The San Francisco call., 1898-09-24
GALLANTRY IN
 WAR AND PEACE Heroism of the Cali fornia Volunteers. DARING DEEDS IN THE FIELD CoNGRESSMEN MAY REWARD
 MEN WHO FOUGHT. Individual Acts of Bravery During the Battle at Manila That Can-
 not Escape Special
 Recognition.
CONGRESSMEN MAY REWARD
 MEN WHO FOUGHT.
BY PRIVATE FRED A. HEALY.
Special Correspondence of The Call.


 MANILA, Aug. 28-As the news of peace has been received the boys of the second Battalion have come to the con- cIuslon that they are in for a long term of garrison duty, and as they wish to get as much fun out of life as possible, and as there is plenty of ma terial among the rank and file of the battalion to supply any amount of good clean fun, they have decided to utilize 1t and give entertainments every two weeks or so both for their own arnuse- ment and for the sake of showing these people down here that the American soldier can be just as pleasant com panion in time of peace as he can be terrible in time of war.
 Last evening (Saturday) the initial one of this contemplated series of hos pitalities occurred. It took the form of literary and musical entertainment. and though 1t had been got up in hurry, and was in fact an impromptu a-eair, it met with unqualified suc- cess, and when at last it was over every fellow who attended 1t went to his bed like Oliver Twist with 8 keen desire for more. All of the talent that participated came from the rank and file. The speeches, two in number, were delivered by Colonel Smith and Major Slime.
 The affair was held in what in ante bellum days had been the residence of princeiy Chinese merchant of Manila. The house is a two-storied structure with court yard and fountain in the middle, around which are built the suites of sleeping apartments, din- ing rooms, parlors, billiard and card rooms, etc. Two companies of the bat talion are quartered on the lower floor. while the upper floor is used by the off, cers of the battalion as their own quar- ters.
 l am at loss to giv- you description that will really picture to your minds eye the sort of a place Manila really IS. But if you can imagine an amalga- nation of Chinatown and Barbary Coast and then people such a delight full district with lazy and dishonest Spaniards, treacherous Filipinos and diseased Chinamen, you will come pretty near describing the place we have been fighting for two months to get into.
 As to the people. The Spaniards are as rule. fine-looking men in a coarse, bloated sort of a way. They are very polite. but the cruelty that turks in the corners of their dark eyes does much to dispel the effect produced by their soft speech, and goes long way to- ward confirming the tales we have been told of their inhuman treatment of those who were unfortunate enough to first incur their enmity and then fall under their power. The few Spanish women are poor, pallid scurvy- looking creatures and not to be mentioned in the same breath with our own lovely girls at home. As for the natives, they are about the nearest thing to the brute creation that humanity has to be ashamed of, and are not worth as much serious consideration as an Arizona set tier would give to a drunken Apache.
 The streets here would be alleys in