Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-30

Nueva Ecija, Rulacan, Batangas. Albay
and ARRAY. Wheat is grown in Batangas
and around San Isidro and Isabel and lii
cos Sur.
There is a great abundance of very valu-
able timber in these islands and many va
rieties Of beautiful hard woods under native
names, such as mahogany, black walnut
and ebony. Gold, copper coal iron. sui
phur lead, building stone. petroleum and
guano are found.
Condition of the People.
There are many different tribes living in
these islands. the only ones in native re-
bellion being the Tagalos. This tribe occu-
pies some eight provinces in the neighbour
!; hood of Manila and their association with
Europeans Eas made them more civilized
than other tribes
We are now seven or eight miles from
Porac. where insUrSent force has been
stationed for some time. but around here
and through this vast valley the people are
actively engaged in planting rice L have
been riding arOUnd the outskirts of this
place. and the fields are dotted with men.
women and children planting rice. There
are some tribes, the Pampangan and some
others, that sympathize with and aid the
TagaloS
| am confident that brigade of cavalry
could easily travel through a great part of
the Islands.
Animals of the Islands.
Monkeys are numerous. the flying SPUR
rel, which has a fine skin, is found. and
also the wi cat the wild hog and the
water buffalo. The lion. the tiger. the
hyena, leopard and the bear are found in
these islands. In variety. beautiful plum
age and charming singing the birds are
said to be surerin' TO those of any other
part of the earth.
Crocodiies, boa constructors and lizards
are found There are many dangerous
snakes. but in this densely populated dis
triCt there are very few. ana the people
tell me that very st dom is any one bitten
by them. They also tell me that the natives
understand how to cure the worst of the
bites by using herbs.
The flowers OF the island are very beau
tiful, and many years ago a priest collected
thousands If varieties, and / saw in a con-
vent copy of some books, giving q de-
scription of each flower and a painting of
the flower, apparently in water coors, each
painting occupying q large space.
The market place of each town is fl ed
with men, women and children with their
baskets and fruits and other articles for
sale Although bananas and cocoanuts
grow in our yards, we take care not to
modest anything but purchase of the
natives Al first, prices were reasonable,
but now We pay about a cent, Mexican
apiece for bananas and about five cents
apiece, Mexican, for cocoanuts.
The natives bring very nice little fish to
US, which they catch in the neighborhood
OF the town.
Soldiers and Natives.
The relations between the soldiers of nv
command and the people are most cordia.
Our soldiers protect them in every right
and. as they sell market products to the
soldiers at higher rates than formerly OBJ
tanned they appreciate this as one of the
advantages our occupation is to them. The
son OF the president of this city said yes
terday: The Spanish soldiers and the in
surSent soldiers are harsh and unkind and
take anything from US that they want and
pay nothing, but the American soldier is
kind and pays for everything
There is no limit to the bamboo, which
grows with great rapidity and is used in
building hous es
The leaves of the Nipa palm are used for
an outside covering of the roofs of houses
The women do great deal of labor, and
they and the men often wear hats made
OF grass. palm leaves or bamboo, which
are some thirty inches in diameter. These
mats turn water and serve as an umbrella
as well as to protect the head from the sun
l often see women working in the fields
WIN umbrellas like those in use in America
Primitive Sugar Industry.
The sugar mills are very primitive very
much like those first constructed in Cuba
and other sugar countries. If the methods
OF cultivation now in use in the Hawaiian
Islands and Louisiana We're used, and if
the improved machinery which these local
or sugar produced in the PHILIPPINES could
be increased many fold. The exports Of
hemp have greatly increased. In the wear
lSs2 H;2o5 tons of hemp were exported,
which has increased until there was ex-
ported in 1897 112 100 tons and This outnut
can be much enlarged.
The shipment of coffee gradually increas-
cd until the year 1886, when the exports
amounted to I.33I tons, and from 1880 to
1880 the shipments averaged about q 600
tons a year, but from that time they have
fallen off, and from 1898 to 1897 the annual
shipments averaged only 200 tons.
Wild Cotton
l learn the following about cotton from
reliable sources:
The cotton tree is found growing in an
unculuvated state in many islands of the
archipelago. Long staple cotton was for
merry extensively cultivated in the prov
iace OF Ilocos Norte. when, many wears ago
large quantities Of good cotton stuffs were
| exported. This industry still exists The
cultivation of this staple was however
discouraged by the local governors. in or
der 10 urge the planting of tobacco for the
government supplies. 1t has since become
dlfcult to revive the cotton production
although an essay, in pamphlet form flor
which prize was awarded in Madrid. was
EratuItouSly distributed over the colony in
lSSs with that object. Nevertheless cot
ton spinning and weaving is still carried
on on a reduced scale in the Oloco prov
inces' Luzon west COAST.
Wild cotton is practically useless for
spinning. as the staple is extremely short,
but perhaps by liberalization and careful
attention its culture might become valua-
BILE 10 the colony The pod is eliptical and
the cotton which bursts from it at MATURE
~ is snow white II is used for stuffine
pillows and mattresses.
1t is common thing to see wild cotton
| trees planted along the high road to serve
as telegraph posts; by the time the seed is
fully ripe every leaf has fallen and nothing
the branches.
Railroads tudiciously located could be
| built very cheaply, and with the dense pop
ulatlon and the freight which must exist
where the production is so abundant could
\ make the railroads very profitable / think
a light rail. fifty-six pounds to the yard,
would do very well, and something less
! than the standard gauge would be best /
| believe the Manila and Dagupan railroad
| has a gauge Of meter (39.37 inches)
| Sugar, rice and timber would give much
frs.iu Wy