Evening star., 1900-06-30
How the Filipinos Celebrated the
Day a Year Ago.
FIRECRACKERS and PATRIOTISM
American Soldiers Made the Best
Of the Occasion.
LIVELY TIMES IN MANILA A

Yes. I can tell something about the first
real Fourth of July celebration in the Phil
ippines,' said Maj. William Wheeler L. s
A., one Of the latest arrivals from Manila'S
military circles. We We're there in 1895
and Dewey's men had bit of hurTah
time, but old glory hadn't been officially
planted to stay. the day passed quietly
| with the soldiers.
But for 1880 there is another story. and
one to interest the American public. As for
the day in the army lines 1t wasn't all
what we wished it to be. and 1 may say
without disparaging the dignity of the army
now representing the nations in foreign
| lands, that every officer and soldier lonsed
for a real old-fashioned Fourth. We felt
patriotic. and wanted to have a good time
on general principles. AS it was. the main
part of the troops were away in the inte-
rior strung out on long lines in front of an
active enemy. All our ou.posts We're close
to the native camps. Not only the men on
post and in actual touch with the enemy.
but the reserves as well. were under strict
orders to be ready at minutes notice to
meet an attack Fourth or no Fourth: these
orders were obeyed. And, by the way. up
in San Fernando Gen. Youngs men were
treated to a Fourth of July salute from
across the lines. The Fflip!nos opened a fu-
sillade about sundown. and oulclassed all
the firecracker fiends of Manila in getting
up q CSleDldllou racket
With Due Formally.
However all over the Islands, even in
the isolated districts covered by our troops
in the Viscayas, that Is. in Cebu. Negros
and Panay, where the garrisons are but
handfuls in comparison to the natives under
arms or prepared for war, the day was for
mally observed. AT II o'clock noon. when
the guns of the 9th Artillery thundered the
national salute on the Luneta at Manila,
and the warships In the harbor and alonl
the coast echoed in response. the field bat
teries of the army all over the island
swelled the salvos. Those who had ears IL
Luzon heard Uncle Sans Declaration #
independence announced by the cannon's
roar. SO, too, in Negros and Panay ard in
the robber-nfested mountains of Cebu. And
to make the soldiers on routine duty feel
that they are Columbia's children well
as her body guard, every man had an extra
good dinner. served with the best delicaces
the camp and the available markets af-
forded.
Thus the army kept the spirit Of the day
and set a good example. even If the hur-
rahing was a little shy for Yankee crowds.
by the way, 1 forgot to mention that
when the day was officially ushsred in
throughout the camp by the bugle notes of
army reveille the regimental bands along
the miles and miles Of camps, a perfect
girdle, you must understand. across 1uzon
and the Viscayas, played The Star
Spangled Banner" To say the least hand
side Of the globe. in wild and generally
hostile country, the day all Americans love
to celebrate was not neglected. AS to Ma
nila and the Filipino population generally
on July Fourth. 1899. 1 wish could ade-
Quately describe the central festivities
which marked the day.
The Day In Manila.
1.-THE Escolta, which might be called the
Broadway of Manila. although it is a very
narrow street In point of fact, was alive
with bunting, and If it was not all the
Yankee arrangement of red, white and
blue. 1t was fluttering and floating, NOV
ing and dipping in the strong breeze which
blew up from the harbor. simply in honor
of July Fourth, 1T6. Every flag that has
a mission in the Philippines, except Of
course, one was in evidence high and low
along the Escolta. Old Glory. here there
and everywhere; the union jack, ditto; then
the red, white and black standard of the
German fatherland, alternating with and
peacefully caressing the tricolor of La Belle
France. SPANS flag was in the display
and waved as proudly as ever. There were
flags. too. of the yellows and flags of the
blacks; all flags but Aguinaldo's. But if
Aguinaldo's standard missed by any
one on the EScolta that day the dsappont-
ed individual didn't let his neghhor know il.
Everybody seemed happy, and all that was
missed. SO far any observer could judge
was the time that didn't officially belong TO
the Fourth of July 1t al too short
General Gus cur1eW signal came IN the
middle of the fun. just when the frolick-
ing was too furious to stop without long
period of grace to let go easy, the Old
cat dies. 1t took from $50 pm, the cur
of the 9Th for Manila to really give over
footing and toasting and gyrating In honor
of Uncle Sans birthday.
But the Luneta was the scene of the real
show. The Luneta of Manila Is crescent
shaped plaza overlooking the beach There
the bands play for the populace and there
all the parades and public demonstrations
are held 1t crowded like a country
fair ground on prize day the Fourth Of
July, 1899. Not only Filpinos of 81! shades
pure black and half breed, were there, but
spaniards and Japs and heather Chinese
Germans in swarms. some Frenchmen and
hosts of Englishmen. The professional
globe trotter. no matter what his national
1ty. enjoys show even If he doesn't quite