The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-03-17
\ VOLUNTEERS VIEWS
Scott Gard Writes Entertainingly
About His Experience in the
Ancient Eastern City
of Manila.
Manila, Jan. 81, 1859.


from you, although it was a little sc.
we're in some respects, but | guess 1t
was about all true. Another six
months in Frisco would have ruined
great majority of the soldiers there,
but here, temptation Is not 50 great,
and there is u decided change for the
better. A bout all there IL to do, IL as
you say to learn something. do not
think will disappoint you. have
not and will not try to tell you much
about these islands in my letter. l
lack the inspiration. The change
was too gradual to cause much feel
ing or emotion, as was felt In Honolu-
Ia where one could lie down in the
shade of a large cocoanut palm and
think for a time that he had found the
border of Eden. But with all the
draw backs connected with army life,
to cay that am glad l came here is
putting 1t very mild. There are many
things here to interest any body who
has any Kino of inclination to gather
knowledge. 1t Is one thing to read
about cities and people which were
old before Christ, but it is another
thing to walk the streets of those
cities and mix with those people.
There is not thing here except the
churches which can be called beauti-
ful, but it is more real pleasure to
take stroll along the Luneta in the
evening than to explore the whole of
Golden Gate park. There is as | said,
nothing in it which is pretty or which
would arouse any inspiration in an
artist-but to feel that you are walk
ing where men walked before Ameri-
ca was heard of, and to look out over
a harbor which was filed with ships
from all nations, when New York was
nothing but a wilderness, to look the
other way and see the great crumb-
ling, vine-cOvered wall which was the
scene of battles fought and forgotten
long before the days.of Marlborough or
Napoleon, to stroll on to the parade
ground and mix with the crowd gath
cred where centuries ago the ignorant
tivities and later years many of them
were shot at the same place because
they would not adhere to the Catho
lie religion or wear allegiance TO the
Spanish government. Then turning
to the left you come to the cemetery
filed with the bones of kings and he
roes who have reposed for ages un
moved by the cries of their people IL
distress and undisturbed by Dewey
guns. On one side Is the bone yard
where those too poor to afford vault
which they are compelled to pay year
ly, are thrown. Then you enter tn,
city through the very needles ey
that Christ spoke of in the parable o
the rich man, and there you see moth
ing but ancient houses and narroV
streets full of Spanish soldiers an,
lazy Filipinos. You linger only lon
enough to get cool drink of som
kind which is brought you bya laz
native woman with a cigar in he
mouth, and buy trinket of some kin
of a Spanish soldier and go out tn
large gate and cross the ancien
bridge into, what is called new Ma
mia. Well suppose it was new
hundred or two years ago. Here
more life and stir, and on the Escolt
which is the principal business stree
you can hardly get along for tn
crowd. You make your way to th
"Olhambra," the great saloon an
cafe and taking seat where you ca
look out over the river and see TN
steam launches speeding up and dow
and the native cascows propelled b
pike poles going slowly "to and fro,
or study the throng sitting aroun
YOU, which represents nearly all NJ
Uions of the earth, mostly sailors, an
You sit as one in dream until wal
or taps you on the shoulder, and yC
realize that it Is nine O'Clock, whe
all the stores must close. You go oil
into the street and where before yo
had to elbow your way through, yC
see nothing save belated soldi,
like yourself hurrying to his quarter
and the soldier policeman, walkir
his beat and looking what he real
is. "Monarch of all he surveys"
you do not feel like walking you pre-
sleepy native cabman and for tt
cents get taken to your quarters, ju
in time for "taps" and the next thir
you hear is the most dismal sound {
earth, the first call just before reveil
in the morning, and you are livir
in the present and must get in yo
clothes in hurry or you will be |
before summary court" for mis-
ing "reveille." And although / new
tire of looking upon these scenes al
gathering information, l miss t
push and noise OF any American tow