St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-07-25
Letter from the Philippines.

The many friends of the Ides and O
Paul S. Carter will be glad to learn O
their arrival in Manila early in June
Under date of June 16 Commissioner Id,
writes in private letter to his brother
Gilmore T. Ide, the following, which will
be read with special interest;
l am not in a condition to pity you
very much on account of the cold weather
which you have been having at St. Johns
bury in the month of May. That kind
of weather would command a great
premium here in Manila.
Our journey westward was on the
whole very satisfactory indeed. We had
delightful visit at Yokohama, and l
went with the other commissioners to
Toxic and had an audience with the en-
peror and empress. and went $50 miles
into the interior to Nikko to visit the an
Gent temples there and get a view of
japanese landscape scenery and cutiva-
ton and lite. Our next stop was at
Kobe, where we remained long enough
to go up to Osaka, the greatest manu-
featuring city in Japan, and to Kioto,
which is purely japanese old city
thence we sailed through the Inland Sea,
in the midst of islands covered with
japanese civilizations and picturesque
homes and irrigated terraces from the
seashore to the tops OF the mountains.
This is one of the most charming and
beautiful rides to be found in the world
We stopped at Nagasaki for few days,
and thence to Hongkong, in China, for
several days more, to complete our outfit.
The China Sea has been called one of the
most terrible pieces of water in the
world, but it was on its best behavior in
honor of the commission, and everything
was peaceful and smooth, and hot.
Our arrival at Manila which occurred
on Sunday, the Sd day of June, doubtless
was announced in the newspapers at
home. There was no breeze blowing on
that day and the thermometer stood at
So on the steamer, and it seemed to me
that our task of keeping alive in such
weather was big one, but since that
time the temperature has been very
materially modified. We get many fresh
and delightful breezes, and am confident
are to enjoy the country the climate and
the life.
1t was announced before our arrival |
that there was to be a great native up
rising, for the purpose of satisfying the |
commission that their work was useless, |
but since our arrival, everything here in
Manila has been as peaceful as in Boston.
The military forces have everything so
completely and perfectly in hand, that
not the slightest hostile demonstration
yx,o11l1 ha ,,.oot;ooI
conditions of the islands are appearing
more hopeful than at any former time.
The arrival of the commission has been
made the occasion by many insurgents |
for negotiating for peaceful surrender. l |
do not think the outlook at any time |
heretofore has been as favorable as at |
present, although, of course, l am not |
yet sufficiently familiar with the situa-
ton to be confident upon any matters.
We are just settling down to work in
our new quarters, in the government
palace, where we have large and spa
cious rooms, with good opportunities
for breeze and fresh air. 1t is the custom
here to drive every evening upon the
Lunetta, along the seashore, where
bands play, and hundreds of carriages
gather to listen to the music and catch
fresh breezes. The driving is from about
half past five or six until about eight
O'Clock in the evening, and all have their
dinners at eight. The calling hours are
largely after dinner. We are getting
fairly well settled in our new home and
lind it very attractive and cheerful. We
are well contented with it. Of course it
is built upon a very different plan from
the houses in cold country. 1t is made
'or the freest admission of breezes in the
cool of the day, and the exclusion of air
Turing the hot part. We have grounds
about our home filled with tropical trees
and foliage, and two fountains in the
ront yard. Altogether we are situated
so as to be exceedingly comfortable, l
think.