The Springdale news., 1898-10-21
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Another Interesting Letter from
 c. B. Lininger

FORD.-In my last let'er ] told you that 1 would write you when we captured Manila and tell you just how we did 1T, bu, our entrance into the city was so uneventful that 1 had given np the idea of writing at all If we had been more careful and not frightened the life out of the Spaniards we might have had different story to tell But l guess they had a right to be scared, for when we left our trenches and charged the fort we yelled like lot of wild Indians, and when We marched through their fort and made for their barricades where they had fallen back, we sang "There'll Be a Hot Time in the Old Town," and our pand keep ing up, playing "Star Spangled Banner" and "Dixie," they couldn't stand the racket. IL was too much for their nerves, and they got back into the city and put up white flags. When we got into the city we found business at standstill, but l could not see anyone that look ed half as hungry as felt. As soon as the people found out we had charge of the city and was patroling every street, stores were thrown open and natives began bringing in the products of the plantations and everything was moving along nicely.
 Manila is we'll fortified The old town called the" Wall ed City" has wall twenty feet high and from twenty to one hundred feet wide, md here are forty-tive thousand people hv- ing within these wallis. The whole city is well protected, and the thIee hundred thousand people living outside the walls are protected by heavy artil- lary. If we boys could have seen how strong the city was fortified we would not have been so sure of capturing 1t in few hours. Admiral Dewey dld not use any of his large guns in the battle. If he had turned the monitor Monterey loose there would have been some hew streets opened up in the city of Manila. Our troops are doing the police duty here. We keep good order and have not had much trouble of any kind The boys make very good policemen. We have been very fortunate on this trip so far, have not had much sickness and bu1 few killed or wounded. It is remarkable how well the boys are after a month in wet camp and par, of the time sleeping in the We, and muddy trenches. The wet season is about over and now comes hot weather. Don't know how we will stand the hot season but guess we will have chance to find out. Our soldiers are quartered all over the city and our company ha. as swell quarters as can be found anywhere, the only trouble is sleeping on these nice hard floors. We are still getting government rations and It Is pretty tough on a fellow. Eat side meat might do for a cold climate, but 1t doesn't go very well here. Fruit is cheap and we eat good deal, but not too much for the doctors say II ls unhealthy. When We left Frisco we received a l,.t of general orders, but we have been compelled to disobey all of them but one, and that is, "don't overload your stomach" " That is the only law of health that we have not broken.
 l guess that our fighting here is over, except to fight mos. quitoes. We have some of the largest mosquitoes here that you ever saw. You would think that you had fallen into a mine and that they were bor ing you with a diamond drill.
 When l get home 1 will tell you of some of the drawb backs of a soldiers life in the Philip pines.
 Nnupc fru1v