Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1899-08-03
letter From Ernest Newell.


s ss Bythe kindness of Mrs. J. w. Snider
& the Graphic is favored with All opportu-
nifty OF publishing letter received from
Ernest Newell by her brother Robert.
Ernest is now q member of Co.. A., q. s.
Infantry, stationed ut Jaro, Panay Is
lind, in tho Philippines. and his letter
b dated May 22d, hut its date will not
I datl act from the interest his friendRw will
hsl in penusing it.:
DEAR BoB:-I have been doing out
post duty on guard around this town tor
about two months, but SO far haye seen
no open fighting. There is shooting
every day on outpost, but the natives
4 don't seem to hit any one, and l guess
y it's the same with our men. Ti,e,e are
only two regiments Of infantry and a
4 detachment Of artillery in this town and
lloilo, which is about three miles from
& here. We go on guard every other
night, and don't get much sleep while
n OH guard on account OF the rainy wealth
er and bloody mosquitoes. for when they
bite they leave poison under the skin
\ and it swslls up and itclres for hours al
\ forwards. 1t has rained for two days
1 and nights now, but it dries up quickly
when the hot sun opens up.
am liable to have to stay IN these
1 islands throughout my three years en-
listment, and ain't stuck on this coun-
try to tive in, but imagine | may sur
\ vive the imrdhliips and come out with
( flying culurs. We expect reinforce
Y meilts here shortly. for we cannot ex-
Y tend our lines unless we are re lI!orceI.
\ HE natives htre/Are not all that could
be asked for in II human being. y good
Alaily are diseased with mandy some
what similar TO leprosy and MS Il rule
are ugly us sin. There AIn'tuny of them
over FIVE feet tall, but pretty strongly
built. They have some large churches
and towers III tins country. AT Manila
the churches are sometimes Used for
barracks for soldiers. The high tower
Ml this town is used for II lookout se4ttry
TO locate the enemy. All the woodwork
Of the tower was burned out when this
town, was taken by the 18th Regulars
and LIST Tenn. Vol, but it serves the pIr-
pose to perfection. Every third guard
our company does interior guard, when
we have to halt every one who shows up
to make themselves known as trends or
officers, tut on outpost We shoot any
natives who show tlIemselves--lf we can.
l have been guarding prisoners last two
interior guards.
There are lois of Cinnamon here, and
some have been arrested on suspicion,
while others, they Say, have joined the
Filipino army; but most Of The China
men are Keeping stores and stealing
what they can put their hands Oh.
There is IL large convent here where a
number OF Spanish priests stay, and
quite.a few nuns with them. One VI the
outposts l've been on is OH the wall Ut a
graveyard, which is the vault where
they inter the earthly remains OF the
dead. In one corner of the cemetery
there is a pit full Of human bones thrown
there because their relatives ceased to
pay rent tor sepqlchre.
On the whole we have al easy time of
1t chasing around as we like after cocoa
nuts, BANANAS, sugar cane and native
fruit known rs manages and paplas, which
IS AS nice fruit as you will find anywhere.
NlangOs taste Il great deal ike all orange,
and II anything. nicer.
We are fed pretty fair since we arrived
and l'aye joined our company, but while
coming on the steamer transport it was
rocky, and | was half sick the whole
way over. l haye received letter from
Res.a Elinor since got here, and one
from Dan Gibbs. Rec says Archie had
returned to- his native hunting gronni
with mamma. l suppose tile city folks
\ were too slow for him. hope lie didn't
hurt anyone while travelling in that Vi
city. Most likely you and Ida are lay
ing up precious treasures, and will he
independent before you are thirty.
Am as tat AS ever, and getting broke
III 10 this climate now, but sometimes
get homesick for little snow.to change
the SCENE. / think may be transferred
INTO the signal corps as telegraph oper-
RtQr i'll a mouth or so.
The soldiers are quite II jolly set, but
you can guess they are not saints by any
means. Most of them are young fellows
Of 2Oor25. Our first and second lieu
tenants are pleasant young men, and are
we'll liked by the men rs u rule, which
IS more than some other companies can
say. Their names are Gordon and Jor-
Dan. We expected all attack last week,
and everybody WAS excited more or less.
They had the gatlin gun out firing at the
fllplno's standpoint, which is out in
the woods. The growth of brush and
timber is very thick here, and there is u
large creek Oh each side of our lines.
The Filipinos returned our fire now and
then, but they don't show up very often.
We heal their trumpets and bugles,
which they blow very loud and often,
anu We know they have quite all army,
but they are not we'll armed.
This particular island Is about 80 or
40 miles long, and 20 or 25 wide, with
y range OF small mountains running the
full length. We are about II miles from
the mountains, and can see them dis
timely.
Each morning when we are off guard ,
We drill for hal; an hour OH the differ
ent forms of military routine, each COM
pany by itself. l don't think this cam.
palGn Will last long, for as soon rs they
finish them up at Manila, it wont take
long to conquer this island. The prin-
clpal city Is Santa Barbara, about S miles
from here, SO you see it won't take long
to accomplish that, although, we may
loose lew men in the charge The
rifles we taye are the Craig Jorgensen,
which will shoot or miles. The bull
let Is steel coated, and has a terrible
velocity. The volunteers have the
Springfield rifle, which has no magazine
aud don't shoot such a great distance,
nut they are nasty wenpon-ttt n few
hundred yards. Our rifles have II mag
azlne which holds six cartridges. You
must excuse monopoly of army news,
as you must know, that is my sole sub.
lect, there being no other form Of anuse-
ment but'tighting, ETC.. on these islands.
Res said you expected to visit your
farm IN North Dakota, this summer, and
have no doubt ,yon.wlll enjoy change
from the city, inasMuch Ms you are a
lover of nature and a natural born
farmer, which is not saying YOU are not
gentleman, but man of sound judg-
ment and true principle. Bidding you
fond adleu, am,