Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1899-07-27
Letter From MANILA.

Letter From Manila.
Elmer N. Bean has received a letter
fr m Harry H. Brown OF Co. g, 21st U. S.
lnfy., dated May 18th, describing his
journey from Plattsburgh, n Y, to the
far-of Philippines and some OF his ex-
periences and impressions there. Accom-
psnylng it we're copies of two papers pub
iished in Manila bv enterprising Yankees,
also beautiful silk handkerchief and
sample OF rock from the pumping station,
which Private Brown describes in his let
ter, an abstract of which follows:-
Il care not to enjoy any better health,
for the climate agrees with me very well
so Tar. Ii one takes care of himself there
is no trouble about the matter OF health.
We reached San Francisco the morning
OF April 18th but did not leave the harbor
until the next day. However, as we were
not permitted to leave the boat / cannot
tell you much OF the city. We set sail
| April 18th and dropped anchor in Manila
harbor twenty-five days later. 1t was a
very unpleasant voyage across the great
ocean, for 1t was more or less stormy and,
worse than that, we did not have very
| good food. A citizen was given the con-
tract to furnish food and do the cooking,
aud were il not for Quartermaster Craw
tord's Interference, the man would have
| been thrown overheard. Another dis
agreeable fact about the voyage was that
there were too many men aboard The
ship was built to carry only 500, all told,
but besides between the 400 and 500 men
OF the ships crew, there were 300 mem
bers OF the 2lst infantry and one battery
OF the LIST artillery, Co. Il. When l 60 |
back across the water / shall try my best |
to have all the room | want. We had TO /
drift 70 hours on account OF breakage and |
April 30th a great wind storm came up |
and we all had to go down into the hold /
hnnFQ aalA -
lay in bis bunk without taking hold or
tying himself to something.
We landed in Manila harbor the 10th OF i
May and were transferred from the boat |
to what they call BAN boos, and were |
towed around the harbor by tug boats.
IN warrant you never saw happier lot
OF boys than We we're when we were on
land once more. We pitched camp one
mile from the walled city that day and
about five O'Clock the following afternoon
we're ordered to the firing line, which was
seven miles due east OF the city.
You would have laughed to see how
the boys acted the first two or three
nights they were on the line. There are
great many dogs and pigs running at
large and our orders on the line are to
call "Hait' to any person twice and, IL
he does not halt, to let him have a charge,
to kill, too. The second night the patrol
OF Co. E opened fire, and that called out
bii lut OlUtT An lONeStlRa- /
tion showed that Co. Els patrol had been
scared by dog in the brush. There was
a great deal OF firing on the line and one
of Co. E's men was shot In the hip by
comrade, but it did not kill him.
Co. g has the best record In the regi-
ment, for at the present writing not a :
soldier OF the company has fred a shot.
There is nothing on our line TO fire at, as
there is another line five miles beyond
ours, which Is the main firing line. Now,
however, we have been ordered to the
main line at once as they expect to shove
the work as fast as they can before the
rainy reason sets in.
| wish you could be out here to see
some OF the most beautiful sights man
ever set eyes on.
The greatest curiosity here Is the water
works system, which cost Spain ten mill
lion dollars. The main station is eight
miles from the city and the reservoir six
miles. Co. @ is in camp near it. This
covers twenty acres OF ground
and is all dug from rock. All around
here there are about six feet OF dirt above
this Kind OF rock, but 1t is very soft rock,
as you see by the piece | send you.
/ wish you could see how the natives
dress and live our here. Most OF them
wear nothing but very thin pants com
ing only to the knees. They wear neither
shirt nor hat. The women dress the same,
)nly they wear boomers or something
quite similar, and all are very dirty.
There is plenty OF ripe fruit the year
round, all the kinds that grow in the tor
lid zone being found here; but the Am
srican people cannot eat much OF Ii as ii
ioes not agree with them.
We have to do guard duty every other
hight, half OF the company serving each I
light. The guard details are divided in
% four lots-the outpost, six men and a
corporal; the patrol, twelve men and two
'orporsls; the main guard, one corporal;
md the despoto, ten men, one corporal
md one sergeant of the guard.
II | am discharged out here, | shall try
ny best to get some pictures around here.
Most of the houses are made OF bamboo,
tut Some OF the wealthier people have
louses made OF this soft stone. these are
inished very finely indeed and are CEN
uries old. G
II is very hot here when the sun shines y
'utit is cloudy more or less and there
5 always a slight breeze stirring. At
light you could hardly sleep without
overing up with mosquito netting. II
'ou did you would be almost eaten alive =
'efore morning.
Remember me to all the boys and tell
hem that | think they have missed a
'ood thing. | wish them luck and sue
ess and feel that will have the same and
bat will return and tell them more some
ay OF war and camp life. V
The handkerchief | send you is pure
ilk and cost only 25 cents here. You
robably could not buy il in America for
ess than S or so. Silks are very cheap
ere as II is 600 miles from Hong Kong,
nina. Keep it as a souvenir"
(Other locals on next page)