The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-09-01
MANILA LETTER.
W. Il. Masters Writes to, the
Free Press.
Interes ting Account of His Experiences
in the Land of the
Tagals.
Manila, P. l., July 81, $50.

article especially for bathing purposes
but one may get too much OF gooo
thing. Such is the case here. Inc
flood gates of heaven have been open
for the past two weeks and it looks very
much as though some one had neglected
their duty and forgotten to close them
Al inches of rain has fallen since the
middle of June and three full months
of the rainy season are still ahead OF
us. The average for previous years has
been something over 60 inches, SO this
season bids fair to be a record breaker.
It is not at all like Minnesota April
shower either. 1t seems to have
faculty of working it's way through
everything, wood, brick and stone
The result is everything is wet. Bed
clothes and pajamas have to be held
over a coal oil lamp every night before
retiring to get some of the dampness
out. Books and other articles in day
or two become covered with a green
mould. The natives. however, seem to
thrive in this weather They go right
along with their work, with no cloth.
ing except short pair of trousers
ba eheaded and barefooted. In my
Il. 20 weeks residence in Manila l
} 20 found but very little as yet to adj
q about the place. Of course 1t is
resting to a stranger at first, but the
off en,. If thnrn q
Ter place on earth than Manila [
> will never see it and it is said
y it is clean now compared with
80 1t was when the American forces
e; possession. Health offers and in
~. 2rs are doing their best but 1t is
p .neture of the Filipino to be dirty
Ills difficult task to get them to
rs-4 up. The streets are very narrow
and crooked, the buildings are nearly
all of them two stories, no taller build
ings being erected because OF earth
ouakes. We had slight shock yes
terday morning but only sufficient to
swing the chandeliers in the office.
The restaurants and hotels are very
poor, There are number of so-called
English and American hotels but they
are conducted by either natives or
Standards and the food is abominable.
| had twosweeks of it before getting
into an American mess and Australian
refrigerator beef and American cam I'D
goods tasted sweeter than honey after
nv hotel experience. Business goes on
as usual altho the streets are patrolled
bv guards and picket line extends
around the city, The tcurfew rings at
$50 and all without passes must get off
the streets or go to the guard house.
Things are quiet and so far have not
heard a shot fred, altho in the out
skirts the natives occasionally create
disturbances.
The fighting line extends from San
Fernando on the railroad north about
so miles in a narrowing half circle
down TO Cavite, miles southwest of
Manila. This is about the same posi-
ton our troops have occupied since
February, The fighting the past few
waaks has all been done at or near San
Fernando. A P. Q, was established
there sometime ago but the clerk in
charge found it too hot for comfort SO
it was abandoned, but last week an
other man swas sent up, the Office
placed in a R. r. car with chain at
tached, so if he has to run for it he can
take his office with him. 1t is hard to
get any reliable news and you are pro-
baby bettersposted as to what is being
done here than we are. We get rumors
hourly and daily but they are usual
the result of a vivid Imagination. For
instance yesterday the report came In
that two companies at San Fernando
had been surrounded and the entire
force killed or captured. 1t turned out
to be only slight skirmish and no
damage done, The talk here is that an
aggressive movement will be made as
soon at the weather permits and it is
uOU U0ll0p0u budG GuO pOoOO SOAAAiAhAsoAOAA
will accomplish much with Aguinaldo
and his followers in the island OF
Luzon, Once "Aggie" has been
brought to see the error of his way, no
trouble is expected in the other islands.
1t is claimed that the rank and file of
the insurgent army are ready to sur
render but are kept from doing so by
the leaders. Any good opinion that. |
may have had of the natives has dis
appeared on closer acquaintance. They
are ignorant and quarrelsome and do
not believe they are capable of self
government although they may become
SO after few years of American teach
ing. This of the natives in the city,
and how much less capable must those
in the interior be, who have never come
in contact with the white race and
civilization A large majority of the
intelligent natives do not want indie
pendence, at least not now. We have
about 80 employed in the P. o. here
and those with whom / have talked adj
NIT that they are not strong enough or
e. 4.