Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-01-05

like prisons. An American does not
feel as if he was welcome to breathe
Gods air when he sees such places as
Old Manila. Great churches with
dungeons and torture rooms in them.
with their monks and priests mo, not
priests but living devils that keep the
poor natives in poverty and ignorance.
1t is horrible. The churches here are
not the church of Rome. Our priest
of the generals staff does not claim
them as priests at ALL [ don't blame
the natives for fighting the Spanish
government or for not giving up their
arms until they know they are free
from the cursed government. If /
were a native | would be shot like a
man before / would be kicked around
like the Spanish government abuses
them. If l never go back home, (of
course | expect toy you can say your
brother died for a good cause and don't
feel badly about it. Just think of the
way the natives are used. Taxed
when born, taxed to live, and when
they die they are taxed for the right
to be buried like dog. They are
thrown into the ground or vault with
out caSket or blanket, and they only
get the use of the ground one year,
if their friends do not get another
years license they are dug up and
their bones are thrown on bone pile.
This bone pile is sickening sight.
Why, even the poor old folks that
sleep in the streets had to pay a
license to be there. There are lots of
old beggarS and no place for them to
go. The Spanish used to kick them
around, but the United States expects
to have an almShOuSe for them soon.
The government has a leper island and
about 200 miserable wretcheS have
been sent there. I was coming home
from Manila one night and a Spanish
officer was kicking poor old native in
the natives own nome. | heard him
scream and ran in. The officer had a
cane sword and when he saw me he
jerked it apart and was going to use
it on me, but | was little too quick
on the draw for him, | have the sword
now and it is a fine mementO | tell
you. We are expecting mail today as
two transports, the Senator and the
Valencia, loaded with reinforcementS
reached here last night but haven't t
landed yet. Every boat that comes in
| the boys run down to the shore and
look at it with field glasses, and all
sorts Of stories start up about it. We
have three American newspapers here,
but they cannot be depended upon
One private, Ole Larkin from
Company K. died last night will be
buried this p. m. Our regiment have
lost only five men since we were
mustered in on the 9TH of May
| Three died from fever, one killed the
18th of August and this one That
isn't bad, is it for over $50 men con-
sidering that we came over 10000
miles and went through one battle
They say we are not. any tougher men
in the n. Oak. than other regiments,
but we are to mean to die. And l
guess it is true. All the rest Of the
regiments are losing men ike sheep.
This climate agrees with me, you
would not know me. / am as fat as a
pig. / had to get larger clothes. My
first uniform was too small. We got
orders for general inspection to-
morrow, and they say that means a
move and it will likely be to Lloilo an
| island about 606 miles from here to
subdue the insurgents. i hope it is SO
for this is getting awful tiresome here.
/ wish you were here for Thanksgiving
dinner. My bunkey and | will eat
dinner in the best house in Manila
| We are bound to live well, if we have
only our aluminium cheek left when
we get back. Fathers letter said he
was uneasy when he heard there was a
battle here, but wasn't after he heard
we had not landed. He was mistaken
and / guess if the editor of the
Sentinel had been with Company X