The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-12-15
The Quartet de Maesic,


of the timber required for the barracks
room loafer. When the guns ceased to
boom, and the enemy showed the Whlte
feather, the volunteer ceased TO burn
with a desire to carry musket ana
bow low before the terrible majesty OF
his well-paid officers.
The press has been the greatest friend
of the soldier since the war broke out
The vigorous denunciations OF the
dishonest men at the heads of different
departments have resulted in great
good to the soldiers here. There IS a
great difference in the way we are
treated now, and the way we were
treated before the papers exposing
army methods arrived; and the hearts
OF the enlisted men utter prayers of
thankfulness that there is q free press
in America, and one which recognizes
the fact that men did not swear TO
become beasts of an inferior creation
when they took the oath to serve their
country.
Whenever a crowd of boys get to-
gether they wonder why the govern
ment neglects them so terribly, and eX-
poses them to disease so wantonly.
Some of the boys are camped in houses
where the foul-smelling swamp, green
coated with decay, keeps an ever
present perfume in their nostrils.
DEATH EVER PRESENT.
The Minnesota boys are dying off like
rats. The officials seem to think that 1t
is cheaper to kill the men here than
carry them back to America, Gods own
paradise.
1t is hard to write such facts as
these, and harder still to see why they
are so. But you hear so constantly OF
the suffering soldier, and his many
troubles, that will forbear on the sub
1ect
The weather now is not hot. It is
like September in Utah. Gentle show
ers, far different from the terrible ty-
phoons which ragged during August,
combine with soft sea breezes to keep
the temperature down in the sixties.
But the number of cockroaches, spiders,
flies, bats, ants and mosquitoes has in
creased ten-fold since the pleasant
weather set in, for the animals love the
cool breezeS as well as do the men.
These animals in America keep away
from the haunts of civilization, but
here they invade every nook and cor
ner. One may sit down to a supper
in the Alhambra-a large cafe on the
river front-and see an army of ants,
marching in sets of tours across one
corner of the table, a dozen lizards
running across the ceiling in pursuit
of flies, a score of cockroaches buzzing
around the lamp, and six or seven bats
mosphere.
But the view from the Alhambra
down the river is one of the most beau
tiful sights imaginable. Hundreds Of
little canoes, each burning a tiny light,
pass up and down. The solitary fisher
man drags in his nets and fills the bot
tom of his boat with fish; large crowds
of people, representing every nation on
earth, pass over the old bridge which
marries the old city to the new. The
whole reminds one of Venice. Nor is
the Pasig the only waterway used as a
street. Almost every third street is a
canal, in which ply scores of large ca
noes, heavy laden with merchandise
The doors of the houses open right
onto the water, and to cross the street
the people jump into a passing canoe,
wait until it comes alongside another
then spring into that, and so on until
across.
BEGGING A FINE ART.
Begging is a trade in Manila There
are men and women as skilled in the
art of getting aims as are the Utah
men in the art of fighting. There is
one old bag whom / particularly re-
member 1 can tell her by her peculiar
voice. But the voice is the only thing
she doesn't change. On Monday she
sits in the church door posing as a. pal
SAEu cripple On 1uSSudN she lies DOWN
at one end of the bridge and pretends
to be blind; and so she goes on, chang
ing her disease and garb every day.
And woe to him who is generous. If
one be SO foolish as to pay these beg
gars any silver, he will be constantly
followed by a horde of them wherever
he goes, until he ceases his generosity.
Everyone in Manila uses tobacco. One
would no more live without smoking
than one could live without eating The
people, from the time they are able to
walk, to the time when they shuttle off
this mortal coil, are never without a
cigarette or cigar in their hands Even
the beggars smoke. They thrust out
one hand for aims, While holding a
large cigar in the other. I visited La
1nSular cigar factory a few days ago,
and saw them making cigars and ci-
garettes for Manila'S use The factory
employs !, 500 natives and turns out l.
POO GOO cigarettes and $50. 900 cigars per
day. Every one of these is used in
the island Of Luzon, and the factory
can't keep even with its orders. The
cigars range in price from IS to $3.50
per thousand, and the cigarettes from
l cent to 21s cents per package. Each
package contains thirty cigarettes.
ROBBING THE PRISONERS.
Our Spanish prisoners are enjoying
of miserable, ill-smelling soup a day.
Their commissary officers are as dis
honest as our own, and steal the food
Uncle Sam provides for the Spanish
soldiers. They give this food to the
restaurants where they board, in pay
ment OF their bills, and a Yankee sol
der can go into one. OF these restau-
rants and pay 81 for a dinner consist
ing of the regular government rations,
with u. S. branded on every slice OF
pork and plate of beans.
A man who fights against his coun-
try is no hero. The Spanish enlisted
men are willing to fight against their
country. Every time I enter the old
churches where they are camped, sew
eral of them ask me if there is any
chance for them to enlist in the Ameri-
can army. They ask if American Of
ficers are allowed to beat their men
and whip them. They tell how they
were brought from Spain to the Phil
ippines in chains, and how whips were
used by their officers TO drive them into
battle. When informed that any Yam
kee private would waller an officer
proper who ever struck him. or even
swore at him, their eyes sparkled
with joy, and they pleaded and begged
for me to endeavor to get them into
the army.
BATTERIES IN GOOD SHAPE.
The two batteries are now dressed in
fighting array, with their guns well
creased, and the ropes attached so that
they can play horse with them when
ever it becomes necessary.
Three days ago an alarm was sound
ed. All passes were stopped, the mer