Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-05
AMERICAN PAPER AT MANILA.

MIR. and Mrs. Mark Tierney of No.
!10I Linden street have received from
their son, Peter j, Tierney. who isa
member Of Co. l., First Regiment,
South Dakota Volunteers, stationed at
Manila, a copy of an American news
paper printed there, the title Of which
published weekly and the copy received
by Mr.. and Mrs. Tierney is dated
November 18th and it is supposed that
it was mailed about that time.
Peter ]. Tierney is "a years of age.
Flo left Wilmington about three years
ago to travol Prior to his departure
he was employed by the Pussy & Jones
Co. When the call.for volunteers was
issued by President Mckinley, Tierney
was in the West and Joined the Dakota
regiment of which he is still q member.
His parents have heard from him
three times since his enlistment. He
is in good health. While he has seen
much service in the volunteer army.
he was not in any of the engagements,
as the fighting was over when his regi
ment reached Manila. The battalion
Of which he is member is stationed
in one Of the most attractive places
about Manila, concerning which the
American Soldier prints the following:
"The richer class of merchants and
military men have their residences in
| the San Miguel and San Sebastian dis.
| tricts, where some very beautiful
! houses and grounds are to be seen. One
| of the most beautiful places in the
| city is tho palace of Malacan, the sum-
mer residence of the captain-general OF
the Philippines.
The American Soldier is printed by
/ OIL s,,nr ~,
and is sold at 35 cents per month, or
10 cents per copy. Isaac Russell is the
\ editor, James X. Hull associate editor
and Charles R. Mabey business mana
| ger. 1t is we'll printed in large type
and according to the publishers, is a
diary of the Eighth army corps, and a
soldiers paper for the soldiers. 1t con-
sists of eight pages of five columns
each and contains q store of inforrna-
tion, including historical data concern
ing the islands and current news OF the
army and navy and the city OF Manila
and adjacent country, as we'll as general
news. A remarkable feature of the
paper is the amount of advertising, the
copy at hand containing IL columns.
the business advertised being largely
that of native merchants or importers.
According to the news columns, the
Americans are rapidly rounding up
gang of Spanish thieves, who have been
the terror Of the city for some time.
Among other things the paper states
that the streets of Manila, except in
San Miguel and San Sebastian, are
narrow and the houses present an ap-
pearance of monotonous similarity. In
the suburb of the city known as Tondo,
which is the dwelling place OF the
poorer class of natives, the ground is
perfectly fat and as there is no system
of drainage all of the filth from the
houses accumulates and pools of water
form in the hollows during the wet
season. Tho result is that when the
dry season comes fever makes fearful
, ravages among the people. The average
death rate in Manila is under ordinary
: conditions from IS to 80 a day out of
population of nearly 100000. This is
| not as large as might be expected,
| under the conditions, and seems to
, prove that the climate is not of itself
unhealthful.
! There are but few public buildings.
/ In the walled city the city hall is Of
i modern construction, and while it has
I no special features of architectural
4 beauty, 1t is we'll built and adapted to
4 the purposes of an Office building. or
) the churches San Sebastian is by far
l
as the most modern Generally speak
a ing, the churches are insignificant.
s There is small but interesting
3 museum in the Jesuit College, which
a contains specimens Of the fauna Of the
4 islands, one OF the most striking being
q a huge serpent Of the constructor
h species, % feet in length, which was
I killed less than a days journey from
Manila.
: The cemeteries are odd looking places
. to Americans. Ins the centre of the
It principal cemetery is the chapel, in
q which the burial services are read.
i. Around it are two rings of masonry
a 10 foet high and 10 feet thick, in which
are constructed inches, one above tho
Y other, three high, Just large enough to
v admit coffin. Tho corpse is placed
q inside the niche, which is then scaled
q with masonry and the headstone or
. slab is placed. For tho use Of this
81 niche n rental Of s35 is paid, which is
IA good for five years, AT tho expiration Of
/. which, unless the friends of the de-
]. ceased wish to renew the lease, the
II niche is opened and the remains, row
nothing but bones, are removed and
taken to the final resting place, q large
we'll, or hollow In the wall, into
which the skeletons are promise dously
uujuptti. sNo otc WILLINGLY htNs' eNSH 50
!, uso about 10 years, and there are over
Y 1000 inches, an estimate Can easily be
= made MS to the number OF skeletons
~ thus disposed Of. In the damp climate
!, of that locality tho bones rapidly decay
and go to form the dark mould which
= is slowly filling the Huesario, as 1t is
81 called. There is another cemetery
;, where the bodies arc simply inferred.
= Nearby is the Chinese burying ground,
Y, y from which have been taken a great
- many eravestones Us flags for the pave
i. ment, and these stones, carved ~
y Chinese characters, are to be seen ali
- over the city. They are not all confined
% to the heather Chinee, either, for many
OF the stones bear Spanish or Latin in.
scriptions. There is one in the floor o.
the cavalry barracks which once marked
ID the resting place of the Right Rev.
Father Solano, who died in about 1000
O. Members of Utah, Nebraska, Wyom-
lg ing, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Oregon,
40 South Dakota, Minnesota, North Da
n kota and Idaho regiments, Fourteenth
o, regulars and the Aston battery have
no formed baseball league and arc play
n ing series for cups offered by thu
ID American Commercial Co.
he Editorially the paper says: Nevel
rs in the history OF the world has an.
3, body OF men endured greater hardship
he than has the Eighth army corps. TIL
results OF our work will ever remain d
a bright page in America history.