The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-02-11
IN OLD MANILA.
Late Mails Bring a Big Batch
of Letters
From the Kansas Volunteers in
the Philippines.
THEY TELL OF SCENES
THEY TELL OF SCENES
New to the Boys Bred and
Raised ON the Prairies.
The Letters Are Full of Inter-
est to Home Folks.

Swartz, of Topeka and now with the
Twentieth Kansas at Manila:
Manila, P. l., Dec. IS, 1898. Barracks
Company A, Twentieth Kansas Vol
unteers.
I'VE arrived here on the night of De-
cember after a very delightful voyage
from Honolulu We had only three days
of heavy sea which kept US off the deck
and made several of the boys sick again
after just recovering from sea sickness
in the trip from San Francisco to Hon
oiulu. In Honolulu 1 spent some time
visiting the fire departments and found
them right up to date.
From Honolulu we had on board 581
passengers, including Is women, chill
dren ,one bull dog and a rooster named
Dewey. He came all the way from Kan
sas and would fight anything, even the
captain of the ship. He was bound to
roost on my bunk and L had a fight on
hand when L tried to drive him away.
I'VE had on board a man with a cas-
ket who was going to Manila to bring
back the body of his son who was kill
ed in the battle there-a sad errand to
make.
In the mornings we had a salt wa
ter shower bath, breakfast and devote
the rest of the day to ourselves if not on
guard or fatigue duty. We kept the
ship as clean as a pin. At 4:30 we had
setting up exercise (ca1esthenics) and
singing. We had an orchestra of vio-
Inns, madolins, guitars, and banjos. We
gave several concerts assisted by the la
dies on board for we had a piano be-
sides. We passed an active volcano one
night and it was a grand sight. We
first came in sight of the north end of
the Philippine islands and sailed around
to the west side and went south keep
ing in sight of land.
THE islands presents romantic ap-
pearance. Mountains with few large
valleys along the coast covered with
palm, forests and dotted here and there
by clouds of white vapor rising from
vapor springs. No houses or life in
sight except the light houses on the
rocky points and few stray fishermen.
I'VE arrived in the harbor at p. m.
and our first welcome was the search
light from Dewey's flagship Olympia
thrown upon us from a distance of two
miles. The admiral took a good peek
at us and the rays from the search
light made our deck as light as day.
Then he gave US the signal to come in
and we anchored about one mile from
shore in full sight of Cavite and the
fleet. The water is too shallow to al
low the ship to go to dock, so they kept
US on board until the next Sunday
morning. The time did not seem long
for we had plenty to keep us busy get
ting ready to land our cargo and taking
in the sights around US and visiting the
transports around U.S.
I'm the morning the natives came
swarming out to US in all kinds of
boats, selling fruits, cigars, cigarettes
The cigars at one cent each are equal
to any we get in Topeka for five. The
cigarettes come 80 in a package for
five cents. Our money is worth twice
as much as the Spanish so now we have
all kinds of coin.
Our vessel took on coal at once
brought from the shore on Spanish coal
barges. Well, you should see the ma
tiVes work with a big Spaniard stand
ing over them. To start out with he
knocked two of them down and then
they all ran away and came back and
went to work They kept that up all
fcrnf a
can look for a good cleaning out of
Aguinaldo and his followers.
I'VE went on shore Sunday and went
at once to our barracks, an elegant
three story brick and stone building
with every modern convenience. Plenty
of ROOM baths, cook houses in cOnnec-
ton and all the comforts one could
wish for at home. We are in the native
part of the city. 1t is divided from the
old walled city by the river and is more
American. Everything is on the boom.
Each regiment has it's district to guard
and we have 80 posts in our district
besides the regular police patrol. Had
my first guard duty yesterday and it
keeps one busy and wide awake but
the natives are falling right in line
with our ways and customs. They are
great imitatOrs and look at a soldier
as if he were a king. They will do any
thing for us but are naturally suspicious
and treacherouS. The children learn
our language quickly but the old people
are hard to learn. They are a small,
use of tobacco from early childhood.
Children in their mothers arms smoke
cigarettes as we'll as the mothers who
carry them. But the women are smart
and great musicians. The saloons, gar
dens and parks are filled with bands of
music, made up of all kinds of instru-
mentS but the music is good.
Everybody that can keeps quiet
from IL a. m. to 3 p. m. and business
houses are closed entirely during that
time. 1t is the warmest and most I'M
THE old Spanish part of the city,
across the river is far behind the ma
tives. 1 like this side far better for it
is more American. Business houses and
stores are up to those of our country
in every way. The street car service is
slow, for horses and old-fa shioned cars
are used. The electric light system is
fine as any in our own country. Hacks
do a rushing business at ten cents an
hour. The street car fare is two cents
We all ride in hacks. The hacks are
drawn by small native ponies but they
are good travellers like our Texas ponies
but are more stylish.
Il visited the cigarette factory where
they make 10000 packs a day of 80 in a
pack All native labor and machine
work, made of pure tobacco and no
drugs. Visited the packing houses
Nothing like our large packing houses
but they do some quick killing. The cat
tie they kill are water buffalo and ma
tive heifers. The native cattle are very
small and resemble our Jerseys in color
and looks. The hogs are the regular
Arkansas kind.
They don't drive them to market,
but tie their legs together and haul
them on carts drawn by water buffalo
All the heavy work is done by China
men, They carry loads on poles across
their shoulders that it would take two
good men to lift. In slaughtering the
cattle they are tied in a building with
stone floor. A native plunges a knife
right back of the horns quick as light
ming and all is over. Then they cut