Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-05
FOREIGN CURlOSITIES
Harry Dutton, of oskaloosa, Has
an Interesting Lot.
FRED STRONG HAS A COLLECTION.
Gun Made OF GaspIpe and q Pistol
With a Large Calibre Cartridge
for the barrel Are Among
tile Curious Things.
Iron Fridays Daily.l

quartermasser sergeant of Company f,
Fifty-frst Iowa Infantry Volunteers,
is in the city visiting at the home of
his sister, Mrs. Arthur Gephart, 115
East Court street. Mr.. Dutton brought
with him number of souvenirs that
reminds him of the late unpleasantness
in the Philippines, among them being
a gun made from piece of gas pipe,
plugged at one end and set on stock
of home manufacture. The pipe is wir-
ed to she stock in three places, and is
provided with small hole in the butt
end with which to fire the piece. The
The least. Not being provided with
trigger nor lock, the willy black man
fires the gun by means of lighted ci-
~arette. The report must be some
thing terrific to judge by the bore, and
as a kicker the weapon must rival the
old army musket used during the civil
war.
Another curiosity in the collection is
pistol. The barrel is Winchester
cartridge set in wooden handle, and
is wired to the handle with small wire.
A touch hole is provided and the man
ner of firing is the same as with the
larger gun. Mr.. Dutton said he never
saw any of these implements of war
fare used in an action, but instead the
natives are armed largely with the
Mauser which Mr.. Dutton SAYS is the
finest gun made. The natives do not
aim even when armed with the modern
guns. They place the gun to their
side and fire at random when in action.
Speaking of trenches, Mr.. Dutton
said the Filipinos evidently know how
to build them. They are made with
two rows of port holes, the outlines of
which are preserved by means of BAN
boo frame work. Another thing the
Americans learned was not to dig the
earth from the side of the works they
intended to stay behind but to do as
the natives .do-dig it from the other
side-and avoid lying in the water that
always accumulates in an excavation
in that country. Mr.. Dutton present.
ed his meat pan, used while in the
Philippines, to Mr.. Gephart. The COW
er of the pan served as an implement
to throw up breast works daring hot
fight and illustrated the action of the
volunteer when engaged III that occu-
patton. A Filipino broom was among
the curiosities. 1t is a very frail affair
and would not serve in this country
,fer = duster, Mr.. Dutton said the
frailty of their. brooms was proba bly,
!. one reason why the natives were so
MIthy in their homes. A Filipino can
=, ~. consisted OF a section of bamboo
with the pith left in the lower end and
q small hole made in the pith at the
opposite end. A rope is fastened to
the improyised water carrier and slung
over the shoulder of the native. A
bolo or machsta, as the Spanish call it,
was also in the collection and is used
for outpost duty. Mr.. Dutton said that
all the natives were armed with some
sort of knife, usually with ma
cheta or dagger, the latter being usual
" of the finest workmanship.
'"The native" said Mr.. Button. Sis an
understood, willy, treacherous animal,
endowed with unlimited grit and en-
durance. He will fight like all possess
ed behind breastworks, but cannot UNI
derstand the steady advance of the
Americanos in the face of his fire.
That will demoralize him and when
the volunteer gets near he will break
and run. The native children are
bright and quickly learn to speak En-
glish. The education of all has pro
gressed far enough to enable them to
read and write Spanish or the tongue
OF the tribe to which they belong" Mr.
Dutton told of several interesting mat
tiers relating to the ways and customs
of the people, the most interesting oil
which related to the daily life of the
people but which would not look well
in print.
Fred strong's Collection.
Fred Strong, in common with many
of the boys who saw service in the
Philippines, brought back with him 6
collection of things out of the ordina