Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-07-11
GOOD CARE FOR SOLDIERS.
That is What Walter A. Mestre-
Eat Says.

ktt bVSc NV ASlct Win tht StAtNulSHtS
Written by Many Of them From the
Philippines Something about the
Natives aad their Primitive Way Of
Doing Things Improvements are be-
ing Made In the Army all the Time.
TAyABAs, +. |.
June S, 1000.
| see by some OF the state papers
that we soldiers In the Philippines
will soon all be dead-nobody left 60
tell the tale. ! hope people who have
friends oyer here pay no attention To
such stuff. IL Ii Go be regretted there
are papers that will publish such false
hoods just To censure the administers
ton, carrying nothing for the agony
they cause the folks at home. This
regiment has had hard work and In
looking over the records lind We have
lost nineteen men by death. One Of
these died with fever at Fort Sheri-
dan and one was run over by train
at Evanston, Ill. We have seven men
missing, who may or may not be dead,
and about the usual per cent Of
wounded. Such small loss among
1900 men will give you an idea OF
how the government has improved the
condition of the soldiers. A great
improvement Is being made In infan-
try regiments by organizing COM
pany OF cavalry In each regiment
This will relieve the men from doing
so much kicking which has been hard
er on them than anything else. People
can kick all they please, but the gov
eminent Is doing all 1t can do for the
soldiers and | am proud OF the fact
that | belong to this little army that
fears neither foe nor pestilence.
Some hundreds of years ago there
was pyrotechnical display here that
would have been worth a year or two
Of common life to have seen. Ii Is
eight miles TO the crater on the noun
tain above us, but when the volcano
was in state OF eruption the lava
flowed for mile below where Tayabas
Is now located There Is only few
feet OF soil here and under that Is a
stratum OF lava from one to ten feet
thick, the soil is composed of volcanic
ashes and decayed vegetation and il
exceedingly leTblle.
When they built this town they
must have been experimenting on
street material. Some OF the streets
mere made OF concrete and are about
worn out some were paved with blocks
Of sand stone and have lasted fairly
we'll. Others were paved with blocks
Of lava and these instead of wearing
have only become polished. We have
seen two active volcanoes in this pro-
vince, and they have made us realize
how small and weak we are and how
wonderful, how far beyond all human
understanding are the works Of the
Creator.
Americans are not taking advantage
OF the Philippine trade as they should.
Our butter comes from Switzerland,
and much OF our canned fruit from
China. Canned lychees from China
are about the finest fruit we get; they
taste just like rose smells. So much
native fruit Is coming In now tt Is
hard to keep tab on all OF 1t. Our
present favorite looks very much like
large plum.
1t would interest you to see the
women washing clothing in this coun-
try. They get their clothes immacu-
late without boiling. They always
wash on stone by the river side.
No washboard Is used, the clothing
being well soaped with soap made
from the cocoanut and pressed into
ball and pouncei with a club. All
the stones along the river suitable for
the purpose have been worn smooth
by the washing OF countless genera
tions.
Gen. Otis left for the states follow
ed by the best wishes, love and esteem
of every soldier Ia the Philippines.
Only those who have been on the
ground know what great weight he
has carried on bis shoulders. The
wonder is it did not crush him.
Long may he live. Yours truly,
w. A. MEsTREzAT.