
ing in the cities; but II is certainly true
of the people living in the country,
who are grateful for the part played
by our government in emancipating
them from Spanish rule. AS we passed
along we frequently heard the excla-
nation, Americana. mucho b%ueno,"
and amigo" two ways of expressing
good will and friendship. At several
places we were invited in to partake
of the hospitality of the table. but de-
clined them all until we stopped in
front of a yard from which were issu-
ing und of music. We entered at
the invitation of the owner of the place
and took seats. There was quite a
number of natives i'm there at the tim1.
both male and female. and the company
was soon swelled by the appearance
upon the scene of several i%nsurgent SOL
diers. Upon a chair, singing To the ac-
compartment of a guitar. sat an old
blind beggar, who strongly reminded
me of SCOTS wandering minstrel. We
tossed a few coins into his hat and
quite won the heart of our host, a
genial. whole-souled old fellow. by such
action. The blind minstrel then sang a
song. with stanzas enough to throw
Gray's elegy into the shade. the burden
OF which appeared to be the disaster
TO the Spanish fleet. Vt the conclusion
of the song, fearing another n like IL,
we arose to go, but our host pressed us
TO remain and eat something from bis
table. Sam Grant was at first inclined
not to eat at all. but his objections
were overruled. Our company sat down
on one side and at the ends of the table,
and on the other side were seated the
two fairest senor,tas for miles around
No one else sat down. We We're a lit
tie puzzled at this at first. but conclud-
ed that IL was the custom of the coun-
try. The two senoritas were not at all
like your coy giddy American girls;
they proceeded To the work before them
without any sign of embarrassment.
and when the meal was over lit their
cigarettes and pulled away with deep
enjoyment. We were not furnished
with knives or forks, so we ate with
our fingers. following the native Gus
tom Not succeeding very well in this
NAV thpU brought M SnAOnG and then
il was a caution to see the way the
piles Of rice and chicken and hash dis
appeared. The rest of the company in
the meantime had gathered around The
table and were watching the perform
ance with a great deal of interest. We
did the meal full justice. Sam Grant,
the man who was so averse to eating
victuals cooked with native hands. w6s
among the last to leave the table, and
the rest of us, who had no such scru-
plies. were also among the last to leave
the table. We then, after kindly thank
ing our host. withdrew and proceeded
upon u journey. AT this
place we saw several Spanish prison.
ers on parole. AS a rule the insurgents
treat their captiVes with the most in
human barbarity. but here their pris-
oners are allowed a great deal OF free
dom. and. judging from their appear
ance, are fairly well fed. Strangely
enough. few of them ever attempt 10
escape. although the best of opportu-
mites are thrown in their way to make
a bold dash for the American lines,
where they are assured OF protection
and good treatment. A few weeks ago,
however. this thing was attempted by
the Spanish prisoners in Cavite. with
success. and I have heard Of no in
stance I'm which the government has re-
turned the prisoners.
Some Of the Spanish soldiers tell
stories of thrilling experiences and
hairbreadth escapes that would harrow
up the soul They occurred about the
time that the natives last tool up arms
against Spain. A Spaniard was then
considered the lawful prey of all whom
he met; he was hunted TO the death
by the natives. who, determined to
avenge their ancient wrongs. pursued
him with remorseless vengeance. A