Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-08-01

plays a very important part-mOre i'm
portant than bread does here. 1 could
describe over twenty-five different ways
of preparing bananas, but they are COM
monty ground into flour and made into
cakes, winch are very palatable. For S
cents a man can buy enough banana -four
to live on several days. The upper class
use spanish cooking exclusively, and the
prices at the fashionable cafes are about
what they are in New Orleans. One can
not get a good dinner for less than a dol
lar. The ice used is nearly all natural
ice, and is brought from the mountains,
II miles away. on buffalOes.
Ihe rich Filipinos ave elegant resi-
oehces, and everybody employs troops of
servants. "A man earning $50 a month
VIII employ at least four. The rules re-
sardlng social intercourse are very strict.
70 get on calling footing at a house is
OFTEN the work of years. One must be
.ouched Tor to an extent unknown even
III ia EUROPE. Promlscuous calling on young
aoles Is strictly interdicted, and the
usual American coursthip would be re-
garded with horror. Once, when I was a
mere boy. a companion about my own
aecosted a young girl on the street
ana told her she was very pretty. She
belonged to a Spanish family, and next
day her brother hunted up my friend.
VINO insisted that he meant the remark
as a harmless compliment. My sister
knows she is pretty said the Spaniard.
ehe does not desire the information from
o There is my card Next day the
Two met in a room and exchanged shots
at a few PAGES. Both were killed. NV
innocent part in it was made a pretext
by the Spanish authorities to squeeze
money out of my father. and he paid
tnem nearly $4,000 to prevent my arrest
Were the Spaniards as oppressive as
they have been described?" the reporter
asked
Yes, fully" replied Mr.. Rodriguez. his
eyes sparkling with angry recollections.
..1hey looked down on the Filipinos be-
cause of their dark color, and never
missed an opportunity to insult and hu-
initiate them. The taxes We're outrageous
and the country was ridden by idle
priests. The average Filipino is ma tI,ral1 v
or a religious temperament, and has great
ialth IN the efficacy of prayer. In our
mousse we prayed regularly nine times a
day-upon rising. before breakfast, after
breakfast, before and after dinner, before
and after supper. in the evening and just
before going to bed. All of our n%eighbors
did the same. The Filipinos live in an at
mosphere Of continual supplication.'
What do you think of the outlook for
the WARP"
1T cannot last a great while. The re-
sources Of the Filipinos are limited and
will become exhausted. They are making
a terrible mistake, but it is not due to
AN oAS mp x lOIGI u
this country, its resources and it's policy.
They imagine that the Americans want
to drive them away and take their coun-
try. They are not used to dealing with
honest people. You must remember they
have never come in contact with ANYBODY
except the Spaniards. If they understood
the situation as it really is, they would
throw down their gun and welcome the
Americans as saviors."
How do you feel yourself about taking
service in an army that is fighting your
countrymen?"
7 feel this way about it," replied Mr..
Rodriguez. earnestly. Il am going, if I
am accepted, in a civil capacity, as a
clerk. I believe the American cause to
be just, and I feel I ear occupy that kind
of a position without sacrifice of honor. I
could not go into the ranks. 1t would be
impossible for me to take up arms
against my own people, but I do not be-
lleye any American officer would ask me
to do such a thing or blame me for re-
fusing. But if, for instance, I was told
to go to such and such an insurgent camp
and do my best to convince the leaders
of their error, I would do so gladly. l
hope that l may be ordered to carry such
a message. for believe I could make my
self valuable. 1 know nearly all the lead
ers personally, and my family is we'll
liked on the island. My father, who is
now dead, was especially popular among
the poorer people, to whom he was al
ways very kind. My mother died last
year in Chicago, and 1 determined then
that l would never leave this country,
but l would like to look at my old home
once more, and see If my fathers grave
Is being cared for. That is why 1 applied
for this position"
Rodriguez himself is a good illustra-
ton of the pluck which is part of the Fill
p1no character and has made them such
unexpectedly good fighters. He says
when he was a boy he noticed that nearly
all the implements and machines brought
to the island were of American invention,
and he longed to come to this country and
see it's marvels with his own eyes. After
his fathers death he inherited about
$4,000 and determined to make the Jour-
ney at once. His mother could not bring
herself to part with him, so he brought
her along, and they lived at San Fran
cisco while he acquired the language,
Then they moved to Chicago and bought
a little home. He supported them both
by working as a clerk and doing trans
lating after hours. Incidentally he start
ed a Spanish-American newspaper for
circulation in Central America. After his
mothers death he started for Cuba, but
stopped in New Orleans, and has re-
manned here ever since. He does trans
latlng for nine business houses and helps
edit a local Spanish paper.
ALIAS s~UMMONs-1N JUSTICES
| - $50 49,