The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1899-12-06
In MANILA.
Thirtieth Regiment is now IN
the Philippines.

They Have an Eyentful Yoyage-Three
Days Storm Encoun tered-IIabits Of
NatIyes--Churche Used as Forts
Natives Warned Of Approach Of Sol
diers-Spaniards Arrange for Dewey's
Reception-wonderful Resources Of
the Country.
PAsAY, p. l. Oct. 30, 1s99-We
landed at Manila on the 23d just one
month from San Francisco. With
the exception Of three days storm we
had delightful trip. We spent our
first two days at the 4th Calvary Bar
racks four miles from Manila. We
then came here about two miles far
ther. The band occupies the convent.
Co. Z uses the building formerly used
by the priests The hospital is in the
church, the natives holding service in
one small room. Headquarters are in
the second story Of another shack.
The other eleven companies are in
the trenches.
The Philippines are all right. We
like the country better every day. !
am acquainted with Alaska but !
would consider slice Of this country
as large as Monongalia County worth
all of Alaska 1t is rich in gold, sill
yer, copper and iron. There is a vol
cano in the centre Of a lake the sides
of which will supply the world with
sulphur for all time.
/ have been experimenting with
some Of the beautiful hard woods.
There is a species of teak that would
take the place of our black walnut.
In color it looks about like 1t, but 1t
has finer grain and is harder than
oak, as flooring it would be perfect.
1t never cracks OF rubs up and would
take higher polish than any OF our
woods. The mountains are full OF
satin wood, rose wood, sandal wood.
mahogany and many varieties OF hard
woods. All badly needed in the Uni
ted States.
The natives make their canoe OF
the teak, and they never rot or decay
but are handed down from generation
to generation. The natives are very
intelligent. They all speak Filipino
and Spanish and enough American tc
make themselves understood. They
are industrious and all work at some
thing. Indeed we have never seen ar
idle native since we have been here
There is no extreme poverty and nc
begging.
Uncle Sam will never have TO sup
port them. Tney learn fast are kline
hearted and will make good citizens
They are better citizens now than one
tenth of the population of the U. 5
They learn music faster than We
Americans. Often they play pieco
by note a few times then lay tn
music aside and never need it again
One of the bands has been playing a.
a thuse here to-day and L am after
two of their saxaphon players.
| The backbone of their army is com
posed of a race of people who have
known nothing but fight for three
hundred years and they don't know
what it is to be whipped, but they
will certainly get it in the neck in The
near future. The 10th Pa. was in a
fight at this point. All the buildings
are punched full of bullet holes.
The regulars tell me the great curse
of the islands is the priests. Every
church is fort from which American
soldiers are shot. When the soldiers
move, the church bells are used as sig
nails to warn the natives and tell then
the number of soldiers and which wa.
they are going. A lot of new Mause
rifles were found in "a church in Ma
Mia last week They had the factor,
paper on them yet.
They have four bells on the churcl
here and when they jump on all foul
at once it is enough to raise the deaf
in the church yard. When a corps
is brought for burial it is laid on the
ground in front of the church. Whel
the priest comes and performs the re
ligious rites, it is then taken to thu
place of burial just behind the church
The corpse is again laid on the grount
and two men each armed with a hoe
proceed to dig grave, they general
run on to another corpse, but II no
too near the surface it makes no differ
ence. If the corpse was in coffin i
the coffin. The corpse is wrapped il
a piece of mating and laid in tn
grave and covered up. On one side o
the cemetery are a lot of stone vault
most of them are sealed up but on
open vault contains lot Of hair AM
bones, probably thrown there by tn
grave diggers.
We have all the tropical fruit W
want but the natives sell it so chea
it don't pay to go to the woods afte
it. We have grape fruit six inches il
diameter We are very fond of tn
oranges. The skin is green and onl
about one sixteenth thick. Whensth
skin is removed the sections fal
apart.
l was looking for our old friend tn
north star last night but it is too lov
down to be visible to US. Even tn
dipper cannot be seen and we viii
have to take our bearings by tn
southern cross.
The Spanish here were informed a
soon as Admiral Dewey left Hong
| Kong for Manila. They were delight
ed and arranged to have grand ban
quet soon as the battle should be over
They wanted to take Admiral Dewe
alive if possible and fixed up cell il
the prison for him. They were abso
lutely sure their great feet laying Of
Cayite would soon kill all the Yanke
pigs, To the spanish their victor
was as certain as the coming sun. AT
ter the battle they allowed Admira
Dewey to send one message. When h
sent in the second they refused to sent
it and then he cut the cable.
The censoring OF soldiers letters
that some newspapers in our country
blow so much about is all unfoundet
and too foolish for any man to tall
about who ever spent week in FREE
school. The newspapers here are no
allowed to publish the movements o
troops and there is no reason why
they should be.
Our guard mount is before daylight
and there is no more parades, tn
band has picnic as we have nothing
to do but give short concert at sun
set. / think that horse and buggy
spoke about will soon be along. Th
band and each company have jus
been furnished with four coolies to d
their work. Yours truly,
WALTER A. MEsTREzAT.
ANOTHER WAY