The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-01
ALL FROM WICHITA
Three Boys, Sexton, HarSon
and Richardson
IN FAR AWAY MANILA
Letter From Richardson OeS-
cribing Local Scenes.

Away over in the Philippines under
tropical sun. three Wichita boys recently
met, soldiers of fortune, and talked over
Wichita These were Fred Harson, Leon
ard Richardson and George Sexton.
They occasionally receive copies of the
Eagle and it is no stretch of the magma
ton to say these boys are keeping in
touch with their home town.
Richardson tells about this in a letter
home He makes no mention of Joe Camp
bell, another Wichita boy, in those parts,
in a California regiment. His letter is
written before the battle but he speaks
Of many things bearing on the fight which
took place.
Among other things he says that he
hasn't yet seen a good looking Filipino
woman.
Leonard Richardson is well known in
Wichita, having lived here since 1873 with
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Milford Richard
son, who now live at No. 521 Stevens
street.
Leonard took great interest in mill
tary affairs here, serving with the Kansas
national guards both in the artillery and
infantry. He was corporal of the gun
squad in battery a at the time Joe Fen
mel lost his hand on Decoration day, 1855.
Leonard comes from a family of patriots
and warriors. His great grandfather was
soldier in the French and Indian war
His grandfather was in the War Of 1872,
and his father served three years during
the War of the Rebellion.
Lien" left Wichita and went to the
state of Washington in 1897 and when the
war broke out with Spain was among the
first to enlist with the First Washington
infantry. His letter follows:
Manila, p l., Jan. .. 1879.
Dear Father-I received your letter a
few days ago and will proceed to answer
It today.
Things are quiet here now, though some
Of our men think that we will have trouble
with the insurgents before long, but I do
not There is a report here that the Iowa
troops got the worst Of it the other day
in Ilolo. How true the report is I do not
know. It caused some little excitement
here, but 1t will not take long to wipe
them out if they do put up Tight.
when Manila was captured. the insur-
gents were in the trenches fighting with
the Americans. They would raise their
guns up over the works and blaze away
without looking at the enemy at all. They
could not understand how the Americans
could raise up and take such deliberate
aim.
THE natives are more afraid Of the
Springfield rifles than Of the Krag-Jor-
gensen guns. They are very friendly to
the soldiers, but we do not trust them any
hos RI
goes to their house while they are eating
he will always be asked to chow chow.
Their way Of eating causes one to think
Of Darwin's theory of the origin of man
especially so among the lower classes.
The family gather around in a circle. sit
ting fat on the floor, the food in the center
of the circle. They will make a grab for
the food with one hand and carry it to
their mouth with the other. If they do
not care for all that they have taken,
they Will throw it back and take something
else. Their actions are certainly more IKE
monkeys than human beings. Some, how
ever, are quite well educated and practice
very good etiquette. They are all apt
pupils. quick to learn anything and try
very hard to learn English. They will
point to an article and tell you what 1t
is in Spanish and Filipino and want TO
know what 1t is in English.
You say that some Of the boys write
that tho women are ugly and some say
that they are good looking. Well, have
seen very few whom 1 would call even
passable
THAT fellow you speak of who was gone
on Filipino girl think must have been
crazy. AS for myself, prefer a good pat
riotic American girl. 1 have seen some
Spanish women who were beautiful, bu,
no American soldier can talk to them.
Christmas and New Years are past
two days when the boys had a square
meal. I went over to company L and ate
my Christmas dinner with Fred Harson.
l guess YOU know him. His parents live
on the West Side. There are three Wich-
tia boys in this regiment that I know Of
Fred Harson, George Sexton, who IS a
brother of the groceryman on West Doug
las avenue. and myself. Sexton is in CON,
pany z. Each one OF us in a different