The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1900-04-08
FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
A Letter From Daniel G. FowIe to Some of His Young
Friends.

have it, He was hit just above the wrist,
the, bullet scraping off a piece of the
skin. Con said 1t hurt like hell. but that
he guessed the zoo zoo regretted it 80 it
was all right. He was undoubtedly the
maddest man I've ever seen and 1t GER
them.
Then some one said, "Why you fool
did you expect them not to shoot at you?
Con said that he did not mind being hit
but that he did not get his water. About
this time we heard the damnedest yelling
you can imagine and saw the ZOO ZOOS
going in every direction. Then here came
a detachment of Company B, who were
scouting in the mountains and by good
luck stumbled on our little scrap. In all
fifteen of them were killed outright, six
were wounded so that they could not get
off and it is safe to say that fully ten
were slightly hurt The one | shot kicked
the bucket next day, making total OF
sixteen dead. Condron was the only one
OF our side who was hurt, and OF course
that was a mere scratch. We had a pref
ty hard time Of it marching IN the ram
and mud when we first arrived on the
Island but now it is simply line me
sun is rather hot. though 1T makes us
appreciate the shade. | succeeded IN
killing a deer when | was in the noun
tains, and he was the best eating ina
ENABLE. He was only about the size or
a sheep or in fact little smaller, put
was as pretty as could be and had ire
mendous horns. We also got an apun-
dance of chickens up at Montalbon. The
woods were full of them and all we had
to do was to shoot them. | have gotten
so that can kill one with my rifle near
ly every time at q hundred yards, SO IL
is woe to a Filipino at a much greater
distance. Some of the natives are very
good looking and are also very smart;
nearly all of them can speak Spanish as
we'll as their own language. while some
OF them speak ten or twelve different Ian
guages. AS a rule they are very clean and
always dressed in spotless white duck
clothes OF course the more savage
sometimes wear nothing but kind of
pants, and very short ones a. that The
women and children all seem 20 like tie
Americans, but the men hate US and we
don't waste much love on them either.
If they don't take off their hat to us We
generally knock it off for theta, and some
times they think their heads must have
gone with their hats. The poorest .ieoe
of land over here is as rich as any land
| know of, in fact they use no manure al
ALL and plant the same ground over AMI
over again twice every year and set heir
crops never fail. Chickens and hogs raise
themselves and every stream in the is
land is full of fish, while there is no end
to the fruit. The woods consist o. cocoa
nut, banana, plantain. orange, mangroves
and guava trees besides almost nam ter-
less other kinds which bear all kinds of
delicious fruits. Coffee AMI pepper grow
wild too, in fact nearly everything you
want is to be had only for the taking.
The best tobacco in the world grows here
and cigars are as cheap as dirt. You boys
don't know what you are missing-if you
did. you certainly would be ere. But
don't think by this that soldie" l'fe
is a snap, for it is not. Just think of hav-
ing to walk twenty miles LAY, and very
frequently, too, with an outh. weighing
from twenty to thirty-tive pounds on YOUR
back and at the end of it to stand guard
all night with prison yawnlng to re-
ceive you if you should happen 10 fall
asleep. Some people may call me fool.
but | still like the life and would re-, Mist
again IL 1t were not lOl -eI TAU tillHH9,
but after I get through this II! have TO
give it up. l could write on for goodness
knows how long telling you Of adventures
hardshps, etc. if / only had tine aud
paper, but both have about given out so
+ guess | will have to close as have an
other letter to write and the ricr
leaves for Manila in about an hour We
are resting here at Mariquirii for few
days, but will soon leave for the noun
tains again We have driven The eli. mos
we'll into the mountains now Ina will
crush them before long, ] expect.
Remember me to all of my friends and
write to me again soon. With l.indest
regards, | am,
Your friend,
DANIEL G. E'OWL,.
Address Corporal D. G. Fowle, No. 81
K Company, 9th Regiment U. S. V. Ma
Mia. z. I.