The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-02-09
OUR SAILOR BOY.
Ensign Johns. Doddridgs, Of the
Boston, Arrived in Town
FROM THE PHILIPPINES
Yesterday. aud Talks Intcrcstinslyto
an In,clligcnccr Reporter His
Estimate of the Native Character
not High He Will likely be AS
signed to Duty on Another Ship.
How he Felt in Battle.

Ensign John s. ,Doddridge, OF the
United States navy. Wheeling boy
who was with Dewey at Manila. arriv-
ed in the city for an Indefinite stay yes
terday morning. He was detached from
duty from his ship. the Boston. on De-
cember q, on which date he left for
Wheeling, and he will remain here
awaiting orders from the navigation bu-
reau OF the navy department.. His
leave Of absence In navy technique Is
described as waiting orders"
In conformity with the regulations,
Ensign Doddridge yesterday afternoon
sent on the intelligence OF his arrival
TO Washington, and until he receives an
answer he wifi not know the extent OF
his stay. 1t Is customary after three
years cruise to be detached from duty
for u few months, after which the Off
Ger is generally assigned to another
ship. and rs Ensign Doddridge has seen
all his service on the Asintic station,
he Will not be surprised IL he gets
few years in another part Of the world.
All Wheeling takes pride in the eX-
PLOTS OF the young ensign, and the let
tiers from him published in the Intelll-
gencer from time 10 time have been
read with great interest. Having been
an active partlcipator In the battle OF
Manila under the leadership OF the I'M
mortal Dewey, makes Ensign Dodd-
ridge n parsonage in whom local pride
Is glad to center. Naturally modest
and reticent, he was ayerse to direct
questions on the Philippine problem.
when seen at the home OF his aunts, the
Misses Doddridge Of North Front street,
by an 1ntelligencer reporter, but while
declining to speak OF what might en-
barrass him in his capacity. he gave
many interesting details OF the life
and customs of the land of Aguinaldo.
The Fillpinos. he said, living outside
OF Manila, are In q savage state. and
the gloss Of civilization in the city itself
could stand lots of beneficial burnish-
ing. The natives are of the Malay type,
small In stature. dark brown in COM
plcSion. thck-nosed, and having
straight black hair. There are about
$4,000 holf-breeds, known as the Mestl-
zos, nearly all residents Of Manila.
When educated, the Filipinos were
good linguists, and possessed 4 general
knowledge OF the world ut large. They
We're the exception, however. While
not openly quarrelsome, treachery was
q predominant quality. One of the
principal holiday sports Is cock-fight-
ing. and the natives, being extremely
religious, attend mass every Sunday
morning with their ROSTERS and steel
spurs hidden under the shirt which is
worn over and falls below their belts.
AS soon as the service concludes the
battles Of the. ROSTERS begin in earnest,
keeping up for hours.
When Ensign Doddridge left Manila,
IpNc ,ft httc -
ture ranged from G5 to so degrees. Con-
sequently. the returned Wheellngite
felt yesterdays cold snap. and grimly
remarked that he preferred 1t TO hold
on for awhile.
1t Will be remembered that in the
battle OF Manila, Il shell exploded in
young Doddrldge's state room on the
Boston. He didn't discover this fact,
however, until after Montejo's fleet was
thing Of the past. AS to his feelings
during the battle, Ensign Doddridge
said that. all on board were remarkably
cool, excepting, Of course, n natural
nervousness, but he believed that the
men might have displayed more intense
feelings had they gaZed on dying COM
rades, for remarkably none on board
was injured. 1T Is different" he said,
ito stand being shot at and being miss
cd. than to see the shells take effect"
Among souvenirs OF the battle. Ensign
Doddridge treasures Dewey's signature
\ reason for this self-possession on
that cventful May morning, he believes.
was the fact of his getting three hours
sleep preparatory to 1t. and just before
the battle began. coffee was served to
the men by the, paymaster. The ensign
has brought home trunk full OF GU
rios picked up at Manila. and other
places in the far East since he was last
in Wheeling, which was in June 1895.
He first went TO sea in 1899, and has
served on the Philadelphia. Olympia
tAdmiral Dewev's flag ship and the
Boston. He was born in Wheeling in
1877, was graduated from Union school
in 1859, entering Annapolis the same
year. Ensign Doddridge looks as
young as his years. and always en-
changes his uniform for civilian clothes
as soon as he is off duty. He is very
fond of the sea- and says he knows
nothing else. An ensign is It line off,
Ger and corresponds TO second lieu
tenant in the army.
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