Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-26

The following letter was recently received
by a young lady in this city from an Off
Ger in the Philippines:
ISLAND OF SAMAR, P. l.,
August 26, 1900
Our military station here is very gay just
now, so I'll send you few society notes.
We don't go far from the post when we
go a hike. by starting early in the
morning we get back by dark, and that
gives US our evenings in town. There are
several fine families here. One Filipino,
Mr.. COME, has son at college in America,
and all of his family are very pleasant.
Several Spanish and English people are
here, and they are also o. K. We have had
several little dances during the last week,
but on the night of the oath we gave cur
grand official ball.
August 81 was the feast day on this
island, and we decided to help celebrate, so
the colonel said that a ball was the only
thing. The enemy. We heard. was going to
make an attack on us on feast day, in order
to spoil our fun, but before daylight we
sent troops to the hills and drove them
away, and advanced our outpostS far
enough to keep the enemy away. Thus by
leaving non-cOmmiSSoned officers in charge
of the troops, the officers were able to at
tend the ball and have good time.
We used the headquarters building for
ball, and we decorated it in fine style
with flags and palms. Our decorations
were certainly fine and it would be sim
ply impossible to get such palms in the
states. All We had to do was to go into
the country. where, growing wild, we
found large, fine palms of different
rietes. We had for refreshments small
ham sandwiches. American candies, cake,
wine mineral water. cigars and cigarettes.
Our orchestra furnished the music, except
for the native dances, when the Filipino
orchestra played.
We had very little to do with. for no
81,
missary supplies have about run out. We
had to hustle in order to get ribbon, etc,
for roset.es, etc, and, in fact, every Off
Ger was busy for several days trying to
make the thing a go.
1t was a grand success. Everybody
seemed to have a good time, and the En-
glish people say that it was away ahead
of anything, even during the old Spanish
days
Talk about gowns! Why, an American
ball would not be in it at all. There We're
more gorgeous gowns and fine diamonds
than a little.
Pat and 1 took two of Senior Comics
daughters, and they were certainly very
nice girls. Their manners were perfect.
They were good looking, and were really
quite the article.
Rift in the Lutte.
The funny part was in escorting them to
the ball We expected to do it in Amer
lean style, and it was rather a disappoint-
ment the way it turned out Pat and l
went after them, and we found that all
the people in the neighborhood were go
ing together. All the girls walked to-
gether in one group and the men brought
up the rear by themselves. l didn't get
to speak to my senorita from the time we
left her house until We got to the ball.
The custom over here is for the girls to
walk together and sit together on such oc
casions, while the men do the same. We
II fI.aI hot hair Il
so before long we had taught them to allow
a man to sit beside girl, talk to her and
fan her. and walk home with her after the
ball.
when I asked a married woman for a dance
her husband thanked me for the attention.
| can't saba why man should thank me
for dancing with his wife, especially when
his wife is a good-looking woman. Can
you explain it?
These people are fine dancers and their
native dances are very pretty. / am learn
ing some of their dances and when 1 get
home I'll teach you and then we can dance
a la Filipino.
We all went to high mass the other morn
ing. The band and civil officers came
around and we We're escorted to church as
the honored guests or something of that
sort. The music fine and the whole
ceremony was interesting. This is the last
day Of the feast, and there have been all
sorts of sports and professions going on.
The BOthersOme Natives.
September 1, 1900.
Since starting this letter, or rather since
1 stopped writing, the ladrones broke out
in Masbate, and l had to send P. with
fifty men to put them down. You know l
just could not leave Senorita COME, and as
the colonel gave me the choice l sent Pat.
Old Pat was sorry to go. and with tears in
his eyes he begged me to use my influence
in getting him back. Just soon as Pat
left the report reached the enemy that
Company C had gone to Masbate, and they
Immediately made an attack. Next day |
took detachment of my company and
detachment from Company E, and started
a hike to run the enemy away. / had
awfully hard luck, as three of my men, in
Guiding one sergeant and one private, and
one corporal of Company E, fell into the
pits and were horribly wounded. Two other
men were slightly wounded. Running into
a crowd of boomen we killed five and cap
tured several bolos We had an awful hard
march. and ten men played out entirely.
not counting the wounded men. We came
down to the seashore, where we captured
some fishing boats in order to carry wound
ed men. 1t was necessary to kill one fisher
man while trying to get his boat.
You can imagine what a rough country
this is when l tell you that We found it
necessary to wade in the ocean part Of the
time. the mountains came right up to
the sea, and there are no roads or paths on
the beach.
l saw two American women aboard ship;
the first I have seen, with one exception,
since l left Manila.
Some New Dishes.
The other day went to a Filipino we'd
ding, which was quite interesting, and the
wedding feast consisted Of at least a dozen
courses and lots Of wine. One new dish
which 1 tried was very good indeed. 1t was
grasshoppers. 1 am game enough to tackle
anything in the way of chow, and really
grasshoppers are o. K, and horse meat is
not so bad.
Took the Case Under Achievement.
From the Kansas City Star.
Judge Hamilton Finney, who is visiting
friends in Kansas City, was formerly police
judge here. and he has by long odds the
time record for holding case under adj
visement. Twenty years is the time and