The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903, 1899-01-07
Manila
Manila, u. l., NOU. 22, 1898.

lue oeud'OT dTTtNeu tOudy lTOm
Frisco with mail including yours of
October 18th, which proceed to
answer. l get up between six and
seven. Morning drill from seven until
eight which I attend nearly every morn
ing although not required to do 80 being
on detached service. At eight. we
breakfast in the same building in which
we sleep. there are about twenty off,
GERS in our mess; at present they are
Colonel Stotsenburg, Major Milford OF
Omaha, Major Snyder chief surgeon,
Captain Hollingswoth. Lieutenant
Archer and myself OF company G;
Adjutant Forhy, Quartermaster Nc.
Laughlin, Captain Vischers, Lieutenant
Gegner, Lieutenant Henderson OF f COM
pany; Captain Stockham, Lieutenant
Hansen, Lieutenant Smith Of company
from Bennett; Lieutenant Yale, Lieuten.
and Corcoran OF York; Lieutenant Jen-
sen Of Omaha; Chaplain Msilley and the
chief clerk in the brigade quarternas.
ter's department. We have beef, pork,
mutton and salt fish which IL purchased
from the brigade commissary. Most of
the meat comes from Australia. We
also have chicken. turkeys and fresh
fish but these are not 30 much OF Q sue.
cess here as at home on account Of the
rapidity with which meat spoils In this
climate. Fresh fish will spoil over night
and chickens have to be eaten soon after
they are killed. There is one ice
machine in Manila but the ice is expen.
sive. In the line OF vegetables we have
yams. cucumbere, onions, radishes and
cabbage. OF fruits We have bananas
and oranges. There are about sixteen
different kinds Of bananas grown on
this island. The kind the Filipinos call
"lacatan" is the best. This kind is sweeter
than those We get at home; the meat is
q brownish pink color. I have seen no
bananas here such as we get at home.
The oranges are different from the
Florida or California fruit; the meat is
light red, the skin green. They never
become cold yellow and are greatly
inferior to our oranges. We buy olives,
pickles, cheese, etc.. from the commits.
sary for about the same price you pay.
We pay, in American money. for tur-
keys, $3.50 and for chickens 80 cents
each; for best bananas ten cents and for
oranges i've cents per dozen; cabbage
and cucumbers cost little less than at
home. The Spaniards, Filipinos and
Chinese have put their prices up since
the Americans came, 60 a respectable
mess costs us much more than it would
at home. am treasurer OF our mess;
last month to run it cost about $40 in
gold per Il an, exclusive OF what we paid
for furniture; the entire cost including
furniture and food was s24 per man, for
the month, At hotels and restaurants
meals costs from fifty cents to a dollar
in gold. The Filipinos as rule are a
lazy lot. OF course there are among
them some very industrious people but
the genuine full bloodec Filipino pre-.
fers to do as little work as possible.
The higher classes OF t'ilipinos have
Spanish and in some cases, Japanese
blood in their veins and are not the full
blooded "Indio." Nearly ali tie men
who are leaders OF the revolutionary
forces are part Spanish. Aguinaldo is
not full-blooded Filipino. would say
that before the Americans came here
there was very little chance for a native
who was born poor to improve his con.
iition; now the opportunity is good.
Me Snaniarda have am nlnN ed thu Eilin