The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-09

CuIscu uuu Wlbb LunEUIo bUpb anu HiNIs
BILE bottom. Standing at various places
might be- found bronze statues Of the
various padres and generals who in
any way had c%onspired to, the greatness
Of the Philippine republic. Leaving
this room, with it's handsomely tiled
floor and with its elaborate curtains,
retracing your steps, you passed up an
other flight of stairs that led you to the
third story of the palace, where you
found the courts and the tribunals. the
offices Of the military governor and the
offices Of ths various commandments or
men in charge of civil, military or po-
~litical matters in connection with the
islands. At the time OF our arrival, on
the extreme left we found the room
that General Pope had gone into in
charge of Gommissaries. In a room ad-
joining him Major Crowder, the judge
advocate, and adjoining him was the
office OF the military governor. Also,
next to this room, may be found the
office of Major General Otis, and also
of Adjntant General Berry. Confirm.
ing along this hall, now being in the
front over the stairway, was the SUI
p1eme court room. Adjoining this, the
room where the clerks who had charge
of the documents aud the published or
ders, and all the clerical work in con-
nection with Major General Otis's oc-
cupancy; and again, adjoining this,
the telegraph room, where the tele-
grams of tina press were censored.
Again, the room of the surgeon gen.
eral, and lastly, the department. Of in
formation or the military bureau. 1t
is to be bered that when the
Americans went in. that they simply
occupied these offices as they had been
left by their predecessors; the men who
had been in power and who were coln-
PEELED to beat a hasty and ignominous
flight. All the paraphernalia, records,
orders, medical supplies. literature and
ever some Of their commisary supplies,
were found by the American OH his ar.
rival and promptly taken from the pc.
sition that they held and placed III the
Spanish arsenal, only one block from
the palace.
Sat the time that we visited Manila
there were probably 500 clerks and en-
ployes to be found in this particular
place alone. and when one remembers
that this was only a fourth part Of the
whole building, again you may have
some slight conception Of how large a
place it may be. We were struck with
the evidence Of Filipino genius, when.
ascending the last flight Of steps, OF
the wall wers to be found paintings
probably fifteen or twenty feet long.
depicting some scene in the life Of the
natives. One I was especially impress
sed with. 1t represented a native
Ygrotes and a priest with a long cas-
sock standing behind a large clump Of
bamboo. watching a native forage some
little distance away. and from their
concealed position e~ndeavoring to pot
some one of the natives that might be
unwary enough to be found in shooting
distance. Another picture represented
a part Of the San Rogue coast, with q
great number Of dead pirates scattered
the coast, while at a little distance
from the shore a Spanish galleon stood
it had been bringing death to
the men who had been entrapped upon
this ~treackerous shore. We were per-
to enter the Spanish court on
this floor, and everything that wouli
indicate the luxurious taste and in.
nate ref1nment Of the higher class Span.
lard was to be found in this room.
The carpets were Of the finest and cost.
Hest, the drareries were almost price.
less, while the furniture itself would
have been worth almost a ransom in
this country. The room was probably
an hundred feet square aud in it were
brought the higher class cases that
have been i%nstigated on the part
Of the rich and wealthy F%ilipinos. or
upon the part Of the church; for it is
to be remembered during the time of
Spanish dominancy the church prac.
was in charge Of all the affairs
that pertain to the government, and the
law came very near being the
law Of the land. After all, this might,
have seemed to be a wise method, in
asinuch as military authority is limited.
and its acts may often be called in
question, there being much Of injustice
in All order that Is promptly given and
executed.
'sThe museum attached to the palace
was something that was we'll worth the
attention of any traveller to Manila.
Under the care, as it has been OF the
triars, it has been developed until all
the resources of the islands have been
taxed to bring into it the peculiar
things that apply to them respectively.
Here You may find a specimen of all
the beasts, insects, birds, fish; all Of
the native woods and the distinctive
characters Of the various tribes, togeth-
err with the skeletons, the ores and the
implements Of warfare used in each Of
the fourteen hundred islands. The col
certainly is a fine n and will
SON pare very favorably with museums