St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-02-28
EDEN IN THE PHILIPPINES.
q soldiers Observations in the island
= of the Negroes.

mailed at little pueblo IN the nearC OF
the richest agricultural country in the
world. Considering the soil only, this
little island of NECROSIS worth the States
n Iowa, Illinois. Indiana and Ohio CON-
h;ned. II could own FIVE acres of this
land and locate it within 100 miles oil
New York city would not trade it for
any FIVE sections OF farming land in
Illinois. Negros is garden of Eden. 1t
awaits only the road-builder to fulfil its
destiny. There may be goldin the noun
tains. There or not there, Negroes does
not need it. Every ounce OF her black
soil is an ounce Of virgin gold to the man
smelter of industry. The agricultural
possibilities OF the island are simply
6oundless. The only thing that the soil
of Negroes won't grow is mortgage.
They say in the States: "Oh, well, but
white man can't labor in that climate!"
The answer is simple. A white man who
owns land in Negroes doesn't have to
labor. And there am bang-up against
the subject of climate.
The Sixth United States Infantry
arrived on this island last June, right in
the middle OF the rainy season. Any
antiimperialist who thinks it is regi-
meut of sick men had better steer clear of
the invalids along about sunset, when
the natives tap the cocoanut trees for
tuba. I've got five months pay coming
to me that says there isn't an athletic
club in America that can match them,
man for man, for robust health and a
good healty desire to hammer thunder
out OF somebody at least once every
twenty.four hours.
When Joined the regiment, on Oct. /
last, eight recruits, fresh from the States,
came with me. Every man of them has
put on flesh since joining the regiment.
The good health OF the men is not due to
the easy time they've been having. The
men OF the Sixth would shy al dry bed
inst as farm horse does a. an electric
car For five months they've slept in
the mud and rain, and il there's man
of them who isn't sore,tooted from
marching day aud night, the Sergeant
Major doesn't know his name. But they
can average eight pounds of mountain
beef day and whip their weight in cata.
mounts. We don't know what sick
man looks like.
Away back proudly referred to the fact
that ! had FIVE months pay due me-
That is $78 American. Iexpect 10 get
the money shortly. I'd like to bet $50
oft on the following propositions: Take
thousand picked men and let them uu-
dergo FIVE months oil the same exposure
and hardship in any state in the Union
the Sixth Infantry has undergone here,
and FL bet that 10 per cent. OF them will
be dead and 40 percent. of them will be
in the hospital. We've had practically
no sickness here. I'll pick 1000 men
from this regiment and bet that there
isn't a community OF SO 900 in the United
States from winch a phsIcian can pick
1000 equally healthy men.
Now, about the insurrection. There
isn't any on this island. lcan't find any
evidence that there ever was one: There
used to be Jessie James gang and A
Geronimo band back in the States
They've got the same thing here. 1t isn't
something new that came in with Ameri.
can rule Thereh have been Papiecio robber
bands in the mountains of Negroes ever
since God made Boston. They live in the
mountain Businesses and levy tribute on
fails to put up, his sugar mill goes up in
flames. Incidently they attack women
and kill few old men and babes. There
is Just one cure for them and that is the
Old Testament recipe: Exterminatt
root and branch. We are prescribing
that treatment at present with fiatteripg
results, and the peaceable inha bi ,ants o
the island are delighted to find how truly
good thoroughly dead Papiecio can be
II the present land. holders on this is
land were Americans of the type who
settled the frontier West, Uncle San
could withdraw every American soldier
from the island tomorrow with conf
dence that after couple OF squally year,
all would be well. There would ensue
little preliminary Winchester rule anC
lynch law and shortly pc lple woult
begin to ask. What has become OF tn
PaPlecios7" suppose that 10 the
Poor.lndian,. Esq" of Boston woulC
make great cutlery just as he doe
now abont the bru al soldiers. If Mrs
Lot he-Poor- Indian" would only con
descend to rock the cradle and do tn
s homework, so that Mr.. Lo could spend
couple OF months over here with us, w
d think we could convince him that it i
1 hardly fair to class Jesse James and Agui
naldo with George Washington.
i The Negroes Papiecios have been run
ning their tax collection agency ant
numbering amigos on the side for 81
long that the Spanish land owners her
mad come to take it as matter ofcourse
The Spanish soldiers appeared to tax
tne Same view OF the situation. TIL
history OF Negroes fails to show singl
instance in which the Spanish soldier
CHASED Paplecjo band further than tn
foothills. They would as soon hav
thought OF embarking Tor the moon as c
tenturlng into the mountains. Now,
IS different. A corporal and four blue
coats go into the mountains ate
rapleclos, just as they would go into til
WOODS after rabbits. When the Span
lardS and amigos first saw these it'll
squads heading Tor the big hills, the
uelu up their hands in horror and tn
ar fairly buzzed with warnings. No,
1Iey are getting so that you can We
.rdpieclo!' at them at midnight an
tney don't faint. For the bandits ar
getting fewer AMI roost very higt
Mean while, the brutal American soldier
suos'st on Papiecio beef, killed in tn
mountains, and grow tat. flour appt
s.trS mold out tor six months more ther
WI, De no more cattle in the mountain
ana ana the Papiecio problem will hav
with the Papiecios exterminated, or