Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1899-05-24
IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Ernest Taylor, Twentieth Kansas Boy
Writes of His Experience.

Ernest aytor, twentieth Kansas Bow,
Writes of His Experience.
In the trenches. near Caloocan, March -.
The lapse of a few months finds us not only
In the Philippines but in pretty active SER
vice as well. As look back at some of the
happenings just after leaving the states they
look very Insignificant although we looked at
them at the time in very different light We
broke camp at Preside, Frisco on Oct. ~.
marched in heavy marching order to the
wharf. Il distance of about four miles. We
arrived there at IL a In. ana we were not to
leave until in the D. IN. The ladies of the
Red Cross served US lunch which we appre-
ciated to the fullest extent after our tramp
We had from to 1870 TO say good bye to our
friends as our boat, the Indiana, was q little
late in starting but At last after what seemed
an endless delay. we pushed out into the
stream and started on long voyage Il never
want to take but one more as long) As we
slowly moved out of the Golden Gate and
struck the heads the boat began to evolve "a
series of undefnnble motions that she kept
up till we anchored in the bay at Honolulu,
only 10 begin it again as soon as we left there,
with final ending as reached Manila.
These motions had a speedy and telling effect
on the boys and in a couple Of hours every
cP6Cc OA CuS UOdS Was III ub6 ny the
contributors to the Pacific" 1t was a
shame to see SO much good Red Cross provis-
ions go to waste, but the boys did not seem
loathe to part with it: they threw up every
thing, guess. but their jobs and heard sew
eral express their willingness to do that.
Nothing of more note than sea sickness &C.
CURED till we anchored at Honolulu on the
! morning of Nov. 5. The harbor there is very
small and all the dock ware filIed an xCa b,y1
to wait till the morning of the Sth before we
we're given place, but the Col. gave US per.
mission to go on shore In small boats which
were rowed by the natives. We stayed there
four days and spent almost the entire time
seeing what was to be SEEN
Honolulu is a Paradise on earth, an ideal
climate, fac location, grand scenery all
around, luxuriapt vegetation. All this with
modern houses make it beautiful indeed
with several others of our company visit.
ed the sugar cocoanut, pineapple and ba-
mana plantations, also the queens palace, the
penal and charitable institutions. All our
time was very profitably spent We cast our
votes on the Sth and.left there ne4t morning
for the scene of our present actions
The voyage was monotonous enough but
its monotony was broken a few times. About
twelve days from Honolulu we passed a vol.
cano near the Ladrone islands; it arose alb.
ruptly out of the water in the form of a cone
solitary and majestic, to the height of two
thousand feet, vast columns of smoke and
steam poured out of the crater. The deepest
soundings in the Pacific are only a few miles
from here. 4 short distance from there we
were struck by wind storm thought to be
the edge ola typhoon. We had good deal of
run during the three days it lasted but
were glad when it was over just the same.
On the evening of the Both we passed
through channel to the left of Carrigudo Is
land and next morning were lying at anchor
before Manila. Our fare on the trip was rath-
er scanty but now that it is over we can look
back and thank our lucky stars that we lived
through it at all and were permitted to get at
least glimpse of our "Oriental treasure"
AS we lay anchored in the bay three miles
from Manila, Dewey's feet lay to our right
and near it along the shore were the half
hidden hulls of the vessels that were destroy
ed in the battle of Mayl.
Late in January I was a.member of small
party that went to Admiral Montejo's flag.
ship. or what was left of it rather, and spent
the day.
We went away with about eight feet of her
mainmast; this has been made into canes.
relics for the boys to take homo
Manila is a nicer place than expected to
find. The houses are built on the Spanish
style with overhanging porticos. The streets
are narrow and filthy. Altogether it is
rather grotesque looking place. Old Manila
is 1nclosed in wall and is separated from
New Manila by the Pasig river AS their
names indicate the old city contains the old
churches and buildings some of which are
four centuries old, while the new city shows
how progressive the Spanish and their pupfls
the t1lfpinos. are. 1t is still far from q mod.
ern town although it has risen in the last
fifteen years.
The reports that have been sent back about
the natives wearing only smiles on week days
al sre n os9u.0 oar elosang on Sunday is rath
wear short low necked waist and q skirt
reaching the knees. They 10 not seem at ali
men dress much as we do. There is no fxef
style for children under fourteen I hay q
seen them on the streets dressed In anythj' no
from u smile to a civilized costume
Our barrack life was all that could he aY.
pected. We we're furnished cots and our fare
was even better than at Frisco. We drilled
only au hour or two day but as tns author.
tiles were always expecting trouble we were
kept in too close for health. Four timas we
were called to arms but every time 1t proved
to be false alarm and we never got outside
the barracks; but the fifth time on the even.
ing of Feb. 4, we knew 1t was not aIse for we
co1 "a near the hiring at the outpost. We were
all night and till shutdown Sunday evening
wounded e
On Monday morning we advanced and en-
trencaed ourselves about two miles from Cal
ocean ana on fr1day at p. m. we advanced
on the town. Company "M' never had a
man scratched but the regiment lost two kill
ed and several wounded
we are now impatiently waiting another
advance for the boys ak want to get through
before the rainy season sets in
E. B. TAYLOR.
go nEeEA a and whisky Eahiu