Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-21
IN QUARTERS AT PASiG.
Flow American Soldiers Fare In
the Philippines.
NOT MANY HARDsHIPs SUFFERED.

| terics - Insects Not Very Bother
some-HiEh Prices Caused by the
Willingness of American. to Pay
| Them.
\ weeks stay in this country soon
| reduces things to the commonplace,
| aud yet there is much that is of inter
| est which we will recall afterward
| with pleasure. writes Henry Swift,
chaplain of the Thirteenth regiment,
from Pasig, Philippine Islands, to the
| New York Commercial Advertiser I'M
| der date of Oct. >.
| / have seen some of our breastwork
| life. The Thirteenth occupies 4 line
| of five or six miles from the sea to
| San Pedro Macati. There is 4 low
stretch of earthworks running in an
Irregular direction through the jungle
of bamboo palm and tropical vegeta-
ton, with strips of bamboo or bamboo
poles, making n flooring within for the
men to rest on. At certain distances
and points of vantage are elevations of
earth where SentinelS are posted con-
stantly TO ScrutiniZe the dense thickets
beyond. The men are scattered along
thinly in tents or nipa huts. and in n
minute the whole length of defenSeS
can be manned. These nipa hutS are
raised on bamboo piles, are woven of 4
coarse rush about an inch wide. laid
on Il bamboo frame, with matched roof
of nipa very steep and inside ceiling
OF bamboo mating. The floor is COM
posed OF bamboo strips, with cracks
between varying from quarter TO
half an inch, and is strong and elastic,
easily kept clean and making n com
Portable bed at night. The floor is high
enough to be above water level, which
rises sometimes yard. The roof sheds
the rain completely. The numerous
cracks and apertures make the rooms
pleasantly cool, and light and air are
admitted through sliding windows
made of little squares of shell. Cook
ing, washing, etc, are generally done
ont of doors, the ground kept trinity
swept with homemade broOmS of bam-
boo. Indeed, as far as l can judge, in
dress. person. houses and grounds the
Philippine peasantry are remarkably
neat and might give Americans some
pointers.
They seem to be very devout. Every
house has it crucifiX and religious pic
lures on the wall. On Sunday at ear
ly mass there was service in the YES
try of the church 10y my quarters. The
body OF the church is used for a hOspi-
tai. The vestry would hold only Il
score or so. but outside of the door and
far out on the turf were hundreds of
women and children kneciing, while Il
solid phalanX of men, all in white,
with heads bare and bowed, We're
standing on the side. The angelus
rings ut its regular time, and as men
pass the church they doff their hats.
turn moment to their ayes and cross
themselves.
BY the side of the church is the
graveyard, with hundreds of unnoted
mounds for the ''pObres," while in the
wall behind the church are deep
shelves, where the richer have the
remains of their loved ones. But the
occupancy is brief. If. ut the end of Il
year. Il rental is not forthcoming, the |
body is removed and thrown on the |
ground with scant respect. Along the |
wall lay confused heap of skulls and |
ribs and thigh bones, hopelessly I'M
recognizable and uncared for.
They have their village school, or |
had rather until we came, with two |
men and two women teachers. free. l |
examined one of the school books, Il |
very small compendium, containing in |
the compass OF an ordinary duodecimO |
a catechism of history. geography, |
arithmetic, geometry (plane and solid) |
and grammar.
But leaving these and going back to |
the trenches, l find our men looking
mainly very comfortable, healthy and |
contented. Their outdoor and large
ly temperate life seems TO agree with
them. They have enough drill, patrol
and guard duty to keep them busy.
They receive n good ration of fresh
bread and hard tack, fresh beef which
comes here frozen from the United
States and Australia. bacon, rice. dried
fruits, potatoes and onions, and men
and officers fare mostly alike. Every
one who has been to Cuba says it is
vastly better here. The climate is not
insufferable. The days are hot. as hot
as in San Antonio or Tampa, but the
nights are cool and pleasant, and l
have found a blanket a necessary COW
cring.
Insects and vermin. think. have
been much overrated as nuisance.
This and mosquitoes right down here
in swamp lands practically cause but
slight annoyance | have heard of
but seen none as yet Lizards
abound. but they are a gentle, timid
beast and are great destroyers of in
sects. The reaches are the worst thing
While absent from the nipa huts they
gallop all over your possessions in the
stone and plastered buildings. The
ants are multitudinous and are very
destructive, especially TO woodwork,
chairs, tables. beds, even the solid
frames of houses
The water is vile. You see stand
ing pools thick with green confervous
scum. wells stone built and curbed.
but n look into its impure depths suf-
fees TO turn the stomach. and you
loathe to use it. even for bathing For
we catch much rainwater, and