The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1900-02-23
Letter from tag pnilIppinas.


MANILA, =, l., Jan. 1b, 1900. Mrs. GIL,
Henderson, My Dear Grandmother: |
promised TO write you letter long
tilpe ago, so will keep my promise now.
AS you know, | am soldier, which |
will probably be all my life. Only a
private, but as proud Of my position as
] would be II ranked as a non.commisy
sioned officer. Some day in the far fu-
ture may be higher than the ranks,
but as yet am only q private--in the
eyes Of my superiors only tool which
will be in their hands just few months,
and why not use 1t to raise them higher
and higher in the world2 have been
in only one fight, and have Just COM
menced to get over the effects; still
feel that the war here is far from being
over and hope to see at least one good
fight. Soldiers have been killed in al
most every engagement we have had
In the one fight at the water works
saw 43 dead lads going to town. Only
the other day | was down ON the dock
and saw an enormous pile OF boxes that
contained corpses. Nhata shame that
they don't send them home to their dear
ones Deaths are so common here that
no one notices a funeral. Hundreds die
every day.
| saw q torrible deed last night while
passing in front OF saloon. One OF the
boys OF the 18th cavalry and one poor
lad from the goth regiment got into Il
drunken hFawl Il seemed TO be some
thing serious, as / noticed they were
both angry, and | stopped to see what
was up. After receiving much abuse
from the llth mans tongue the 20th
punched him on the jaw and knocked
him down. As the llth man staggered
70 his feet he slipped his hand behind
him. As he did 50 cried TO the boys to
watch him. | thought he was diving
after his gun. (When saw q fight was
going on, with soldiers curiosity en-
tered the joint. But TO everybody's
horror he whipped out an enormous
dagger, and with an oath aud oatglike
spring, plunged at the poor Goth lad,
drove the dagger through the left side OF
the breast, Just above the heart, and
two inches into the hard mahogany post
the man was leaning against. Quick as
lightning | whipped out an enormous
ponce whistle, which some men on spe-
hial or secret duty always have. every
eman on detached duty is examined, and
il he Is found capable OF doing secret
service duty, is given papers and badge,
two fine woolen and a civilian suit.
will tell you all about it as soon as |
finish my story,) blew shrill whistle
and at the same time pulled my gun and
yelled | would shoot the first man that
moved. All this time the would-be
murderer was trying TO withdraw his
knife, | had covered him with one gun
and the crowd with the other. At the
same instant another man in civilian
dress plapped pair Of handouts on
him and cooliy drew his irone and back
ed me up. | didn't know what second |
might get my till, and tell you il made
me feel good TO know had ut least one
man to back me. Suddenly the doors
were burst open and in rushed twenty
guards. The doors had been closed
when the row happened, The men in
the saloon all this time had kept up a
continuous grawl, and as the guards |
rushed in they saw il was their last
chance and with wild yell rushed ut |
the would-be murderer with cries Of /
HLynch him "Shoot himln but the |
guards drove them back at the point of
the bayonet and soon had the prisoner.
When | saw all was safe | ordered the
bugler to blow the ambulance cali, ana
soon an ambulance came dashing up.
With the help OF hospital men got HIN
into the ambulance and he was g,sA a.
.ha hospital GAe ssaN&u E&Js
ro0nls IL gsthssaN ms Al4e, Nilta
y measurement nas tound. 10 &C ls.s