Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-12-13
PHILIPPINE LETTER.
Geo. R. Houston Sends Interesting Account OF
Scenes Witnessed on the Islands.


leaves. midst tangled vines and
snugly in the shade of a mighty
sluggish river-the Filipino babe is
born. His advent into this world is
hailed with much JOY and the little
one is anxiously watched and cared
for by his dusky mother for fear that
death will take him from them before
the sacred baptiSmal rites are per-
formed.
l had the pleasure of witnessing
such ceremonies last Saturday and
all in all, the little ones passed through
such a lengthy ordeal of lamentations,
burning of incenseS, candle paradeS
ETC., that feared for the lives of the
little fellow. The mothers. young,
dark, buXum senoritas, very few past
the age Of fifteen, stood, babes in arms,
in three-quarter circle throughout
the rites. There were thirty-eight
all told and actually counted and
when the priest ''mOved the circle
soused the little ones heads with
blessed water. To Judge from the
suffering and splitting of that
he nearly drowned them. The
village band, worthy organization
by the way and composed Of some
half dozen dark featured sons of
Ham or descendants at least. dis
cOursed sweet music throughout, and
thus were thirty-eight wee tropical
Roman Catholics,
Readers, could you imagine, after
this babtiSm is over and the little
fellow is kicking and cooling, baby
fashion, in his mothers arn,S-that
his Tor herr death, the sudden extinct
ion of short but happy life, would
cause no bitter tears of sorrow nor
broken hearts? Have you seen the
pitiful sorrow implanted on the face
Of young mother who had lost heI
child and whose heart was nearly
rent with anguish?
1t is hard to believe when a Filipino
babe dies no sorrow is shown. | have
watched funeral after funeral in
hopes of seeing a single tear or 9
mOurnful face but have not yet
witnessed such. If / could but sec
the least sign of emotion from 9
black robed mourner, | would be
satisfied that at least one heart was
sad Of the bereavement.
Sights are to be seen here every
day that would make you Shudder in
horror and you would wonder if such
pitiful things could occur under
natures blue heavens.
Only yesterday afternoon, a funeral
passed my window in the band
quarters, and as long as I live, the
impression of it will be vivid in my
brain. A mite of babe, not over a
week old, was laid on a small bier of
bamboo and covered by a coarse,
dirty mat of grass. The bier was
carried, by means of bamboo pole
on the shoulders of the young mother
and little girl. The burden was
not heavy but think of it. The
mother, on account of poverty, being
obliged to carry her dead to the
grave! An old gray-haired woman
stopped, with her burden of years
followed slowly with measured foot.
steps, carrying native made hoe tC
dig the grave of the little one. This
was the procession, and for restitution
and extreme poverty, never saw the
equal. Many soldier felt his heart
throb little stronger than usual, as
the funeral slowly wendell it's way
towards the cemetery. Several
funerals had preceded this one, so
through curiosity for the others, and
pity for the little one l also went tC
see the burial. A large excavation
was completed as | entered the gates
and [ wondered why they were sc
particular as to the size. Well, twas
rather small after all, for five corpses
were dumped, where [ thought one
would be at rest, and they covering
them up. At every step you take
human bones and skulls meet your
eye. The ground is literally covered
with these pleasant sights and by the
time you complete your visit, you've
looked many skull ''in the eye"
Skeletons of bodies, not buried longer
than two weeks, are unearthed every
time new grave is dug. There's nc
rest for the weary after death. /
myself, have a certain part of his
anatomy in my locker but 1 searched
quite while to get jaw bone to fit.
| left this abode of horrors, known
ing that the little babe rested in a
grave of its own, although a shallow
one. Poverty at it's worst. Not poor
so as to be deprived of many necessit-
les of life but destitute of everything
needed to keep strength in their
bodies: destitute even of suitable
clothes to cover themselves properly.
Such were the conditions of the
people two weeks ago in the vicinity
of Sara, but relief has been given to
many of the unfortunates. A sub
ScriptiOn paper was circulated among
the soldiers, each one to give what he
wished and with the help of the
officers donations, the famine was
eased for the present. Every poor
person receives his rice on Tuesday
and some three hundred or more are
kept from starvation. Last years
inSurrection kept the people from
planting rice and the crop this year
is failure so | was told: millions of
grass hOpperS, that would put the
Kansas product to shame as to size
and quantity, completely destroyed
| the young plants and | believe that
| Uncle Sam will have to feed many
natives on this island before four
months are past. [ have attempted
to picture some phases on the dark
side of this unfortunate race, but
realize how little [ have said of their
sutferlngS: no one could picture to
you the true conditions, us they are
to be seen. Their lot is not a happy
one, for they were created poor.
May the future do better for them
than the past has done.
The Eighteenth Infantry Band is
still here but we have prospects of a
return to the more acceptable city
of Capiz, in the near future. We are
truly out Of the world in this inland
town, for the insurgents take particu-
lar pains to cut the telegraph wires
| between this CITY and, lola. ONLY