Arizona republican., 1899-11-22
IN pESlG QUARTERS
How Our Soldiers Fare in The Philip
piLe Islands.

Pasig, P. IA weeks stay in this
country soon reduces things to the
commonplace. and yet there is much
that is OF interest which we will recall
afterwards with pleasure.
I have seen some of our breastworll
life. The Thirteenth occupies line of
five or six miles from the sea to San
Pedro Macati. There is a low stretch
Of earthworks running in an irregular
direction through the jungle of bam-
boo palm and tropical vegetation, with
strips of bamboo or bamboo poles,
making 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 a
minute the whole length of defenses
can be manned. These nipa huts are
raised on bamboo piles, are woven of a
coarse rush about an inch wide laid
on a bamboo frame, with matched
roof OF nipa very steep, and inside cell
ing Of bamboo mating. The floor is
composed of bamboo strips, with cracks
between varying from quarter to
half an inch, and is strong and elastic,
easily kept clean. and making a 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
l.
Cooking, washing, etc, are generally
done out of doors, the grounds kept
trinity swept with home made brooms
Of bamboo. Indeed, as far as I 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 its crucifiX and religious pic
lures on the wall. On Sunday, at early
mass, there was service in the vestry
of the church by my quarters The
body of the church is used for n hos
pital. The vestry would hold only a
score or SO. but outside of the door and
far out on the turf were hundreds of
women and children kneeling. while
solid phalanX of men. all in white. with
heads bare and bowed. were standing
On the side. The Angelus rings at its
regular time, and as men pass the
church they doff their hats. turn Il mo-
ment to their ayes and cross them
selves.
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 re-
mains Of their loved ones But the oc-
cupancy is brief IT, at the end of Il
year, a rental is not forthcoming. the
body is removed and thrown on the
ground with scant respect. Along the
wall lay a 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 I
examined one of the school books
very small compendium. containing. in
the compass of an ordinary duodecimo,
a catechism of history, geography,
arithmetic, geometry (plane and soIid)
and grammar.
But leaving these and going back to
the trenches. I find our men looking
mainly very comfortable healthy and
Contcnted. Their outdoor and largely
temperate life seems TO agree with
them They have enough drill. patrol
and guard duty to keep them busy.