Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-02-23
Letter From the Philippines.
MANILA, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS,

from me soon again. This is the begin
ming of a new year in Uncle Sans new
country. There have been many great
things happened in the last year and
from all appearances here many more
before this year is ended. l am well
and doing well, having a good time, and
that is all anyone can wish. There has
not much happened since | last wrote.
Everything is about as usual here, but
look for great and grand change be-
fore long. The insurgents are still in
possession of the entire islands, except
Manila and Cavite. A large force left
| here 10 take possession OF llollO, out
they found that the Spaniards had sur
| rendered the town to the insurgents
The insurgents refused TO allow the
Americans to land. The Presidents
prc clamation was printed in all the Ma
Mia papers, and a great many of the ma
! tives are satisfied with it, but there are
many Others who want nothing TO do
with the United States, and l think
there is a fair chance for some of our
! brilliant Americans to distinguish them
selves yet They know that they have
q harder crowd to conquer than the
Spanlards. Uncle Sam has 10000 men
now. and will need at least that many
more.
Well. there are great prospects here
and there are many Yankees TO do the
prospecting, the city is already full OF
all kinds of Americans and Europeans
who are anxious to try their luck IN the
new country This country is hun
dred wears behind the times. Spain
kept the people in ignorance, but the
natives are just beginning to see where
/ they have been all their lives. The
| Americans are renting and leasing city
property al great rate. City property
| has gone up 200 per cent since l nave
/ come here The city is booming-great
buildings going up in every part, and as
soon as everything is settled | look Tor
| a rush here that will equal the kIondlke,
! There isn't bit Of doubt that this is
rich country and there are many great
| chances, but the poor laboring man
wants to stay away, for they cannot
compete with the native and Chinaman
in cheap labor There is lots of capital
here. only awaiting to see the insurgents
| come to terms.
Well, told you in my other letter
how thanksgiving was celebrated here
/ Christmas was celebrated in about the
same way. but it was very different from
our old Christmas time in Old Shepherds
town. Here there were no good old en-
tertainments at the churches with snow
on the ground We wore our white
clothing and the icecream parlorS were
the places sought after. The weather
now is fne-this is the cool season-but
still It's warm enough for good bathing
in the surf, and everything seems like
July with you people. This is the dry
season. and the hot season commences
here in March. have seen August and
September weather, and | know | can
stand the rest if it was no worse than
that. This climate isn't really bad
! The thermometer doesn't get as high as
it does in many parts of the United
States. but the heat here is damp and
steamy 1t is hot only from 0 a. m. to
3 p. m.
This country can produce anything
that is raised in the tropics. | think
coffee will be one of the great products
here-it grows anywhere, cultivated or
not. think the woods will be next -
mahogany and ebony is here in album
| dance, and other fine woods. There
ISM any use for me to tell you about
! the resources Of this country, for have
not seen much OF it yet, but can see
great barges Of all kind of products
coming down the Pesig river every day,
and the shipping here is great am
trying TO get chance to 60 into the in
terror of the island, but as things are
still warlike with the natives lconclud-
ed to wait awhile; but | am bound to
see for myself what is there. think
! this city will boom and all the surround
ing towns Everything that is on the
American plan is on the move. There
is only one drug store here that IS Amer
! lean style, and il is owned by an En-
glishman. | have seen night after night
that it was almost impossible for any
one TO get waited on There are sever
al hotels that are run on the European
or American plan, and they are crowded
rooms can't be gotten at any price
now. and when the rush comes | guess
they will 90 into camp. Every native
that made from eight to ten centayoes
a day when the Spanish were here can
now make a paso. The cab and hack
men are busy from early until late at
night. The poor street-car system can't
haul the people.
L ne SlTCtlS are udIION' anu any al
ternoon the Escalta, the principal street,
is iammed, and one can hardly cross it,.
Anyone that has seen crowded street
III our principal American cities can
imagine the crowd. | have seen Mar
ket street in Frisco crowded, but the
Escalta is packed There are two or
three policemen on every crossing to
stop the Jam. You must remember
Manila isn't any village. She has now,
with the 20. 600 or p, 900 American here,
at least 100000 people-English, Ger
man and French are here in full force,
besides over $4,000 Cinnamon in the
city alone. There IS a company now
preparing to start electric street cars
on the widest streets and suburbs.
Well. | think as soon as the natives get
I L.. 81, ID