Evening journal., 1900-01-03
WHEELER ON
THE PHILIPPINES
Fighting joe Writes an Inter
esting Letter Of Life as &c
Finds 1t There.
WOMEN DO MOST OF THE WORK

ftL- ma - A<- A--s--ttN -N
DID 1000 YEARS AGo-BEAUTI-
Full FLOWERS AND BIRDS
ABOUND. AS WELL AS PALATE
ABLE FRUITS.
General Joseph Wheeler has written
the following interesting letter to the
New York Sun:
Santa Rita, Philippine Islands, No
vember. 1881 have now seen much
OF the country and the people in that
mart Of Iuzon for about fifty miles
north of Manila. In every town there
is a magnificent stone church and al
convent or monastery. The insurgents
have a great antipathy to the priest
hood OF iriara. and they have disman-
ued many OF the churches. The value
OF the church and monastery Of town
seems to be equal In many cases 20 the
value Of all the other buildings IN the
town.
Tho sugar storehouses are also oX-
rcnsivcly constructed buildings. They
have very thick stone walls and either
lilo or metal roots and cover consider
ahlo space Of ground; some Of them
have dimensions Ol about 60 or 40 feet
by 100 feet.
The church here &C Santa Rita is the
only enc / have seen outside OK Ma
Mia where services are regularly held.
Tho more ] talk to people the more
] am convinced that the insurgents are
actuatod in a measures by spirit OF
communism. and in their talks their
most serious objection TO the church
eeems TO be the fact that the ecclesias-
fical organizations own 80 much Of the
proporty. aud one of Aguinaldos most
earnest domands is that the church
property he cenhscatad.
There IS a general impression that
tho insurgent army is made up very
largely of people without property
and that people who have property de
sire tho Americans to control so tha
they can have protection and feel tina
their property is secured tO them, bu
find that there is also fear or ap
prehensiou among some OF tn
wealthy that II the Americans contro
and give universal suffrage, the powe
CT the wealthy people would be talIei
away and tteir hold on property YER
much impaired / think that IL tn
wealthy pouplc could be assured tina
they would be projected i'm their prol
erty rights by The United States
would have very good eject
The friars and priests are charge
with an sorts of expressions and mis-
demoanors. but 10 must be remembers
that friars and priests are very nume
Gus. and in SO large o body there WI
be found every possible phase Of cha
acier and disposition. Some of the
are no doubt onprossOrs OF the peopl
oxactng in the collection OF renta
fron the land. indulge themselves
MANY ways. and lead lives very dilfe
emit from what should characterize q
life of a priest, but there are many go'
men among them. Many Of them ha
received good education in their yout
and being without families and ha
ing ample time. they have pursu
scientific and other studies and ha
done a great deal toward the educate
Of the people. The religious orders a
very rich. They have been acquiri
property for nearly three centuries.
was the custom OF organizations a
individuals to acquire property by 8
Element and occupation, and title n
acquired IS recognized as valid CIV
with no paper title whatever. The
ligious orders have acquired VI
properties in this way and while il
come are to be used for religious q
charitable purposes, there is no do'
that much has been used for their p
sonal comfort and benefit.
The statement I have seen that
per cent. of the people Of Luzon
read and write is a great mistake.
may be true of Manila but IL is
true of the rural districts, and
percentage OF illiteracy in the other
lands is much greater than in Luz
The appearance. mode of life
method OF performing work is TO
very much like that described in
Bible OF the beginning Of tho Christ
era.
The people dress very much as
did 1000 years ago. the means
transportation by carts drawn by C
baos is about the same. and I
methods OF Smelling and cleaning
are as primitive as possible and
better than they were 1000 years
During the last few years sugar !
and rice mills have been erecteI
some OF the large cities and this
especially been the case since the b
ing OF the Manila and Dagupan
road. but in the smaller cities
towns rice IS husked by poundin
hand. and IS winnowed by thrown
M and thus separating the chaff
as in the earliest times.
Nearly everything can be grown
oranges and bananas are not as
as in other localities. the reaso
doubt being that they seem 10
them no cultivation whatever. IN
were cultivated I believe they =
be as me as the products Of any
country.
Tobacco i5 grown in the vale
Cagayan. in the northeastern pa
Luzon. which Is said 20 be ecu
any tobacco in the world. The
grown is said TO be superior to