The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1899-12-10
JOURNEYS in AN OK CART

Special Correspondence Chicago Chronicle.
With the Insurgent Army on the March
from Bambanao to the New Capital at
Bingarino, November THE capital of
Aguinaldos government was moved again
yesterday. We had not become well set
tied in our new quarters in Bambanao
when Aguinaldo gave orders to General
Escartes, his chief OF staff. that another
removal was imperative. The capital build
ing was accordingly loaded on an OK cart
and the long march to Bingarino was taken
up The newspaper correspondents accom-
panying Aguinaldo's forces were allowed
the privilege of placing their typewriters in
the OK cart with the archives OF the gov
eminent, the chair on which Auguinaldo
sits during his brief stays at various capt.
tails and the extra pair OF cavalry boots
which comprises his spare wardrobe We
covered eighteen miles today by hard work,
and am writing this special by the flick
ering light of pine knot in the shadow OF
the capitol building on the OK cart
Since joined Aguinsldo's army early in
May we have removed the capital fifty
seven times. The record is kept by Sc
ries OF notches cut in the door sill of the
capitol building by General Escartes every
time the OK cart is loaded The general
facetiously remarked to a party of CORE
spondents yesterday that the commander
in chief would be forced 10 get new door
sill If the war was not soon brought TO a
close. The removal OF Aguinaldo's capital
is not a difficult task, as there are so
many villages from which he may select
a new site for his government. Indeed, OF
late considerable clamor has arisen among
rival villages for the honor OF sheltering
the capitol building and the extra pair OF
boots, like that rivalry which cities in the
4 States exhibit when a National convention
/ is TO be held Aguinaldo has lately been
! besieged by runners from various villages
in the interior, who bring descriptions Of
the superior advantages of their towns as
sites for the capital. in the way of high
| roads leading further into the interior,
wagon trails and native bridges
| AS q rule Aguinaldo moves mis- capital
on Mondays and Thursdays Once he was
persuaded to remain in one village-it was
pukofkakyak-until Friday. but The Amer
| leans came so close 10 the town that he
was Obliged TO move on Friday and he at
| tributes the bad luck he had In finding
an easy pathway 10 the fact that he began
a Journey on Friday. II was at that pc NJ
that Aguinaldo sprung the only loke b.
has been guilty of during the protracted
campaign General Jose Moralesee5 mad
been accommodating the enemy and wa;
anxious for a brush, as the American;
tn fNpr oh n -
Aguinaldo, where the commander was su-
perintending the leading OF the capito
building on the OK cart, he cried:
Sire the enemy are few in number. Lei
US not remove. Let us meet them"
WHAT" cried Aguiraldo. as suspicion
OF smile played around the corners of h:
finely chiseled mouth, meet on FFilay'
Oh, no. Fish on Friday" and ne orderes
his body servant TO prepare his trout rod
to carry out the joke. / learned later
however, that the commanders little joki
was not original He had read it in
copy OF an 1887 almanac left at Bambaragt
wher the American forces evacuated tina
place after capturing 1t for the seventh
time.
About two weeks ago while the head
quarters OF the insurgent army We're 10
Gated at the capital, then DaguanaIo,
CHANGED 70 overhear a conversation be
tween Aguinaldo and his chief of stat
which indicates the anxiety which is con
startly Weighing upon the commander
General Escartes entered the capitol build
ing, In which Aguinaldo was taking hi
well-earned repose, and cried excitedly:
"Sire, runner has just arrived who re
ports that the Americans are within 20
miles OF us. There is only one compan
OF them and they appear to be lost In tn
woods"
What do hear?" cried Asuinaide
snrinsins up and ovsrturnlng the bowl Q