The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1898-09-02
FROM MARlUs MARCELLUs.

A war letter TO Prof. Schmitt of the
college.
OAvrE ARSENAL, CAvIrE, p. l., July 26
1898.
As learned this evening that o mai
is going to leave the islands for the U. S
on Thursday or Friday. decided to dc
what have intended doing ever since
left home, and that is to drop you shor,
epistle. to you who have been nv friend
the last year.
We ARRIVED, as yon know, in Cavite,
after a long and tedious, but neverthe-
less dlightful trip. on the 2sth day oi
June, nearly one month ago. There Is q
email party of us boys gathered around
an old school.desk, which We took out OF
one OF ths old buildings that was used as
school house by the Spanish. writing
letters 10 our mothers and friends
Cavite is an old and quaint town with
a high surrounding wall about l0x2u # g.
1t is probably $50 years old and in it's
prosperous days was very substantial and
well fortified. in fact. ii il were equipped
with modern guns and the right kind of
soldiers. American Volunteers lorinstance,
the whole world would have q very dif.
ficult task entering, by nature she is q
fort, being at the entrance OF q very mar
row part oi Manila bay and surrounded
on the other three sides by swamps,
which are uncrossable by any human Oe-
ing. With the exception OF one small road
which could be well guarded by modern
guns. am not speaking OF Caviie itself
and not the entire island, you see. At
one timethe Arsenal has been beautiful
place with It's old and large stone build
ings with thick walls and tiled roofs sur
rounded with much foliage. plants and
flowers of g peculiar nature, peculiar /
mean to the eye OF one from temperate
climate, it's many drive-ways and wind
ing paths give it the appearance OF some
beautiful palace gardens you have
dreamed of or read Aboul. In fact, in
time. this could be made one Of the most
beautiful spots of the world. And they cay
Manila is just go much pretter no wonder
the boys are all anxious 10 move towards
that coveted spot, and ] think that We
coon shall as Gent Merritt has arrived on
the scene OF action, II being very little
action though since we arrived.
This is way long after TAPS" and
the Hospital corps boys are snoring all
around us.
The building that We are auartered in
is of the came kind Ms have * enlionei,
being an old Spanish chapel abaut
l(oxi0xS0 IL. in size. sepaE ated into Two
parts By an arch. The par; that we use
for our hunks and dispensary is about
cne-third the size OF the building while
the other two-thiTds - used Tor q hos
pital, at present We have only IL patients
in the hospital and - in quarantine. OF
course this number varies every day.
/ know exactly as 10 the health OF the |
boys, which is very. very good, as you
can zee from the mum ber CT sick, because /
have charge oil ell The sick Fepo' 10. reg /
listers, etc. am whA: you might cAsl a /
hospital clerk, but OF course. am, as you |
know. . very poor one. This honor, II |
you may call II such, Was conferred upon
me by Major Ellis shortly after cur ar !
rival on the leland.
Now, q ieE words before closing about /
these natives End their ways. They be- !
long 10 the Malay or Brown race, with |
fiat noses and coarse brown hair that you /
study about in r ysieAl Geography IS in. |
hAbiting all the South Sea Isies. They !
are funny looking lit:Ie creatures, with !
very odd clothing and wavs. We in their |
are "Mucho Grandi," mean !
ing big men. and 10 tell the truth they |
are afraid of ~ / suprose they think |
We are some kind OF foreign devils just /
made 20 6ghi, for that 10 all they ,t;nk a |
man is for. They say Americana Ct !
Philippine omega" meaning friends. |
while "Hispanoia, Philippine boon |
boom " meaning that the SpAniHrds |
who were once very oppressive and ]
treacherous are now their particular enc
my and they will kill Them whenever they /
have q chance. To demonstrate this .you |
ought to hear the fighting across the Bay |
every night, for they fight at night, and /
hear them tell OF how they have the !
Spaniards surrounded in Manila, With !
nothing for them TO eat. rher have |
about 500 prisoners here n the Arsenal !
and n il was not Tor Admiral Dewey and /
Uncle sAm"they would fare even worse !
than they do in Manila. The native wo- |
men are horrible looking things. going |
around with about q dozen kids" hang.
ing around them. AS they 90 along
with baskets Of fruit and stuff on their |.
heads for they are he working class. .tthe
men you know hghtl they give one the
idea OF . monkey or baboon with an old
rag OF Two tied around them waking up
right. The children are practically
naked. Yod zee they now occupy the
town which the Spaniards formerly &C.
tupied and they come in end out oil those
buildings as thick as bees.