The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-27
VERY HARD TO KILL TINE.
Soldiers at Manila Are Tired Of
Humdrum Camp Life.
DEATH OF HIRAM RAWSON
Another Of Montana's Pioneers Passes
Away-The Orphans Home VIII
Be Assisted Men
ton OF Twin Bridges.


Special Correspondence of the Standard.
irwin Bridges, Jan. 25.-Postmaste1
q. A. Pease is in receipt of the follow.
Ing letter from Manila, written by his
friend, Sergeant Fred Rogers of Butte
who is with Company E Of the LIST Mon
tana. Mr.. Rogers has many friends
here who will be pleased to hear from
him. The letter is written under date
OF Dec. and in part is as follows:
Friend Gard-Some time ago I re-
ceived letter from you and was very
much pleased to know 1 was not en-
tlrely forgotten by my friends. You
can consider yourself very lucky that
you did get yourself mixed up with
Uncle Sans troops. So long as there
was any chance of lighting, life was en-
durable; but now when fight is not to
pc thought of and our duties consist
wholly of garrison duty and little po-
lice work on the streets of the city, it
Is very hard proposition to pass away
the time. If we were kept busy 1t
would be great deal easier, but we are
not The men become lazy and lose all
the ambition they ever had. Most of
the men now want to get home to lock
after their own interests, for not few
left good positions, and great many
were business men, whose presence is
needed in their business And, again,
we could derive a great deal Of pleas
ure as we'll as knowledge il we were al
lowed to go or were sent into the in
terror of the island; but we are penned
UP in the city and really see none of the
country we are holding. But suppose
you want to know something of the
city and people here, so here goes:
The city of Manila is situated at the
extreme end of the bay Of the same
name, on the west side of the Isle of
Luzon and has population of about
100000. The entire city is only a few
feet above sea level, and is traversed
by numerous canals which is now zig
gag all over the place. The Pasig river
divides the town, the south side being
the old Spanish city, which is strongly
fortified, a massive wall and clay moat
running all around it. The north siee,
which is called the new city, is a cur
1ous mixture of all the nations of the
earth. The streets are narrow and
very much twisted out of line, and the
longest one is not more than one-quar-
ter of mile, under the same name
The buildings are all of the southern
style, built as open as possible on ac-
count of heat: and none are over three
stories high. These, of course, are the
business houses and residences of the
better classes. I will say right here. it
is eminently dangerous to good health
to live on the ground floor, on account
of the malarial fever. The natives
houses are very small and made entire
ly of bamboo and banana plant, the
floor of the hut always about five or
six feet above ground. These huts are
scattered all over regardless of any
regularity and 1t is not uncommon to
see eight or ten people living in hut
loXl2 feet. You cannot walk one-quar-
ter of an inch in any direction with
out running into church, for all the
natives are Catholics. The people
themselves are a curious mixture of
Spanish. Chinese, Japanese, Malay ard
the original natives. They have inter-
married for so long that now a new
race of natives has sprung up. The ma
tives are nearly all sickIy.
i Will not try to tell you of their
customs. for here in the city they copy
from foreigners and are not natural
In my next letter l viii try to tell
little of the customs as they are and of
their conveyances and modes of trans
portatlon. l hope you are all well and
also that 1 will be with you before long,
for l have asked to be discharged. Re-
member me to my friends and send me
q letter once in while. Your friend,
SERGEANT F. NJ. ROGERS,
Company Il, LIST Montana infantry, U.
S. ""
One by one the pioneer men who
blazed the trails for the younger gen
Grafton to live at ease and peace in
Montana are passing to that great be-
yond. Word has reached town Of the
death of Hiram L. Rawson, which oc-
Cured at Bannack last week. He came
to what is now Montana in 1868, com
ing to Alder gulch that fall and later
on locating in Last Chance gulch. and
finally settled in Horse PrairieA year
ago he left for Klondike, but was taken
sick at Skaguay, and when sufficiently
recovered to permit of travel returned
to his home on the Prairie. His death
was caused by rheumatism and pleur-
sy. The deceased was native of New
York and was 81 years of age.
j. w. Brook, one of the five trustees
of thu Orphans home, returned from
Helena Saturday, where he had been in
the interests of the expected appropria-
ton for home improvements this sum-
mer. Mr.. Brook feels encouraged at
the treatment received at the hands OF
the legislators and is confident the APP
preparation bill will be passed at this
session. Mr. Brook thinks that no in
stitution in the state has a stronger
claim on its support and encourage
ments. The objects Of the home APP
peal to every human heart. He says
that humanity owes no higher duty
than to provide for the unfortunate.
helpless children whom the misfortunee
OF life render homeless. The policy Of
the management has been to place
these children in homes with private
families, where they can have care and
education Many OF the children are
exceedingly bright and intelligent and
only need the loving care and influence
Of good home to become an honor to
mankind.
State Senator Clark came over from
Helena on Saturdays train to meet his
mother, who accompanied her son to
the state capital
Andy Davis, the Butte banker, was
IN town a few hours SATURDAY.