The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-02
cinnamon As Fighters
Brave Under Firm Leaders, But
Likely TO Be Panic Stricken.
Splendid Warriors at Times. Yet Re-
sarded "a Generally Unreliable by
pines-Weakcn When COrnered Tn
less Inspired by SHpcrstition.

H. c. Thompson, OF San Francisco. in q
letter to the New York Tribune" de-
seribes Cinnamon as lighters. his observa-
tions being based upon his experiences
witf coolies while on duty with the Ameri-
can troops In the Philippines NJ. Thonp-
son says that Admiral Deweys tribute 10
the Cinnamon with him during the battle
Of Manila Bay has been much quoted bui
that it does not seem 70 be generally
known that American soldiers have been
accompanied by Chinese, eyen to the firing
line The letter continues:
During the early part OF our occupation
Of Manila an enterprising American goi the
contract for transporting supplies under
the Quartermaster' Department. He start
ed without capital. ye5, owing 10 the i'm
mense profit that he made. managed 10 OBJ
tain the monopoly OF the business until
wagons and mules were forwarded by the
Government. However, the cd two wheel
ed carts drawn by caTsbaos (wateT buf1alo),
with Chinese o. Filipino drivers still do
the bulk OF the work. When the outbreak
occurred on February 1, 1899. almost all the
Filipino drivers had deserted 10 the Iusur-
gent ranks, leaving their places 20 be taken
by Chinese coolies. Bull carts followed taca
command with supplies, remaining in camp
10 carry water. wood, and forage. The first
mules, which excited great awe among The
natives, who had never seen any animals
so large, arrived about the middle OF March
and were used where the rush was the
greatest. for the csrabao is painfully SLOW
through powerful brute. They. OF course.
were accompanied by white teamsIsTs- But
the carabaos had Chino drivers, as a
rule. and 1t was because OF this that l rad
the opportunity OF seeing Cinnamon under
fire.
Il had learned TO know the Chinaman
fairly wei! previously during Ey life on
the Pacific Coast. but had the opportunity
Of seeing him under, conditions more like
those OF MS native country in Manila
(which is fully third Chinese) before the
outbreak The Chinsman is Justly called
the Hebrew OF the East for he has a won
derful talent for business and money max
ing. His trade equals that OF the whites
in Manila and reaches all through the ISL
and, where the latter's does not attempt
to go. Yet the Chinanan seems TO be the
only person in the tropics capable Of doing
hard physical labor. or willing to do it,
He lives very simply and is not bothered
with dysentery or heat sores, as are the
whites His industry never flags under a
burning sun. nor in the warm, humid at
mospkeTe which is worse His first IN
stincts. however, are for business. He is
a great CRATER
Regular bands OF Chinese Iooters used
10 follow our troops on the field. but new
eT showed fight when arrested. They could
be rounded up like stray sheep They are
shrewd traders, but, while no more honest
do not haggle over prices as hard as the
Filipino or japanese. One characteristic
Of he lie hot
amount Of persecution as long as they are
making money. The Spanish used to i'll
treat them and subject them TO all kinds
OF ridicule in Manila The familiar Chi
no traders with baskets and shoulder pole
are positive nuisances there. They used to
get many blanket tossings In our quarters
yet were never discouragea although they
would cry like children from fright. On
the whole / haze found the Chinaman
rather good fellow. thoroughly peaeeable.
aud seldom showing fight He is good
natured and fond Of 1ok.og and when in
the majority rarely acts urly. as the jap
anese and Filipinos are apt to do.
When my command first took the field
there were three 'Chinos' with my COM
pany, who, SO long as IL was quiet. seem
ed well satisfied. But when the insurrec-
te7 began a little desultory rife practice
on our camp two developed symptoms of
some mysterious malady. begging 10 be
let 90. and finally deserted. The other
however. remained with us over month.
until transferred, and aroused the admit
ration OF the boys He was modest end
attentive TO duty and when insurgent at
lacks were nightly reported never failed
10 take an ak to bed with him. One thing
that made ii hard to keep Cinnamon in
the field was that they missed their hop
(opiuml This Chino was let loose oc-
casionally. but always returned
i remember seeing a Chinaman there
go through some native tactics with a long
bamboo stick, representing a spear He
executed some OF the queerest whirls and
crowhops, swipes and passes that / have
ever SEEN These undoubtedly belonged
to the old Chinese tactics that the mass
of Boxers are said 10 USE
The -Nebraskans had one ChinSman who
was known not only 10 the whole regi-
ment. but nearly the whole corps He
was camp cook, who picked UP an extra
gun the night of the outbreak and fought
in line with his company until the water
works had been taken He was extremely
modest over the honors heaped upon him
by the soldiers, which would have turned
the head OF a white man. The last that |
saw Of him be was humbiy attending
to his duties as bull driver Although
this Chinaman may have been treasured
and inspired by the conduct Of the impetu-
Gus Nebraskans he deserves no less credit
AT Malabon. one Of the hardest fights
OF the war. the Chino drivers were press
ed into service as stretcher bearers and
worked in the rife belt But the fact
that they we're encouraged by the pistol
OF the hospital corps men tends TO remove