The Columbus journal., 1899-01-04
MANILA, p. I. Nov. 21, 90.

MANILA, +. l. Nov. II, u.
There is still a great deal Of sickness
in our regiment, though not 50 many
deaths as there were a short time since.
The weather is getting little cooler.
but it is fully as hot as July in Nebraska.
Six of Co. X will leave on the next boat
for the United States, with number Of
other sick soldiers. I have been on the
sick list nth malarial fever and rheuma-
tism. Nothing serious, and / feel better
today than for some time.
II any Of my Nebraska friends think
of coming to live in this lart Of the
world, tell them that il this becomes
United States territory think there
will be chance for anyone with little
capital, to make plenty Of money, as
this is q very fertile country and labor
is very cheap. little capital. some up
to-date farming implements, and some
Nebraska energy (the more energy the
better as energy is q scarce thing here)
and I think there is q good chance to
get rich raising rice, hemp and sugar.
It does not cost more to live in Manila
than in any United States city, in fact
hardly so much. Rent is low, rice is
very cheap. meat is about the same
price as at home. though the quality is
not 60 good. Fish, tropical fruit and
wines are cheap. Flour is one third to
one-half higher than in Nebraska. Lin
en- clothes are the only kind worn and
they are very cheap. Shoes are cheap.
Butter, cheese and canned goods are
high, Is such stuff is all imported.
The United States transports, Sena-
tor and Valencia, arrived yesterday,
bringing moro troops and your letter,
which I was glad to get. l am glad
you enjoyed the exposition, but If you
want to sec warships, cannon and all the
apparatus connected with wal, this is a
good place to see them. The walled
city OF Manila had 74O cannon on and
behind its walls; they were Of all sizes
from 3 to IL inch, and Of all makes both
ancient and modern. The wall sur
rounding Old Manila is from Is to 30
feet high; outside the wall is a deep
moat crossed by aw-bridges. The
wall is formed of two stone walls 4 feet
thick and q to 40 feet apart, the space
between the two walls is filed with
broken stone, concrete and earth making
q solid wall wide enough to let eight
soldiers ride abreast on top Of it, and
yet Dewey's 10 inch guns knocked holes
through it large enough to drive load
of hay through.
The Monterey and the Monadank, the
former single turreted and the latter a
double-turreted monitor, are with Dew
ey's fleet now. I consider the Monitor
the most powerful style Of fighting ma
chine afloat, and as the United States
is the only nation that has the right to
build them think it would be wise for
her to put q couple Of them in every
harbor, as they are invincible as coast
defense boats and do not cost SO much
as battleships. They are not success
as ocean travellers, as they can only
carry coal enough for 700 mile run, and
their decks are so low that they cannot
stand rough weather, but either one OF
them is moro than q match for any
battleship afoat, in harbor or near the
coast. 1t was quite task to bring them
5000 miles across the Pacific. Each
monitor had a vessel come with it to
carry coal, but they got here all right.
hope you are enjoying your Thanks
giving dinner. This is Thanksgiving day.
but there is no thanksgiving for some OF
the soldiers; am on duty today, 80 I
have not time to celebrate.
We all hoped to get home by spring,
but it begins to look as though they
were going to hold US two years. Sew
eral soldiers have been stabbed while
trying to arrest natives. Four OF the
Minnesota regiment were stabbed last
night while trying to stop riot in q
gambling den. One has since died. The
soldiers have always refrained from
shooting while making arrests, for fear
Of shooting innocent persons. The na-
tives are very treacherous.
The city is very thickly populated,
especially in the Chinese quarter. The
sewers and cutters were filed with the
filth Of a century when We came here,
but the q. 8. board of health is making
them clean up. 1t will take some time
to get the city in good sanitary condi-
tion. The city is only two feet above
sea level, so there is only surface sewer
age. C.. J. COCKsON,
Corporal Co. X, First Neb