The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1899-03-22

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nearly two miles along the bay side OF
the Pasig road. and reaches in width
probably $50 yards to the wooded and
native residence district which fringes
the bay.
Another feature Of the life at Camp
Dewey was the foraging, an experience
that was more enjoyable to the soldiers
who foraged than to the natives who
were foraged upon. Fresh chickens or
ducks and other eatables were naturally
in great demand. and now and then
they mysteriously disappeared from the
premises of the natives. The wood de-
tail was one which the boys always
dreaded. yet it was very important
one when it is considered that the re-
suit of the cooking depended upon the
character of the fuel supplied by the
men. At first trees were cut. and bam-
boo formed much of the fuel Later the
natives complained. and orders forbid
ding the cutting Of any timber were
issued from headquarters. It then be-
came necessary to forage for the wood
Often it was gathered on the shores Of
the bay, being the wreckage cast up
from the sea. Sometimes there were
unearthed water soaked timbers with
all sorts of figureheads and quaint carv-
ings
There are always little incidents of
camp life which. unimportant and IT.
relevant to the general work of the
army, no doubt, make interesting and
gossipy reading for the people at home.
Especially is this true in a camp on
foreign soil, amid strange conditions
and circumstances, thousands of miles
from home. In the neighborhood of the
camp are large tracts of bamboo, which
proved most useful in making our
quarters tenantable. The little "dog
tents, with the use of long bamboo
crosspieces and bamboo sticks, were
raised foot or two from the ground.
and bamboo beds were put into the
tents to enable the men to keep dry.
Bamboo beds are the only kind used in
the country districts and were purchas-
ed from the natives for Mexican dol
lar each. These and additions to the
little tents made with gum blankets,
ponchos and whatever cloth the men
could gather up made life here during
the incessant rain not all q trial Ind
disappointment but even at that camp
life is not all lone long, sweet song"
Altogether the American soldiers in
the Philippines have q genuine respect
for the fbrous bamboo, and henceforth
to them bamboo rod will awaken
other memories than those Of fishing
trip and the landing of gamy trout and
sportive bass:
Scarcely had our camp been estab-
lished on the shores of Manila bay than
the native fruit vendors set up their
stands in adjacent fields, much the same
as the suffers, hucksters and canteen
keepers gather around our camps at
home. These fruit stands of the natives
are decidedly picturesque and as numer-
Gus as they are picturesque and as rude
as they are numerous. The native fruit
stands are not, however, confined to the
camp, but are scattered quite thickly
along the public highways Indeed
nearly every native house is a fruit
stand, or rather the front porch-where
there is porch-is utilized for this pur.
pose Here the women and children,
even the men, sit all day long crying,
"Unus banana, unus centavol" or dish
ing out rice or vending cocoanuts, man
| goes or other fruit.
Before our troops came here mucl
had been said regarding the unhealth
fulness of the fruit Of the Philippines
and the soldiers were repeatedly eau
toned against it's use during the earl,
days Of our occupancy. With the frui
in sight and the commissary ration
| rather common, and not very plenty a