Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1900-12-20
Letter From Charlton Perkins.


SALAhhAi T. l. OCt 20 louO.
Conditions are about as when l last
wrote. The natives are causing great
trouble through the Islands. Two hun
dred eavalrymen arrived here last eve-
ming all mounted upon the worlds best
horses, the American horse. They make
q grand sight as they come up the road
on the gallop. This is what puts fear
into the natives. Gen. Macarthur has
recommended that cavalry be used all
over the Islands for when a band OF
Ladrones or insurgents are reported
moving in given direction, the cavalry.
men can give chase and catch them be-
fore they reach the hills.
We also received 800 men OF the 10th
infantry, colored. They surely are a
wonder to the natives. They gather
around and look them all over. They
cannot understand how it is. black men
come from America.
l am greatly pleased with my new
position in the Postal service and take
great interest in it. This is far ahead Of
navy work. Here am my own boss and
know il follow the rules OF my depart
ment that never word will be said to
me. There are no one.horse naval Off
GERS around to dictate to you and try to
show you how to do your work when
they do not know how to add two and
two together.
| went out with detachment OF the
cavalry several days ago to look for a
baud Of native soldiers that was reported
IN this vicinity and the results are that
can hardly move, | rode about 10
miles, my first ride horseback for four
years.
The more | see this country the more
favorably l am impressed with it. |
never saw such a prolusion of vegetation
in my life. We rode for an hour or
more through grass several feet higher
than my head while was on large
horse. The grass has a large jointed
stem and the head OF it resembles our
orchard grass. We might have passed
within 10 feet OF the whole insurgent
army and not known OF 1t for through
this grass was narrow path with grass
hanging over your head and you could
see only eight or ten feet on each side.
The rainy season Is now about over
aud the vegetation looks so green, a dark
thrifty color. The natives are still
causing trouble and almost every day
sone one is killed.
am very anxious TO see the election
come of ior'if Mckinley is reelected lie
surely will adopt severe means TO kill
these people of and il Bryan is elected
we might as well leave the islands for as
long as you promise these people any
thing, you are going to have an insurree
ton. The situation here is serions and
no one knows 1t better than those who
are here. | am quite sure they know
more oil the real situation than Two
thirds of our congressman who get up in
congress and spend hours over some.
thing that happened during the Spanish
war. Every american who knows any
thing knows we can not turn these
islands back but must keep them and the
quicker we teach the inhabitants this
the better.
Through my efforts with the COM
mandng officer. got him to detail two
non.commissione officers to travel back
and forth with the mail and now we
have daily mail from Manila. | expect
to build upquite an Office out Of this office
after a while. have requested that a
postal order system be established here
as this will enable the soldiers serving
in this province chance TO send
money home or at any rate deposit il.
CHARLTON b. PERKINS.