New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-11-26
" RAIL FROM MANILA.
,,1,R CHARACTERISTICS OF THE
ROAD TO DAGUPAN-soME OF
ITS SIGHTS

TO- 80 the country. and beyond; only when
ossos through insurgent territory it is likely
,,, n rerair H. its most palIny days. when
~, as private business enterprise. II
..s,os Of Sunset or Congressional
,...s but amhled peacefully UP and down
- - y little over a hundred miles. be-
= Manila and DaEupan and back again
-. =, humble equipment in the way of COM
- A. rresent II you are privileged to ride
- -oas AZ all IL costs you nothing; you get
TOO ,ide from the Quartermaster's Depart
,osnt Of the United States
Trso -ai,rrad station is situated on the Cal
do Iris" some distance from the centre of
- ,ou,, For convenience in shipping sup
-, the trains are run a continuation OF
- .-eck 10 the waterfront on the PasS op-
so.i,o tbe ouartermasters depot. which is next
- .he caDtain OF The ports. Here every morn
80 =. nine the train is made up and loaded.
cd mills out OF the city on its way to the
afo,t" with mail supplies and returning Of
1o-s The engines and coaches are all IN
miniature. though the road is not a narrow
.orre The passenger cars are the size OF an
.,,ra-v street car The straw upholstered
coat. with room for only one in each, face ooth
r.vs and run along the length OF the end The
doors open directly into the cars on either sloe'
and YOU disrnount by means Of long and mar
row step. The distance between that step and
the ground is to be computed in feet.
There is always great deal Of freight to go
m the line. in the shape Of co1amissary and
ouartermasters' supplies. and often soldiers ana
horses or mules. which are being sent up TO
-sDforce or 10 exchange stations The officers
coach is On the end. There is no separate smoker
Oh the Manila Dasupan Railroad, and smoking
Is not prohibited. Mingled with the stale fumes
which have been accommodating for the last few
months are the fresh contributions from the
cigars and cigarettes Of all the officers present
Everybody smokes in the philippines. whether
addicted 10 that mild form Of dissipation before
or not Whether the solution Of this lies in the
pecularlties OF the climate or in the cheapness
OF tobacco has not yet been decided.
IN tho officers coach there are almost always
As many standing as sitting comfort is sec
ondary matter the most important being 10
furnish the transportation and to get the men to
the place where they ought to 60. Ihere are
officers who have come down to Manila on leave
or who have been in the hospitals and are gong
back 20 report FOR duty. Others are the regi-
mental commissary or quartermasters' VINO are
Obliged TO make periodical trips to the city to
about
They GET out at the different stations, but other
officers who are going with orders from one sta
tiop 10 another fill their places so that the
crowd and the tobacco smoke remain IN ABOUT
III same ratio till the end OF the line is neared
Caloocan is the first station, and is only few
miles from Manila Part OF the 10th Infantry
Is stationed there.
The Manila Dagupan Railroad does not slow
~ gently neither when it starts does II I'M
-,ediatelv glide smoothly over the rails II the
whistle condescends TO send forth warning
foot all hands balance themelves as steadily as
possible for the crash that is Inevitably coming
and which not only makes all your tissues and
bones yibrate out q unison, but sends one-har
OF the occupants OF the car into the laps OF the
other halt The stops at the stations are so long
and tresome nat the passengers Willingly &C.
eept this " any other form Of suffering II IL
tneans move IN the direction OF their destlna-
ton.
There IS It-le variety in the aspect OF the
country through which the road passes- On
either side are the paddy fields which run up
close 10 the track and everywhere evidence the
presence Of the Industrious Chinaman- Oc-
easionally a patch Of canebrake is encountered
which, at this time Of the year looks ike waV-
Ing corn Sometimes there is bit OF WHO
Jungle and always back from the narshy padoy
fields is q line Of vegetation In the shape Oh
trees among which brown patches indicate the
presence OF the picturesque nipa nuts cara
bao" wander, grazing, through the fields or are
driven by natives who are hard at work Guilt
waiting the soil. The paddy fields are huge
swamps divided into sections by banks OF turn
Occasionally a stream Of small dimensions
wan6ers across one Of the. fields. and standing
by the side Of these are isolated, motionless
figures with straw hats as large as umbrellas on
their heads patiently holding their rods over
the small brook. It often looks as If they were