The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1899-09-05
A HEMP FARM IN LUZON,
ODD PHASES OF LIFE THAT CON.
FRONT AN AMERICAN THERE.


With snakes-Fruit-EatInE Vampire.
A Manila correspondent of the
Youths Companion writes as follows
| detailing some of his experiences on a
hemp farm OH the island of Luzon:
An American has much TO learn and
many odd phases of life to which TO
become habituated, before he gets
the hang of things in the Philip.
pines.
Among other novelties he will make
the acquaintance of the great grand.
father of mankind-according to the
| evolutionists-in the person of lii
tie owl-faced, big-eyed creature. with
long, slender fingers and toes. called
by the Tagals a magou, and by the
scientific professors the tarsius. Also
he must come TO know a long-tailed.
green monkey, called a chongo. that
does great mischief in the corn and
sweet potato plantations. When
hunting in the jungle, he will learn to
recognize tamarau ''tunner'-and
keep out of it, as otherwise he will
stand a good chance of being run over.
lncontinently, by panicky little
dwarf buffalo.
When selecting n plantation, he
Will do we'll to inquire whether the
district Is infested by the babui, the
wild hog of these islands, which.
when numerous, makes all agriculture
impossible, and also about another
devastator of gardens, the kalonp
Concerning this animal, | shall have
more to say presently.
In fact, our fellow-countrym men will
find that life-whether human ami
NAL or vegetables on quite differ
ent key In Luzon. To illustrate the
surprises in store for him, [ will re-
count bit of my own experience at a
hemp plantation, a few leagues out of
Manila.
he boys have both done well sin,
removing to Webster, and we hos
they will continue in good luck. !!
Joe Wilson had the misfortune =
get his store and dwelling house bur,
ed sometime ago, and although -
was insured in the Peabody InsuIard
Co, of Wheeling, he has not lie
received a penny on insurance. T
which does not insure is no insurauI
Charley Hosey was down on IN
Bank the other day and while tn
CHANGED to see fox chase in whor
Charley Stump's two famous houer
and what is known as Chap Johnst,o
old red hound were participant n
While Charley's best hound was IS
in it with the red chaser, as Char
tells it, the fox and three hounds We
all about an equal distance apart. Of
Rev. Sessions and wife LEFT II.
! (Monday) morning for Ashland, Re
to attend the annual conference WIFI
meets this week. Whether he relu
loun". 1t e1UiUnIcm 60 'pruyIue the
door with spring lock. There are
no windows, and that part of the shed
containing the boiler is quite dark
There is loft there, just above ones
head with loose floor. where we put
broken tools, hemp poles, iron rods
and other spare gear.
During August we ran the machine
continuously, until the uncertainties
OF Aguinaldo's leadership began. The
vagaries of this insular patriot were
past predicting. Filipino bushwhack
ers threatened us, so making every
thing as snug as possible, Senior Emilio
and L left all in charge of Miguel. orr
native foreman, of whose fidelity we
were assured. and went to Manila 70
wait for Philippine politics TO calm
down. Trouble was indeed brewing
but General Otis carried so steady n
hand with the patriots III Manila. that
no outbreak occurred during the
autumn, and by Christmas we CON
Guided that American authority would
prevail without bloodshed. There
was week or more Of pleasant feel
ing, even the armed band Of Filipinos
appeared good-humored, and on the
twenty eighth Of the month. / ven
tured to ride up to our hemp works
again. Senior Emilio meanwhile had
gone TO Hongkong TO put upon the
market what fibre we had stripped.
Proceeding on horseback along the
raised highwsys-scene Of the more
recent bloody engagements-Ir reached
the plantation next day, without Incl.
dent worth recording. Indeed. met
but few natives abroad, for the dav
was wet, and for Manila very cold.
No one was about The boiler shed
as / approached. Miguel was mt his
nut for although the distance was
half league. ] could hear the chua
chug Of his rice mortar. His native
wife was ut work pounding out their
paddy crop. Heavy fog lay on the
great swamp below the shed. and !
could hear the aligators gruutinq
down there
The soddeu heaps OF abaca sbuck
around the shed were sproutina with
mushrooms, and several of the odd
brown native rats rose on their long
h'nd legs, to peep at me, ms unlocked
tue door. There had been go much
wet weather that everything was mold
and rust within. All irouwork rusts
quickly In this climate. Having left
in haste we had not properly covered
or coated the engine with oil. 7 now
hethought myself TO remedy this over
sight at once, since n few weeks Of
neglect may ruin valuable machinery
here
I A tier Of orr wood fuel still re-
manned in the shed, and rs n prelim-
mary, to dry oil the wet, filed the