Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1899-02-18

i'oIe VIC 10Th mat. Dy MIR. Joe Ras0r
Manila, January 3rd, 1899.
Friend Joe Having day of rest.
have determined to write you few lines
to let you know how we arc all doing.
We have been here now few DAYS over
a month, and have been on duty most of
the time. We are doing outpost guard
every third day, just next the insurgent
line, and we are liable to have to fight
them most any time, as they are an in
solent lot of dare-devils. We each carry
loo rounds of cartridges, 80 you see we
are fully prepared for anything that may
turn up.
This is great country; you ought to
see it. At present it is hotter than hi
itself. The natives are wearing hardly
any clothes. and very little We are wear
ing. Cur uniforms are all white. and
in fact that ia the col Or of all clothing
worn. Children here the size of Flossie
go naked, so when you meet one you
never make mistake and call Annie
johnny, or vice versa. Women sell their
children here, and we have chance to
buy fine mate for Flossie for $1,000.
His mother is pretty native girl, and
his father was Spaniard who got killed
when we took Manila Aug. 18th. The
boy himself is pretty little fellow. Full
blooded natives can be bought cheaper
than that, but they are very homely.
Manila is great church town, and
every fine building in the city is in front
of church or house belonging to the
Fathers. Just across from our barracks
Is flne church and fine house, the
home OF about dozen Catholic priests.
These surely had snap before the AM
orleans came here. The natives on the
other hand live in little bamboo huts
live on little or nothing, and work for
little or nothing, and give half their
earnings to the priests. Americans are
coming in fast, opening hotels, saloons
and stores, in fact there are too many
saloons here now. License is cheap, and
every few doors is located saloon.
This is no country for poor man. We
can hire native servant here for 5000
per month, but man coming here with
saw mill would make a fortune, for
there is nothing but the finest kind of
hard wood to be found, and that is every
where. The country is pretty to look
at, everything green; here a rice field
there banana grove, then further on a
cocoanut grove, with beautiful birds
singing and monkeys climbing in the
trees. have got nice monkey, per-
fectly tame, which German gave to me .
He runs around loose, and comes to me
when | call him. After the next pay
day Fred is going to buy him a parrot,
and we are going to take them home
with us if we possibly can. Things are
cheap here as rule. A fine suit can be
bought for $3.50; silk underwear 50. so
per suit pure white silk shawls for 81 90 :;
silk socks for so cts. per pair; beer sells
for 20 cts. per bottle: whiskey, 10 cts
per drink, and cigars at your own price.
We smoke brand now that cost $500
per 1000. wish you had SO, 600 OF them
In Pullman, you could get 10 etc. each
for them, and they would sell like hot
cakes. Mind you, $500 is big price;
some sof the boys smoke the 1O-for-s-
nickle kind, and it is not bad smoke
either. We will brisg all kinds of cigars
and different kinds of goods home and
then you can Judge for yourself. Manila
is under martial law now. Everything
closes at 10 p. IN. The 18th Minnesota
regiment do the police work, and You
can tell Mr.. tanning they have orders to
shoot to kill, and there is hardly night
they do not kill one or two. Last Sun
day we went across to Cavite and saw
Dewey and his feet, were aboard the
Baltimore and were treated fine by the
sailors. There are only English and
Japanese men-ofwar here now, the last
German gunbost having left as we were
coming into the bay.
We were awful glad to hear that John
w. was defeated in last election, in fact
the whole poPulist ticket was shot to
pieces. 1t serves them right. Tom Mon
roe, Jack Mckenzie and Fred are all in
good health, and send their best regards.
BY next fall we expect to be home, for as
fast as they can send regulars here they
will muster out the volunteers. The
sooner the better.
Yours Respectfully,
JACK BCHMANS,
Co. X, 1st Wash. Vol, Manila, /. l.