The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-22

TaaSmEch as various conflicting and
somewhat vague statements have APP
p~ared recently concerning the climatic
and hygienic conditions in the Philippines.
and IN view OF the fact that widespread
interest is felt Just cow In these matters
On account OF troops embarking. the Post
InteLigeneer yesterday sought an inter-
view with Columbus T. Tyler. who lived
for Sex years in the islands. Mr.. Tyler
said:
The mention OF the word tropics seems
20 be productive OF horrid nightmare
among people who are preparing 10 visit
tropical countries or VINO have friends GO
Ing there They conjure up al manner
OF visions OF epidemic and contagious dis
eases. and shudder with horror as they
think Of the countless thousands who are
swept away by the plague. They think of
earthquakes and poisonous serpents on
lands and of sharks In the sea- To one
who has had experience Of years of actual
residence in these countries all this is
laughaale- The widespread prevalence OF
these ideas seem to be due, in part at
least, to the fact that travellers and writ
eEs returning from tropical ATTITUDES have
found people already given over TO such
preconceptions and have catered to them
rather than attempt the apparently i'm
possible task OF correcting them. A friend
OF mine who had been for nearly twenty
years In the Philippines himself pleaded
guilty to such a course, telling me that he
found people so determined 10 believe hor-
rible things about the islands that he had
INDUCED them by narrating more than one
hIood-curdiing story
4 Good Climate.
ITO speak honestly TO the friends and
relatives of our soldiers who are soon TO
leave for the Philippines. I can say that
would as soon, and / think as securely,
enter upon residence of six or eight
years in those islands as I would for a
similar period upon Puget sound. and /
think we shah all agree that that is say
ing good deal. To be sure. the climate
there is extremely hot, the average daily
temperature In the shade be.1s between
IS and 30 Fahrenheit. But with this must
be considered that the climate is almost
absolutely equable, and that the dress and
home life is studledly adapted TO such
condition OF temperature. Protection from
the climate and from any sickness Incl
dent thereto depends closely upon this.
and 1t viii be found that those foreigners
going to tropical climates and dying there
have met their fate through willful or
ignorant neglect of the rules prescribed
for them by old inhabitants.
AS an illustration of the folly OF such
neglect. permit ME 10 cite the case of a
gentleman of considerable prominence and
reputation. whose name has frequently
appeared in Eastern periodicals discussing
the Philippines and deciaiming against the
bad hygienic conditions there. This gen.
tleman came 10 the islands while / was
there, in the fall of 1857, in company with
others, on a scientific expedition. / had
ance on their trip southwark. On taeir re-
turn j was sorry 10 find some of them in
bad physica. condition, and This gentle
man especially apparently completely filed
with fever. / found upon questioning that
these conditions existed purely and SIM
ply from Il ueSIect or the coInmODeSt pre-
cautions taken by those wandering about
in the tropics. He had been going abou,
at all times during the day with a COM
mon heavy felt hat on his head, absolute
iy no protection from the heat Of the suns
rays. and had apparently tried to find
upon how little sustenance his stomach
could he maintained for long time. How
ever. Il is not probable that our soldiers
VIII be forced to do jungle work. Their
time vii. naturally be spent in the seaport
towns and Ia the few interior upland
strongholds where there presence may be
necessary TO maintain the supremacy OF
our flag.
Daily Home Life.
The daily life In the cities is one OF
comfort and ease 10 the foreigner. In
fact II Is often said that life of a few
years In the tropics, with its freedom from
care and manual labor. totally units one
fer return to colder countries The early
morning bath with the lighs 'desayuno.'
or cary morning breakfast, is followed
by office duties from O'Clock till noon
cruited in the regular army during the