The Iola register., 1900-02-09
Soldiers CHRISTMAS
Harry Hiner Tells how the Day was
Observed i'm Manila

Jul ihOoiy duOpttu COuslllueuts
call the eden of Heaven we are
today celebrating the national and
religious holiday, u day when chill
dren with their parents, relatives and |
friends united enjoy their mutual
hospitality. A detachment of four de-
tenders of their great and only coun-
try, agitated by the thoughts of
home, family and relatives, are
united today in feasting, celebrating
Christmas, the holiday so dear to us,
reminding us of our childhood when
at our homes we saw the flashing
light of candles, the many remem-
brances of kind friendship on the
evergreen Christmas tree, and today
grown up in manhood, far from home
for our cOuntry's sake, among peo-
pie strange to us, we are trying to
make the best of the situation. While
in describing the feast we do not in
tend to be solemn as the present con-
ditions of affairs might demand, but
we will endeavor to show that Ameri-
can people are all the time and every
where masters of the situation.
Our "menu" reads, in the rear end
of a once suppose 4, and by the natives
still supposed to be, casa Grande,n
great mansion. The place we have
selected fronting "Chow Chow AL
ley" might appear rather sarcastic.
/ Rut N fanf Tho fnunuioD nnNu naannfad
by the grace of Uncle Sam has been
owned before the war by the same
people, namely natives, who fled
while our troops were attacking and
taking the city and as the house we
have occupied heretofore had to be
vacated for its former owner, and as
we were determined not to let this
holiday pass by without its proper
celebration, we are today by the
grace of the above mentioned natives
the occupants of the premises in the
rear end of "Casa Grande' fronting
Chow Chow alley. Chow Chow Is
the TagRlo expression for food and as
the natives Of this alley are more or
less depending on the liberality of
the soldier who conscientiously
shares his meager rations with them,
we have christened the alley without
the sanction of the City Fathers
"Calle Chow Chow" AS far as the
cslle or street is concerned we do not
make mistake by comparing 1t to
many streets in our own cities where
we are heavily taxed for their clean
ntsinRnce.
A description OF the "Grande Casa
Is given best by simply saying q
structure of bamboo poles for beams,
flooring and ceilings, and as the rear
end is only secondary matter with
the owner, the floor and ceiling are
carelessly made up, so In the case OF
rain (this country seldom has any
the ceiling is not entirely water
proof. The flooring again (save the
places where carpeted) is full of
cracks, consequently this structure,
which is not the only one Of its kind
for pension and rather meager pro-
visions Tor our future.
So much with respect to our castle,
After a skirmish with Uncle Sans
ommissary, VIII ere by careful study
we have selected the daipties of the
day, we were not puzzled much in
preparing them for proper consuma-
tion. A camp fire in Chow Chow
alley surrounded by hungry crowd ,
composed of orr future fellow citizens,
was the feature of this move, aud
while | was attending to the chow
chow the balance of the quartette
were arranging the table. An un
furnished "casa" surely cannot afford
the luxury of a table. We searched for
the needed household articles. being
successful in it, we have covered
the table with banana leaves which
served as a symbol of the much missed
Christmas tree. A kind neighboring
"Cheno" the owner of Il Filipino cafe
who has seen many good years in
America and knowing the meaning
of this holiday, has furnished us, free
of charge, with two.thirds of the
dishes he is running his frst-class
cafe with. The dishes consisted OF
china platter and bowl and eight
granite plates. OF course luxurious
table like this is no doubt novelty
to the natives, and this only made
them more curious, They were Won
dering whether soldiers of different
Kingdoms and states are rationed IN
such an elaborate style, as they have
learned from their own experience,
that Insurrectos under the leadership
of "Aggie' are fed differently. At
AnV rate IL appeared to them the