The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1900-04-20
FROM OUR PHILIPPINE SOLDIER BOY
Clyde White Writes How the War is Car
ried on in the Far East.
MAC, January Both, 1906

been marching straight into the center
of the rebellion, but we haven't been
able to find any niggers and now we are
stationed at the town of Mac, and |
hope we stay here for while a little
rest won't hurt any of US. Since we
have been on theisland we have marched
close to $50 miles; it is something I'm
usual for them to use new regiment
at they have used us, they generally give
a new regiment about three months to
get accustomed to the climate and the
country, but they commenced to march
us around as soon as we landed and they
have been keeping us going ever since.
There is no war over here as you peO-
Die in the states think there is. The
natives are all broken up and scattered
over the island. At present they do not
hold town of any Importance. Since
the rebellion broke out, year ago, they
have not won fight and they are dis
couraged and ready to give up at any
time if it was not for their leaders. This
country does not seem to be any warmer
than it was in HodOlulu, but it is spring
here now and it will be getting warmer
every week up to the last of June, then
the rainy season sets in and lasts till
November. We can't do any thing at all
in the wet season but lay in our tents
and try to keep out of the water. You
wanted to know what we had to eat, we'll
when we have to live on government
straight ratiOns, we don't live very high,
that is because we never get all the gov
eminent allows us. At present we are
doing garrison duty and can buy canned
goods of all descriptions, SO we are living
well; the quarter master department has
retail store and they furnish us the
goods at cost: [ suppose you know more
about our situation than [ do. There
are all kinds of reports around that we
are to be mustered out next month. L
don't think there is any truth in it
though.
The Spanish are great church and
bridge builders, every town of any size
has a large stone church, snd they are
put up to stay, made of great blocks of
stone with images cut in the outside; on
the inside, they are fitted up with true
Spanish grandure The Spaniards and
Philippines used them for forts, and they
are pretty well pepp6red with bullet
holes; every day some one picks up
bullet near the church in this town. |
found one yesterday that is not damaged
at all. | am going to bring it home. All
through this country are fine old stone
bridges, there are generally three large
PLIERS and slabs of stone laid like
boards across the top. 1t is hard to tell
how old they are, but they must be at
least $50 years old. The bridges, like
the churches, were the scene of many a
hard battle. They generally built up
stone wall at one end eff the bridge and
posted men behind it and on both TANKS,
the bridges are not wide enough to al
low more than ten men abreast, so the at
lacking party would have to advance in
close order and make a mark for the
defenders. The roads in this country
are comparatively good, there is room for
as to march In sets of tours nearly all the
time; it makes harder marching but we
make better time on the road. The
horses in this country, | mean the ma
tive horses, are about the size of small
brOncho in the states, all they use them
for is to pull buggies in Manila. All
the heavy work is done by the water
buffalo, or more commonly called the
caribou, they are yoked to carts or sleds
like oxen and move just about as fast,
and are driven by means of rope at
tached to ring in their nose. They can
not be worked more than an hour at a
time without letting them roll in water
or mud for half an hour. .
MAC, February 10th, 1900.
[ stopped writing this letter on the
afternoon of the Both intending to finish
it the next day but we received orders
to draw three days rations and move the
next day. We went off on wild goose
chase as usual, for five days, and covered
between IS and so miles without even
skirmish. The country we passed
through was the richest [ have yet seen
on the island; and the scenery was beau
tiful too look at. We passed Though
seven ravines in one forenoon and the
last one, if you could have seen us, would
remind you of pictures of tourists seal
ing the Alps, there was just narrow
winding path down the side of the bluff,
barely wide enough for one man. On
one side the rocks rose above till you
lost all reckoning of their height, on the
other side you could look straight down
for about $50 feet at the water and rocks
below, the last 100 feet was straight down
and we went down by means of steps cut
in solid rock. Going up the other side
was not so bad, the path was more wind
ing and by using our guns as stats we
nldudSGu W S6G w wy AAofO
climbed great many steep hills but
that climb is one l will never forget. 1t
is certainly strange that the niggers did
not take advantage of such place, rs
cool and nervy men, with plenty of ami
milton, could have held off the battilion.
We passed through another ravine the
last day we were out that was nearly as
bad as the other, but there was good
path all the way down and up and we
had little trouble scaling it.
Well to return to where [ left off, I
was writing about the way the natives
carry thing around the country. In ad-
dition to bull carts and sleds they have
their ponies that spoke about; they use
on the ponies a sack somewhat resembl-
ing our grain sacks, they fill both ends
and tie it in the middle then sling it over
the ponies back and away they go % or
80 miles day. The natives that have
neither built cart or pony, carry their
loads on their heads, and carry anything
from Is pounds of rice to can of corned
beef, and have yet to see one make a
misstep that would over balance the
load. Some of the natives have adopted
the Chinese plan and carry loads on