The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-09-12
ANACONDA NEWS.
DAMP TIMES ON LUz0N
An Anaconda Volunteer Writes
of Last Days on Island.
NIGHT IN FLOODED CAMP
The Chinese Company Servants and
Their Peculiar Duties - Lieutenant
Sullivan Gets an Interesting Let
ter From a Co. M Soldier.

One of the most interesting letters
that has come from the Montana vol
unteers in recent months was that re-
eeived yesterday by Lieutenant Ger
aid Sullivan, formerly of Company NJ,
from a member of that company. The
letter was written at Zapote Aug.
and gives In detail the movements
from the first of July to that time
information that has heretofore been
lacking in the reports.
In the letter the writer speaks of
the coming return of the regiment as
being the sole topic of conversation
and says that the members of the COM
pany are anxious to have Lieutenant
Sullivan meet them on their arrival at
San Francisco The letter in part fol-
lows:
'Zapote, P. L., Aug. Dear Gerald:
The Lords day and no place to CO.,
exclaimed Texas Shipman a few mo-
ments ago. 'Tis true, and charming
day it is. The tall, graceful bamboos
hard by bend and sway to the wind,
or better, deliciously cool breezes that
Toll in from the bay; the birds are nu-
merous and singing so sweetly, while
we common soldiers have nothing in
the world to do, at times, but eat,
drink and be merry l concede that the
site is not the best in the world most
of the men have diarrhea or malaria,
but the average American soldier, as
you well know, is too particular
The letter here goes on to explain
that the men of Company X have re-
ceived their half of the $500 sent by
the Anaconda people, but that the
men of Company M have not yet seen
the color of the money of their half.
rnr1fi inn ir1Sr thn LOTT nr
We'll, old boy, we left San Fernando
the morning of July g. took train for
Manila, finally reaching old quarters
about noon Were allowed freedom of
the city for As hours. 1t was a real
treat to get in city. Next day was the
4th-a big celebration at band stand
Luneta-1,000 or more Filipino school
children, all dressed in their best, all
carrying American flags, assembled
there in afternoon and sang American
national songs. while monster native
bands played on. Declaration of Inde-
pendence read and all that. Thousands
of Filipinos, parents or friends of the
school children. American soldiers and
officers were in attendance, as well as
myself.
Strange scene-America had not
conquered these natives yet they COM
PEELED little innocent tots to wave the
stars and stripes and cheer or sing our
cold. 1t was giving the natives the
rush act. Here the Manila children
were waving the stars and stripes,
while at San Fernando or the south
line their fathers or brothers were be-
ing killed by the boys in blue. We
might have waited awhile, until, say
we had licked Aguinaldo. The story
of English methods in Ireland repro
duced in Luzon. Two NJ company men
were with me. We watched the pro-
ceedings quite while without COM
ment. Finally l said: This is sad
One expressed his thoughts in three
words: It's a shame while the third
man uttered one word: Mockery,' and
then we turned our backs and walked
away. 50
Everybody boozed and kept in that
condition until we left, seven days
later, for this place where we relieved
the Wyomings. We were here a few
days when 1t commenced to rain. Aqua
we had to spare for few days. 1t
poured three days straight. The first
night we were flooded out We are
living in tents. Some of the tents
were placed on low ground In such
cases the bamboo beds were not high
enough and the men had to vamose
The water came from left of road and
r*ushed over ground for the bay, a few
hundred yards away, carrying cam
teens, hats, shoes, ETC., along before
the men, lying on bamboo hunks, real
lied the situation. This was about
p. m. 1t was dark; the rain kept
a-comin'; lightning flashed thunder
reared Three of us occupy one tent
We were lying down, smoking or talk
ing about it raining some outside until
some fellow waded into our tent for
the purpose of borrowing candle.
We were not aware until then that
the water had invaded our tent. A
moment later we would have been out
shoes, etc, as our luggage was under
our bed, but a foot from the ground.
We hastily removed said stuff to up
per floor or bed. The whole territory
was then under water. We rolled up
our pants and went outside. A werd
seene-indeed it was. Dark as sin,
save when the lightning flashed: in
a few of the tents candles were burn
ing; profanity in abundance was heard,
Many of the fellows waded to kitchen
for candles. Dies was stretched out in
bamboo bed and exerted himself suffi-
GENTLY to reply that the candles had
all been washed away, which was true
The water was now one and one
half feet deep on highest ground in our
camp and rushing in one large volume
toward the bay, running so fast and
strong that the men could hardly stand
up. / went back to bed
still it poured.
1t was novel experience. ] assure
you. You know the strength of tent