Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1899-03-10
Letter From Manila.

Letter From Manila.
The following letter from Private
Murray with the First Idahos ar
Manila will b read with interest:
Winter in the PHILIPPINES is
something like warm, dry sum-
mer in Idaho. We have had no
rain hardly since October. just
an occasional drizzle or Oregon
mist. To say that the weather is
anything but delightful would be
giving the country the worst of it.
The day is not too warm and at
night one needs q blanket. We
sleep fine and eat hearty, and in
the main we are as healthy as we
would be anywhere. We live 100
per cent. better than we did when
we first came to the island. The
commissary sergeants and com
pany cooks are getting to under
stand handling the fruits and veg
etables of the country. Now the
men know what fruit to eat and
what to avoid, and how much is
enough; and the shaking up the
press gave the government on the
conducting Of the Cuban campaign
has been a big help to us in many
ways, and especially in the COM
missary department. Consequently
the health Of the troops is good.
Our boys are getting along nicely;
there are only two in the hospital
now, J. G. Cliff and Frank Worden,
and they are about ready to come
back to quarters. At one time we
had eight sick with fever and dys-
EMERY. The hospital fund has
done great work.
I go to the hospital every day
that I am not on duty Git is about
a mile from our quarters), and
bring something for our fellows
that are sick. The doctor allows
me to give them milk, jelly and
crackers only. The poor fellows
eat these little dainties with a
gusto that would do your heart
good. If the Bachelor Maids and
others Of Grangeville who contrib
uted towards the hospital fund
could look into that big, barn-like
ward when I am passing the above
mentioned articles around, and see
the looks of mingled Joy, thankful
ness and gratitude that shines from
those poor, fever-worn faces, they
would feel that they had never
done q more noble deed than when
they gave up some pleasure or de-
MED themselves some luxury to
help that fund.
The town Of Manila is a strange
old place. The houses are all, or
nearly all two stories in height, Of
very severe style Of architecture.
They have all large square win
dows, with iron bars about six
inches apart, giving every house
the appearance of prison. The
first story is usually Of brick, set
in frames of mahogany wood. The
squares are about four feet every
way; the timber is about four or
FIVE inches thick, or the width OF
the brick, with which the frames
are filled in. These wood frames
are used as q precaution against
earthquakes, which arc very COM
mon. Other buildings are of con-
crete or adobe two feet long by ten
inches deep and q foot thick; that
is the first story; the upper stories
are always of wood with the regu-
lation flsh-shell windows clear
around the sides are exposed to the
light. These, with narrow streets
and overhanging upper stories i'm
part to an otherwise bright city a
gloomy and forbidding appearance.
All the older and most impor.
tant streets are narrow and irregu-
lar, say from 20 to 80 feet wide.
and paved with large granite flags
or tiles.
The Escolta, or Main street, is a
oiSut AIOH Q w AZ CtOCAs 0tTccU
cars, water buffaloes, quilces, car
ramatoes, victorias and Cinnamon
with their bamboo poles and bas-
kets, all jumbled up together, the
drivers and occupants hOllering in
Spanish and Philippine, trying to
make their way through the mar
row street; then when the crowd
is thickest you can see a big SOL
dier policeman yelling in strongest
English with q slight mixture Of
choice Spanish, until he gets them
all strung out again. But at noon
the scene changes. All the stores
close, windows are barred, the
owners and attendants retire to
their dinner and ''siesta,' which
lasts until 8 or 4 o'clock. Then
the morning scene is repeated, per-
haps on q smaller scale.
There are stores here that would
attract attention in New York,
Paris or London. One called the
India English Bazaar" is filled
from garnet to ground floor with
0rion fal uyCrIo ~ arf Tbora ma,