The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-11-01

Ucu. JUG w 1lCClCl, III ehO AAAAA APPAh~''
Santa Reta, Isle of Luzon.
September IS, 1899.
Van Leer KirEman.
NY Dear Young Cousin: | have now
seen much of the country and the peo-
pie in that part of Luzon for about so
miles north of Manila. In every town
there is a magnificent stone church and
a convent or monastery. The insur
gents have a great antipathy to the
priesthood of Friars, and they have
dismantled many OF the churches. The
value of the church and monastery OF
q town seems to be equal in many cases
to the value of all the other buildings
in the town. The more l talk to the
people, the more am convinced that
the insurgents are actuated,. IN meas
ure, by spirit of communism, and IN
their talks, their most serious objection
to the church seems to be the TACT that
ecclesiastical organizations own so
much of the property, and one OF Agul-
naldo's most earnest demands IS that
the church property be cOntiscated.
There is q general impression that
the insurgent army is made up very
largely of people without property,
and that people who have property de-
sire the Americans to control, so that
they can have protection and feel that
their property is secured. to them; DuC
lind that there is some fear or appre-
hension among some OF the wealthy
that if Americans control and give uni
versal suffrage the power of the wealthy
people would be taken away and their
hold on property very much impaired;
Think That If the wealthy people would
be assured that they would be protected
in their property rights by the United
States it would have very good effect:
The Friars and priests are charged
with all sorts of expressions and mis-,
demeanors, but it must be remembered
that Friars and priests are very numer,
Gus, and in so large body, there Will
be found every possible phase OF char
acter and disposition. Some OF them
are, no doubt, oppressors Of the people,
exacting in the collection OF rentals
from the lands, indu]ging themselves
in many ways and leading lives very
different from what should character
ize the life of a priest; but there are
very many good men among them.
The statement that have seen that 40
per cent. of the people Of Luzon can
read and write is q great mistake. Ii
NAV be true of many, but it is not true
of those in the rural districts. and the
percentage of illiteracy in the other
islands is much greater than IN Luzon;
The appearance, mode OF lite ana
method of performing work are To-Day
very much like they are described III
the Bible at the time OF and even pc
fore the Christian era.
The people dress very much as they
did two thousand years ago. To-day l
spent some time in watching natives
cleaning shucks from rice; the method
of shelling and cleaning is primitive
and no better than used 2,ooo years
ago. Everything can be grown, put
oranges and bananas are notso go0d as
in other localities, the reason no doubt
being that they seem to give them no
cultivation whatever. Coffee is grown
which is said to be superior to Mocha.
Rice is the principal product ana a
failure of that crop would cause q ter
rible famine, as the people depend al
most entirely upon it for food. sugar
is the principal crop for export. Ihe
greatest amount exported IN any one
year was 2G1,GS1 tons, which was IN
1898. Corn grows very rapidly ana inc
ears reach their full growth about 90
DAYS from the time of planting. There
is !. great amount OF very valuable
timber in these islands and many va
rieties OF beautiful hardwoods under
native names such as mahogany, Dlack
walnut and ebony.
Gold, copper, coal, iron, sulphur, lead,
building stone, petroleum AND guano
are found.
There are many different tribes liv-
ing in these islands, the only ones IN
active rebellion being the Tasalos.
This tribe occupies some eight PROV
inccs in the neighborh0od OF Manila,
and their association with Europeans
has made them more civilized than
other tribes.
We are now seven or eight miles
from Porac, where an insurgcnt force
has been stationed for some time, but
around here and through this vast val
lev the people are actively, engaged III
nlantiDS rice. have been riding
around the outskirts Of this place and
the fields are dotted with men, women
and children planting rice.
I a,a confident that Il brigade OF cav,
olrv conld easily travel through Il great
part of the island. -.
The Suez capSl brought the Philip
mines much nearer to Europe and has
greatly increased their commerce. Inc
eXports Of hemp have greatly increased.
In 1882 44,205 tons OF hemp were cX-
D0rtcd. which has increased until there
we're exported in 1897 112, ,7S5 tons anu
this OUTPUT can be largely increased.
The shipments of coffee gradually IN
creased until the year 1856 when tlc nac
amount exported amounted TO ,,oo'
tons, and from 1880 to 1871 the snip
ments averaged about 5000 tonsa year.
but from that time they have fallen OFT.
learn the following about cotton
from reliable sources: :.
The cotton tree is found growing IN
an uncultivatcd state III many lslan'ls
OF the archipelago. Long staple cotton
was formerly extensively cultivated III
the province of lllocos Nortc, when
many years ago large quantities. OF
good cotton stuils were exported. Ills
industry still exists.
The cultivation of this staple WAS,
however discouraged by the local GOV,
ernors in order to urge the planting or
tobacco for the government supplies.
If has since become difficult to revive
the cotton production, although an
essay, i'll pamphlet form qor when Il
prize was awarded in Madrld) was
gratuitously distributed over the col
ony in 1888 with that object. III view;
Nevertheless cotton spinning anu
weaving are still carried on on q re-
duccd scale, in the lllocos provinces