Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-12
ECHOES or THE WAN.

A letter from Captain G. +. f. Wilde OF
the United states cruiser Boston to a friend
in Proviucetown. Mass, is published in the
Boston Transcript The letter is dated
Cebu, T. L., and the following interesting
Paragraphs are taken from it, I'VE are
kept right busy out here and 1t is dreadfully
hot. so that when one gets chance to rest
he takes advantage Of it. The United States
has big problem on hand out here The
Spaniards had held these islands for nearly
four centuries, yet the white population is
but per cent and before we can succeed
In preparing them for self government, that
is, educating them up to the necessary
standard, 1t will cost $1,000 O00,0 600
and a great many valuable lives, for in the
southern islands of the group, inhabited by
Moras and Sulus, who are ferCer than ever
was American Indian, it is going to be a
most difficult task to subdue and conquer
them.
Being in tropical climate, not only the
heat is intense, but the tropical growth is
almost an impossible jungle to penetrate,
The Filipinos in the northern group OF
islands are less fierce, but they are giving
us much trouble. l captured the city OF
Ioilo on the island of Panay, though Cen
eral Miller got the credit Of 1t, when he
had no more to do with 1t than one of your
Provincetown fishermen. The navy also
captured this place, and am here holding
It, The hot weather takes hold of me badly
and I'd like great big slice of your past
winters cold weather. l have two electric
fans blowing upon me all day and all night,
and then sweat like a beaver.
This city has As 900 inhabitants; prin-
cipal business, hemp and sugar. The ship
John Currier Of Boston recently left here
for Boston, with 1000 tons of hemp. 1t
made me homesick, for she was bound for
Constitution wharf go ashore very little,
for it is so boiling hot that ! find the ship
much cooler.
"These people are treacherous set ami
devoid OF affection and do not appreciate
kind treatment. One gentleman here had a
servant for twenty years, to whom he had
always been kind and considerate, and
trusted him implicitly. The scoundrel con-
nived with bandit to murder and rob him.
SO you see what class of American citizens
they will make. | am afraid we have
great big white elerhant on our hands"
r. L. Colon, eX-mayor OF Ponce, Porto
Rico, who is in Philadelphia studying Amer
lean business methods, tells how he came
to surrender the city of Ponce to the
Americans. When Spain granted auton-
Omy TO lne tSlanu MT. IolOm was lne III 81
mayor elected. He knew very little of the
English language at that time, but took
pains to learn enough to make himself clear
when the time came to surrender. The first
words he learned to say distinctly we're II
surrender" He practiced these daily, and
finally the opportunity came, when he used
them to good effect. This fact demonstra-
ted that the Porto Rcans had decided to
surrender, but they had to keep it from
the Spaniards for fear of serious results.
The informal surrender was made by tele-
phone from the municipal buildings to the
headquarters of the American general.
While the United States cruiser Brooklyn
was being overhauled at the Brooklyn navy
yard shore leave was given in turn to
patches of sailors One man whose family
lived in New York City was allowed, so
the Tribune story runs, to remain with his
family for two or three days, and invited a
shpmate to take dinner with them last
Sunday. Unfortunately the shpmate lost
the address and could remember only the
name of the street. Reaching the street,
he wandered up and down, asking every
other person he met If he knew the house
where sailor belonging to the Brooklyn
lived. None knew. The man, nonplussed,
was about to give up the search, when he
observed a youth sitting on a stoop anus
ing himself with old battered bugle.
thought struck the sailor
Lend me that minute" he said to the
young man as he grasped the horn. Put
ting it to his mouth he sounded with all
his might the dinner call of the Brooklyn.
Sure enough, two or three seconds after,
from a window not fifty yards away,
head was thrust and a strong, lusty voice
called out: ship ahoy! Full speed
ahead up here. Mess has been waiting half
an hour for you.'
1t is proposed to erect in New Orleans
monument commemorative of the valor and
achievements of Admiral Dewey. and a
committee consisting of Associate Justice
Monroe OF the Louisiana supreme court and
other civil and military officials of that
state has been formed to carry out the
design. Popular collections of 25 cents are
requested. In their request for subscriptions
the citizens having the matter in charge
say: ''In thus honoring the son of Ver-
mont in Louisiana the sentiment of rich
and poor from all parts Of the country may
be concentrated in the southland"
REACTION AGAINST FREEDOM.