Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-05-21
LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES.
Descriptive Letter From MemDe
of 27th Infantry.

DeBCf1pt1Ve Letter from Ne1uOer
of 9th Infantry.
Bayard W. Tansill, who is a member Of
Company F of the 9th United States Vol
unteer Infantry, stationed In the Philip
pines, recently wrote a letter to his mother.
who resides at 2417 Brightwood avenue, de-
failing his experiences on the frontier and
describing the country through which he
has passed. His company was at the time
of writing on duty at the pumping station
near Marquina.
In the course of his letter Mr.. Tansil
says:
The town of Marquina fell on several
occasions into the hands of United States
forces, only to be reclaimed each time upon
their retirement. Houses were burned and
rice stacks wasted, but out Of its troubles
the valley has successfully emerged. and
today Its people are engaged IN building
up what the war destroyed. Cottages are
being erected in spots that were scenes Of
the fires ravage, and everywhere the in
habitants are busily engaged on mysterious
houses of bamboo and straw in which the
use of nail would be huge joke.
AT Mariquina they are building small
church to take the place of the handsome
structure whose hdeously smoked and
charred walls are now standing alone.
MarQuina was once q prosperous town
of shoemakers and musicians. 1t had at
one time a population Of 10000. Its close
position to the water pumping station made
1T a retreat for insurgents. The result was
that the American forces made the town
untenable for them on more than one
bloody occasion. The village became a
wilderness. most Of the people moving
across the valley into the hills. When the
place was finally garrisoned by Companies
L and F of the 27th Infantry all persons
were allowed to return to the town, re-
build their houses. resume their peaceful
pursuits and live under the protection OF
the American soldiers. Many of the for
ppr-1av ShnanaEarS hSiy returned and are
turning out footgear for the Manila mar
kets.
The musical talent for which MariQuina
was formerly noted Is evident in the 2Ith
Infantry Band, at San Mateo, which con-
tains at least dozen full-booded Tagalog
artists, all regularly enlisted as musical
servants of Uncle Sam. While at Mari
quina one OF the Inhabitants rendered the
use of his plano to the boys of Company
F, which they eagerly accepted and which
proved source of great pleasure.
Leaving the pumping station, where four
companies (E, F, G, HI of the 9th are sta
toned, one is able to proceed alone with
perfect safety up the road, which, after
leaving the ford. skirts the rice fields be-
You'd Santola and winds among almost Two
miles of huts, which make UP Mariquina
and passes on up the valley to San Mateo
and Montalban. The ladrones have given
this territory a wide berth for many weeks.
so that it is safe to travel although orders
of regiments are that not less than two can
CO. and they fully armed The natives are
very friendly, and Gut moni' good morn
ins) can be heard from every hut, even
although 1t may be I'm. Two miles from
San Mateo is located the first outpost Of
the garrison No insurrectos are seen, for
the licking they got in December has not
been forgotten.
Headquarters and band. occupy San Mateo.
Nearly every hut is badly perforated. the
effects of the shower of bullets OF Decem-
Der 1S. The people Of San Mateo- have
%t,,or ctr tn tan nf n
morning when the Americans suddenly APP
peared on the opposite side of the river to
take the town. An attack had been con-
tinually expected, but 1t had been farthest
from the thoughts of any one that the
Americans would make it in such a stormy
period, when the rain was falling in tor
rents and the river a foaming Hood c"nse-
ouenty there Was npme on wan @ n
apparition from the rough hill across the
gorge and commenced pouring destruction
into the town. The number of dead and
wounded which the insurgents carried out
Of San Mateo may perhaps never be
known, but many Filipinos say the number
was very large.
Colonel Cummings. promoted from lleuten-
ant colonel In place OF the present brigadier
general. James NJ. Bell. Montalban. about
three nales from San Mateo. is garrisoned
by the Sd Battalion. Major Scherer, with
Iie,tenant Colonel Byron commanding tho
most. There is also a small detachment OF
artillery stationed there. Scouting parties
are kept Continually in touch with the
mountains. and any attempt at a raid by
the mountain ladrones would be met with
in a way that would not be pleasant for
the marauders ~ ..,
The companies are kept suppheu WIN
fresh meat by line of pony express carts
from Manila When the wet season sets
in and the roads are impossible fresh
meat service will probably be inaugurated
by means Of boats sent up the Pasig river
into the San Mateo river. and by that
route to the pumping station. Mariquina,
San Mateo and Montalban.