The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-02-17

so strong thatthey build houses out
of 1t, and very good houses TOO The
floors i'm thes, houses are about four
feet from the groind, they have the
appearance ofbebg built up on stills,
they have thachsd rooms which turn
water quite we'll We saw wonder
fully big amlhitheater, made OF ham
boo with o tfhtched roof and enclosed
with seats riinE around. 1t is won
derful what ubstantiaI buildings the
natives can Duild from these bamboo
poles. Thiampbitheater IL used for
cock fights. In the evening we went
to part ofthe city where the Span
ish Gov. Gneral's house Is located
His house like a palace and lie now
used by Pig. Gen Macarthur COM
manding or brigade, as headquar,
ers. Thatpart of the city is really
very beautiful and attractive. The
houses arearge and spacious and the
yards arbeautiful and are full Of
tropical puts and trees Most of the
city il but very compactly and IL
very unaractive. We also crossed
the river Pasig, on the suspension
bridge. here are three bridges and
very gooones too, across this river.
Two of tenn are stout arch bridge
and one them a suspension bridge.
You havnO doubt read and heard n
great dill about the power of the
church ere. | have not learned 90
very NTH about it, but this 1 do
know, lat in no city in the U. S. did
1 ever g, so many and such beautiful
churcheand cathedrals as there are
in Mani. They are almost the only
beautif buildings here You can 90
but feplocks in any direction with
out cong across one, even out i'm the
suburln districts where there Is lit
tie buthatched huts you will find
wonddul cathedrals. They are very
largelnd built of stone. There are
manpere that are larger and more
beauul than any l ever saw in the
u. > 10 ~ " WOIubI lltEC pun PFO-
pie o dissatisfied when they are
dowtrodden and taxed to death to
bull such churches. The church
owr more property here than the
Spdsh government. In the old city
of Nnila, one half of the landed prop
ert belongs to the church. They
ha churches and cathedrals and
corents and colleges. l have heard
tn before Manila was captured there
we more than four thousand Span
ispriests here. Since then from fear
ohe natives many of them have re-
tined to Spain. The natives say
by would hang them if they get in
session. The PHILIPPINES seem to
go the native priests but they under
and that the Spanish priests rob
nd bleed them and they therefore
ate them. The Philippians swear
vengeance If they ever get control of
cheese islands.
l am afraid this letter is terror.
This is Dec. 31st the last day OF the
year. A steamer arrived from Hong
Kong yesterday and brought us some
mail. / received three letters from
home. 1 also received Rudyard Kip
Iings "Barrack Room Ballads. 1
was very glad to receive the letters
and books. l like the little book OF
poems, l can appreciate, them better
now than 1 ever could before.
This is evening. l began to write
q letter at noon but bad to stop to
work. | am so "bum frazzled" now
and have strung this letter along so
can't tell what l have not written.
We have Joke on Fox, the man who
attends to the clothing. He was sick
with malaria yesterday and was scar.
ed half to death. He lay around all
day and last night and groaned as Il
he were about dead. He thought he
had the smallpox. He is much bet
ter today and we laugh at him for be
ing so frightened. He is the sort o.
friend who would die If he should gel
it because he is so much afraid of 1t
Some half dOzen Philippine soldiers
just went past, they salute our flag
and our officers. You will have read
long before you receive this letter thai
Agunaldo has forsaken the insurgents
and given himself up to rear Admi
raj Dewey, at least such is the pub
lished report here. Some Of his best
officers came with him. That leaves
the insurgents in bad shape, as he II
bright military man and compe
tent leader. The morning papers
published report this A. M, to thu
effect that Gen. Otis had received I
1000 word cipher cable gram from thu
President in regard to taking forma
possession OF the islands. When WI
do that the insurgents will have t,
lay down their arms and 1t may b.