Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1899-10-17
MORE PHILIPPINE LETTERS
Extracts from personal letters
MoRONG. PHILIPPINE ISLANDS,

MORE PHILIPPINE le iSNS-
Extracts from personal letters
MoRONG, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS,
july -, 1893.
AT last have a few minutes 10 myself
and will improve them BY writing TO
you. Have had my hands full since the
men went away, for at present i am
nurse, doctor, cook. steward snd clerk.
Last night the commanding officer saw
boats In the lake and thought they were
insurgents, 40 at 10 z N. sent word to
the men here isbout 50 of Us, 10 get
guns and ammunition by their side, SO
In case OF an attack We could rally AZ
once. OF course II caused little ex-
element aud sleeplessness among the
men.
am surprised 20 think they don't at
tack "a. As there are lots OF stores here
and no one 70 defend them. All we
could do would be 10 get into the church
and defend ourselves. The Filipinos
are allowed 10 90 where they please, 80
could easily send spies here.
There is lots of mail from the United
States AZ Manila, but we have no way OF
getting IL, as the boat Is with the troops
10 shell the shore towns so our men can
land. Don't do any worrying on my
account. a. | am well as one could wish
and well contented.
The commanding officer snd sdjutsnt
lust came In, looked everything over,
passed comments on condition OF drugs,
etc, asked lots OF questions, which i
seemed 10 answer TO their satisfaction,
and then left.
Tell Gene l took little target prsc-
tice this afternoon with nv 3s-cslibre
revolver, with results quite satisfactory
three cats and one dog less 10 howl all
night.
We get fresh fish occasionally from
the fishermen, who catch them IN nets.
They are different from any / ever saw
in the states, weigh about 4 pounds, aud
are almost round, the tail fin being no
wider than the end Of the fish, the head
much like q clubs.
Don't know when | can mail this az
there Is no knowing when boat will
come in.
August 5.-My birthday. Am %.
Wonder how old | shall be when l see
YOU again, When | last wrote all the
men except the sick had gone on fight
ing trip, and WAS left behind 70 take
charge OF the hospital. They had big
fight, captured the city, decided 70 gar
rison that place and leave this one, so
sent Us word 70 pack up and move. We
got packed but no boat came for Us, so
we have been living on what we could
flud for the last five days. Yesterday
we caught two caribou, so have had
fresh meat since.
Hurrsh, the boat has come. I'll
finish after ] get there.
Friday, Aug. IL, 5 p. My first
chance 20 finish this. We did not get
here until the 7th. l was put In charge
OF the kitchen as soon as we got here. 1
got two letters from you, the last dated
June u. Have all the work ] can do
from 80, A. M, until 80, P. Mover
forty patients in the hospital 70 cook
for, besides the corps men.
Was greatly surprised when | got
here. Had heard that this was = large
city like Manila, but IL Is like all the
rest, nothing but huts for the natives TO
live In, but good public buildings and
church. The hospital Is in what was 8
convent.
Guess the insurgents hate TO give up
this place. They shoot on our men
every night and about I A. NJ. see
them quite often from nv back door in
the kitchen. They are poor shots and
seldom hurt any one. We have q good
building for a hospital, and things are
quite handy. The kitchen is quite large
and we get along first rate. Cooking
for over sixty now.
Calsmba. z. L., Aug. l9.-lt Is raining
10 beat the band, snd il beat IL too, for
they were 20 give q concert here to-
night, bat the rain stopped them. Ii Is
raining so hard il Is splsshing the pa
per; and the thunder,-Holy Smoke! IL
lars the whole hospital, so the dirt is
rafting of the beams overhead.
Don't worry about me, i couldn't get
hurt IL | wanted 20. Every time the
2lst have been out without me they
have had q scrSpe, but as sure a. 90
that is the end OF the scrspe-not 8 mig
ger in sight except friends
No news to write, so will tell you how
q native builds his house There Is one
close by partly finished. They drive
large timbers into the ground, which
answer for underpinning and frame
work. then finish the roof before any
other work Is done. This shelters the
workmen, also protects the rest Of the
work from getting wet. The first floor Ia
about five feet from the ground and
reached oy q narrow ladder: only one
entrance. The floor is made Of split
bamboo about one inch wide and one
eighth OF an inch apart, thus letting In
air and keeping the house cool.
All their cooking II done in kind OF
fireplace, everything being either boiled
or fried.
More than a week since I commenced
this. Am still in the kitchen and get
ting ist-weigh li3. We 90, some fresh
mutton, so bad q fne supper. Make
hot biscuits every night. Our usual
fare ; potatoes and bacon for full diet,
oatmeal and coffee for light diet, and
matted milk and crackers for the sickest-
As soon as one man leaves for duty,
another takes his place, thus keeping the
hospital full sll the time.
Night before last the "Diggers" fired
a few shots at US, and one struck this
building-nothing hurt. Ia return We
sent them message in the shape OF
3-ineh exploding shell which stopped
their nonsense for the rest Of the night.
Next day we sent four more after them
and they-ran away.
The other cook has gone TO bed and L
guess he wishes would do the same, 30
lights could be put out. Write often.
Good night
CUR C. BEAN,
Hospital Corps, 2lst Infantry,
Manila, p. L.