The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-02-10
A LETTER FROM MAN|LA
The Archbishop Knew That Trou-
BILE Was Brewing.
IT'S A QUAINT OLD CITY
Old Manila Is Completely Surrounded
by Massive Wall Seventy-F
Per Cent. of the Popula-
ton Is Black.


Company D of the LIST Montana. 1t is
| almost like hearing from the dead, as
| Judge and Mrs. Gould had received no
| tidings from their son since he left San
Francisco, and the mother was nearly
distracted. The judge has made daily
| trips to the postoffice for the past three
months, only to return and inform his
| wife that no news had arrived. The
family scanned the daily Standard with
| the hopes Of gaining some information
from the many letters that that paper
has published but their search was
| fruitless, and when the letter came the
other day a great load was lifted from
the hearts of the family. The letter
was accompanied by a splendid photo
of the boy, dressed in the wearing APP
parel of Manila, which appears to be
similar to white cheese cloth. Bur-
| rington has resided here for many
years and his letter will be read with
interest by the old-time friends In
part it is as follows:
"We were on the water 35 days and
under steam 3d. stopped at Honolulu
five days and anchored in Manila bay
Aug. a. q days from Honolulu. Land
ed LIST and I'd battalion right away by
trouble was expected from the insur-
gents, but it turned out to be nothing
serious. We have been at Manila for
the past two months: prior to that time
we were at Cavite. There is no special
excitement as yet, but the archbishop
of Manila says that trouble is brewing
The health of the men is very good on
an average. considering the climate and
exposure to rain We wear very light
clothes and perspire all the time, the
nights are as warm as the days; the
mosquito is here also, ard does his work
by night and never shows up in the
daytime. This city is not as muddy as
has been reported by some while the
city will not average three feet above
high tide and the rain falls two out of
three days; the street is well paved.
Escclta is the main business street, or
CABLE as it is called, and the side
streets are filled with small stones: of
course the streets get muddy, but it is
quite thin, runs off and the stone again
appears. The streets are narrow as
are the sidewalks, and very inconven-
lent. The buildings are not very high,
but they excel for width and length.
Two stories is the limit for business
houses, the ground floor for business
and the upper floor for dwelling Two
wheeled vehicles are most commonly
used. as the license is regulated by the
number of wheels on the rig. The
horses are very small being only able
20 draw about four persons The lower
class of natives wear little or no cloth
ing; the women carry their burdens
on their head and it appears to be their
duty to earn at least their share of the
living. married or single. They carry
their basket of native fruit to a street
corner, and when business gets dull
move on to the next corner: they live
in bamboo huts without a sign of fur
niture except jug and one earthen lar,
which they use for cooking purposes.
ri fish is,
they sit around the jar in a circle and
dive in with their fingers, which they
use for knives. forks and snoons The
attitude of the insurgents is not alto
gether satisfactory at present They
are running a few small bluffs right
along, but l do not think they will
make us any serious trouble. There is
but one railroad here, and it is of an
cient design, running from Manila $50
miles north, to Malolos, the insurgent
capital: the passenger coaches are
about the size of street cars in the
United States, the engines correspond
in size.
"Old Manila is completely surrounded
by massive wall built of composition
stone. The insurgent army Is making
its brags that it will parade the streets
of Manila, but I think that will take
place after we have disarmed it. Their
officers are allowed to come into the
informed that 5000 regulars from the
United States are on the way to re-
lieve us.
"SiXty-f1ve per cent of the population
here is black. We have about 14,00O
Spanish soldiers and officers as pris-
oners here. The language here outside |
of the United States forces. is Spanish
and native. We have our lines drawn
all around the city, as also have the
insurgents. The wreck of the Spanish
navy. to which Rear Admiral Dewey
paid his respects on May 1. 1898. can be
seen near Cavite: only two vessels were
completely submerged. the other nine
present very striking example of
what the American navy had done and
what they will do again if necessary.
The land batteries at Cavite show some
of the destructive work done, cannon
are dismantled and some are a mass of
ruins. foundations included
THE LIST Montana are doing patrol
duty and COMPANY D goes out to-mor-
row on out post duty. I think the in
surgents are simply holding their
ground until they know lust what the
outcome will be. The climate is rea-
sonable here at present. as the rays
of the sun are less vertical, but in a
few weeks it will be very hot. I have
strong hopes, founded upon good
reasons. that we shall celebrate
the Fourth of July at our homes.
Al Pio de Pasig, divides old Ma
Mia from the new city. and is a
treacherous stream. several persons
having been drowned therein. 1t is
navigable 40 miles for steamers of less
than - feet draught. There are mas
sive churches here, the most extensive
being the cathedral located in the new
city. built by the Carnegie Iron works
of the United States and cost about
$1,000. 00O.''
Sewall Davis, who is largely inter-
ested in the smelter company, came
over from Butte Tuesday and the direc-
tors will hold a meeting this evening.
Mr.. and Mrs. w. A. Reel and Mrs
f. M. Reel have returned to Pony from
an extended trip through California.
The Odd Fellows of Twin Bridges
will give an invitation ball on Wash
ington's birthday. The affair will be
the first given by the new lodge here.
The weather has moderated some
what and the carpenters have resumed
work again on the different buildings.