The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1899-04-04
MORE NEWS PROM, AND FACTS
REGARDING, TIE PHIL
IPPINES.

Letter Written Just After the First Bat,
tie With the Filipinos; Reached Pal
eigh March 2oth-Mr RUSSELL Not Well
Pleased With the Philippines and
Their Innate; ADVISES North Carolin.
ians to Stay RE Home.
On board j. s. Arizona, Iloilo Bay,
P nay Island. P. l.. Feb, 8Eh, 1899.
Correspondence of The Progressive Farmer.
1 again take pleasure in writing
some of the news of this part Of the
world for your paper.
On Christmas day, 1898. we received
orders TO pack up" and go on board
the Ariz ma So On that day we put
everything which my regiment oWns,
on ship, and that evening we went
aboard, lay out in Manila Bay for "a
hours. when we sailed for Iloilo. The
transports Newport, the Pennsylvania,
and the gunboat Baltimore escorted US
to this place.
We expected to 90 Immediately into
Ilollo city, and. il necessary, take it by
force of arms We didn't land, but
have lain out here on chip 10 days. A
fe y days ago [ counted 9 boats in this
bay which flaw American flags. At
present there are not quite as many as
that, as some have returned to Manila.
The Pennsylvania, which had on board
the 614t regiment and Iowa volunteers,
has returned 60 Manila or the States.
Those troops had been aboard ship over
~ days
On last s Inday, the 5sh, atwo masted
schooner fying the %insurgent flag
came acrors the bay of Iloito, and as it
passed close to the . 8 gunOoat B
timore, the latter fired a ehot across
the g 81 o TO haul down it's flag. but
the insur gent didn't comply with such
q requesG so the Baltimoref fire another
shot which fell a LITTLE short of it, but
still the schooner went on, not needing
that Seeing that it's OF der vas ignored,
the Baltimore sent it's steam launch
after the schooner, but as a strong
breeze was bio wing, the schooner
gained dis On the launch, 90 il
WASN'T overGaken. Yesterday the same
insurgent boat started to sail acrose
the Osy and the B 4ltimore fired another
shot across ice bow IL dIdn', stop. A
sec Iud shot fell close to the schooner,
but that also failed to stop iE, where
upon the BsItimore's lsuuch ''put Off
for &c. this time O~verGakIng it. Marines
b parded the 'hooner, pulled down the
insurgent flag, carried it to the Baltl.
more, and alIo we'd the schooner to pro
coed acrnes the bay.
the Insurgent hIg still fl pats over
the Spanish fort at Iloilo. Tnese natives
90 not Wish TO become Americanizad
In any way. Independence only will
salts y them Corn, peanuts and rad
lsnes are raIsod here Natives produce
sugar from cane, put it in sacks and
a kind of basket around it to
protect iG. The F,IiOinos are ekilled
hat makers, as Is zen by the good
straw hats which they wear.
Ii is said that English people who
engage in business here, do not live
more than an average OF eight years
after coming here. I would advise any
n in North Carolina who is thinking
of coming here, to stay away, as all
who are here want to return to dear
America. Nearly all the soldiers of
my regiment are sick with severe coIde.
We can't tell what gives US colds, as
we take the best of care of OF Rselves
by taking fr' q1ent baths, and wearing
plenty OF clothes. Any one sufferip e
With asthma soon dies here The moon
when full doesn't shine as brightly
here as iE does in Honolulu. In Homo
lulu we could read letters By moon
light, but here there seems to be a
misty haze bet Ween us and the moon.
The Flipinos make an Intoxicating
drink which they call beno. It is nearly
like cider. It is made of tropical fruits
and COSTS very little.
Natives think that all Americans are
living minis, as they expect US all to
have an endless supply of money.
Chinese do a good trading business
with these people. Smuggling is done
on an astonishing scale here, and there
to be no way to prevent it, as
there are so many places where it can
be done.
It would cost the United States many
millions to forty all the important
places Of the Philippines, and l fully
believe the expenditures here would
greatly exceed the revenue which the
would produce. I think there
would always be fighting in the int
rior of the islands. if the United States