The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-06-07
PHILIPPINES.
Remarkable Description of Ma
Mia by a Topeka Soldier.
How the Natives Live and Act
In Every Day Life.
WRITES THE JOURNAL.
Nothing Desirable In the C0un-
try of Insurgents.
Story of the Last Stage Of Sea
Voyage.
WRITES THE JOURNAL.

The following interesting descriptive
letter was written for the state Journal
by Wilbur Wilson, one of the Topeka
boys with Company A, Twentieth Kan
sas. in the Philippines. 1t tells Of the
trip from Honolulu to Manila, and OF
conditions in the capital of the Philip
pines. Commencing with the departure
of the transport from the dock at Hon
olulu, it reads:
TT was on November 10 at 11:20 a. M
when the U. S. transport Newport back
ed out from the Pacific mail dock, anna
the cheers of five hundred threats on
board that failed to blend with the
more harmonious sound that came from
the Hawaiian band ashore The dock
was a dense crowd of citizens, VINO
frantically waved hats, handkerchle1s'
etc, until it had receded from our slght'
The bows were a unit in expressing
their regrets upon our departure, YET we
were glad; not that we were dlssat1sneu
with Honolulu, but Manila was our
destination.
1--WE had slept on the sands of Camp
Merritt and witnessed expedition after
expedition set sail; we had lain on the
adamant soil of the Preside and hau
done the fatigue work of all the eXpeul-
tionary forces destined for the Phlllp-
pines; each disappointment was met
with renewed hope, and each nope with
repeated disappointment. But on our
regimental colors was inscribed the N
domitable insignia, 'ad astra per as
pera' and, ScOrning the example OF the
gallant Seventh California, the boys OF
the Sunfiower state repeated the oIu
motto, In hoe signo VinceS, and trl-
umphed After these trials and dlSap-
continents the heart of no Kansas lad
could be charmed by paradise or
which Milton dreamed, although 1t be
a Honolulu.
THE only thing of interest that oc-
CURED after leaving Honolulu, and be-
fore passing the ParajOS islands, was
the crossing of the one hundred ana
eightieth meridian, on November %,
thus losing Thanksgiving day The Z5rd
was Wednesday and the next day, Fri
day, November %. Nevertheless, we
had our Thanksgiving dinner. Inc only
thing aside from the ordinary fare of
salt pork and beans. with an imitation
of plum pudding, made of bread ana
sprinkling of raisins. However, the boys
imagined it was the genuine and ate 1t
in a manner that would startle the
most rapacious gourmand.
'On November 80 we witnessed the
rare sight of a live volcano in mid
ocean, that of Farallon de Parajos, on
one of the Parajos islands. We passed
within four miles of this mass of lava,
at midnight, and it's fiery crater lllum-
ined the sky to the broedside of the
vessel. While it was not what one
would call a beautiful sight, still, its
novelty made it appear so.
Up to this time the ocean had been
unusually calm; but after passing the
ParajOs islands, we encountered as
rough seas as I desire. For three or
four days the lower deck was almost
continually swept with water. and oc-
casfonaIly the upper deck was touched.
The saloon was at one time filled ana
the port holes had to be closed. AT
night we were ordered below.
I'm the midst of this we broke a part
hi 9T1d a
but four or five knots an hour On
December 5 we hove in sight of land,
and the vessel was allowed to drift on
the water while the crew made repairs.
This feat accomplished, we continued
our journey, and had a very pleasant
trip through the China sea, with the
coast of Luzon in plain sight We en-
tered Manila bay about 1890 p m
December 6, and were challenged by the
searchlight from Dewey's fleet. Answer
ing with the Pacific Mail Steamship
cOmpany'S Signal-red, white and green
lfghts-we neared the city and anchor
ed alongside the Arizona. Here we lay
al anchor until December 9, when we
were taken ashore and quartered at the
corner of C1avel and Barcelona streets.
I'VE had no sooner touched the shore
than separated myself from the COM
pany and proceeded to take in the
town, / soon realized that the one who
comes to Manila with the expectation
of finding a modern city will be hope
lessly lost. Imagine yourself in place
where the methods in use before Christ
continue in vogue and you have cor
rect impression of Manila. When you
first set your foot on shore you see but
few things that bear resemblance to
anything you ever saw before, unless it
is the narrow streets, which might
with propriety be compared to the more
narrow ones of Chinatown in San Fran
cisco. If you have ever visited a China
what the streets of Manila resemble
most. Aside from all this, there are
some spacious avenues, and the
Escolta. which is the main business
street, there are but few Chinese stores
the Spanish stores being greatly in the
majority. In one portion of the city is
an addition of European residences, but
most of the residences are bamboo huts
with matched roofs.
1.-The most magnificent structures are
the Catholic cathedrals- The Filipinos
have great confidence in the Catholic
faith, and as evidence of their fidelity
light may be seen burning in their
huts at any hour, with a picture or
statue of the Virgin Mary and Jesus on
either side.
when the bells in the cathedrals be
gin to chime everyone on the street is
seen to cross his breast, and stand in
a devotional attitude to utter a short
supplication. After p. m. an old man
passes along the street with a small
iron box, bearing the picture of the
virgin, Mary, this is taken to the
houses of Catholics along his beat
whose occupants first kiss the saint
then repeat a short prayer. There are
no Protestant churches in Manila.
THE favorable impressions which
one receives from the bay, are sure to
be repudiated upon entering the city
unless he has a decided indifference to
dirt. Like all oriental cities, Manila is
dirty. OF all the dirty, filthy places
that I have ever entered, the Chinese
market scores the highest. This mar
ket is at least a block square and has
an assortment of goods much the same
as the large department stores of the
United States. Thus, there is the silk
department, the dry goods department
the hardware department, the cigar de-
partment, and the grocery and fruit de-
partments. These are more cleanly