The Saint Paul globe., 1899-07-16

some way become identified with the
American soldier in every part of this
world-this is the artistic chapeau
which one sees all about the old city of
Manila, with the gentle rains of
heaven usually dripping. just at pres
ent, from its generous brim.
Conspicuous about the streets of Ma
Mia today are the Cinnamon and the
Spaniards. There are really a surpris-
ing number of dons in the city, and one
is constantly struck by their cold, re-
fined, handsome dark faces. They
have little or nothing to say, and watch
the course of events with certain i'm
passive taciturnity that is not without
a touch of sadness. The Chinaman, on
the other hand, is always grotesquely
gIeeful and active about Manila, and
remembering "Aggie's" threat to the
effect that the first thing he should do
when he captured the city would be to
attend to the Chinese, the ordinary
John Chinaman is inwardly rejoicing
that the Americans are sticking to the
campaign and intend to become rulers
Of the islands. While the American
troops have been writing liberty across
Luzon, although writing it in blood the
willy celestial has been making hay
while the sun shone. Most of the Chi
nese here have been carrying on a
thriving trade in small wares and the
necessities of life-in which one must,
of course, include beer-with the over
generous and too careless American
soldier boy
In one way, too, the Chinaman has
been our good samaritan, for his work
as the soldiers nurse has been surpris-
ingly efficient. He stands fatigue and
the climate of the "rainy season. very
well, and, though occasionally some
what treacherous, makes a very good
body servant for our officers. He likes
nothing better than peddling little deli
cacies among the troops, for which,
naturally, he charges eXorbitant prices,
knowing the ''Melicans'' have a weak
ness for good things to eat. But as
rule there is no cause for complaint
against the commissariat department
out here, for even our field rations COM
prise such things as canned salmon,
canned cOrned beef, canned tomatoes
and very good bacon. When perma-
nently lodged, as we are at present, we
fare much better, and on our elaborate
bill of fare you will find such things as
frozen fresh meat from Australia and
nice new potatoes from Hongkong and
all sorts of timed goods. Sometimes,
too, even such dainties as evaporated
fruits and condensed soups and split
peas and little jam or jelly are not
unknown in camp, and make the dys-
peptic campaigner feel that life is
sometimes almost really: worth living.
But as a rule the air of depression
which I have spoken of as hanging
over Manila at the present time is a
trifie too serious to be permanently dis
sipated by a little gastronomic treat.
1t is amusing to watch the grim smile
with which the older veterans, after
their many months of active Filipino
hunting, greet the newly arrived re-en-
forcements which are continually dis
embarking and lightheartedly taking up
quarters here. It is useless to deny
that the volunteers are homesick and
want to get back to the land of the
free once more, though of course. they
say little about such things as home
about camp. 1t creates disturbances
In our quarters we have an. agreement
whereby the first man who begins talk
ing of home shall be stripped of his
rubber blanket and turned out naked
into the night, for if there is one thing
on earth that is disquieting and un-
settling it is to hear some homesick
boy wondering if the big yellow harvest