The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1899-01-26
Extracts From the Let
ters Home of Woodson Jeffreys,
a Weiser Boy.
FROM A SOLDIERS VIEW.


By the kindness of Mrs. Jeffreys
the SIGNAL is enabled to give its
readers number of extracts from
letters received from Woodson JEFF
freys serving in the Idaho Volunteers
in Manila. The letters are cheerful
and newsy, containing much matter
of general Information, part of which
we reproduce below. We also have
received No. / Vol. l, The Soldiers
Letter an illustrated Monthly, Maga-
zine, and No. 13 Vol. of The Ameri-
can Soldier, a weekly review, both
edited and published by Ameri
can volunteers in Manila.
MANILA, Aug 13, '98-It has
been raining for three days and
nights Back of the barracks it looks
like the field across the river in June,
the rice being about a foot high the
natives are about frozen to death
Irish potatoes are q luxury here, but
Cinnamon peddle radishes, onions,
etc. 1t is rumored that we are to
get turkey for Thanksgiving.
Nov 2.1S9S. S.-You can see good
games of baseball here till you are
tired. | will soon be ashamed of be-
longing to the Idaho's; we were
beaten by the Oregonians 16---1 and
by Minnesota, 81 The Idaho
band is one of the best and we get
plenty of music. | do not think
we will have any trouble with the
Filippinoes, their army has done
everything Uncle Sam has asked it to
do. | was at a native dairy yester-
day. 1t takes two to milk a COW,
which they do on the wrong side, one
holding the animal while another
milks into glass Milk only costs
81 so a gallon. Yesterday was All
Saints Day Spanish Decoration day
an immense crowd was packed in the
cemetery and at night it was great
sight to see from two to eight candles
burning in front of each vault.
Nov 10, 1898 We always
look anxiously for the mail steamer
The Filippinos are away ahead OF
any other people in music. They
read music like print and will play
any song or tune you can whistle
Immediately after you. Their instru-
ments are mostly fageolets ant
claironets. This country is mountain
Gus and well timbered, the houses
being generally built of fine woods
mahogany, etc. There are a few
horses, but water buffaloes are mostl,
used for work | cannot find out til,
value of town property, but farming
land is cheap. The principal pro
ducts are rice and hemp. 1t is sale
farming is the most profitable busi
ness here; merchandise has, however
received a great stimulous sine
Americans have come here. TaXe
are unreasonable; $25 on q buffal,
and cart and SIS on a horse and car
and on other things in proportion
The natives are straight and short
early risers but lazy. One American
can do as much as three natives
they are very anxious to learn ou
language and ways They say ther
= is plenty of gold III the hills, bu
{. the Spaniards were too lazy to min
it. An English company has mil
. running back in the hills and mad
money until they were taxed out o
existence. Whatever development
= have been made here in any busines
i have been done by Germans am
English. Never worry about u
having any more fighting, the Flip
|, pinos are making too much none
off the Americans to have troubl
d with them.
d Nov. Yesterday, Thanksgiy
ing, was great day with us; it too
Z, all night to prepare dinner-ten turk
!. les and eight chickens besides othe
things. We had plenty of everything
> The city is supplied with water b
,, the city water works; in the counir
the people have wells a few fet