Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1900-08-09
About the PhIlInnine..
San PEDRO AIseati. Luzon.


San Pedro Mscati, Luzon,
Philippine Islands, June 18th, 1900.
DEAR Editor: Thinking that perhaps
the people Of Randolph would ike L
read letter once more from one OF ths
town boys, / will ondeayor to write
little about the different woods, the prin.
cipal diet Of the natives, and their rapid
Improvement during the two years since
the Americans took step into the Phil
| ippines.
The costume Of the natives, both men
and women, Is somewhat similar to that
worn by Adam and Eve, but as this Is q
I very hot climate the year round, ii is not
+ strange 10 see from six to a dozen children
! from two TO ten years old running around
stark naked. They are fast taking to the
/ American style Of costume. however. and
I are rapidly improving in language. OF
/ course there Is rich class, like the lead
/ ing generals OF the Philippine army, who
i dress Just as well as our American officers.
/ but my idea is that the majority OF the
native men and women would a great
/ deal rather proceed In their old style OF
costume than try to become a civilized
/ nation.
Their principal diet is rice and fish, and
there are great many different kinds OF
1 fish that live In the different streams and
rivers that now through this vast country
OF mud and water.
am not able to tell you the names OF
these fish as ! do not understand the
language, but will give you a faint idea OF
how some OF the fish look. There are
some like our horned pout or mud fish,
the cat fish, the herring, the shrimp and
the cells. They also have a fish out here
that costs seven dollars a pound in their
money or three dollars and half in our
American money This FISH resembles
the silver bass in color and size, but there
are many other kinds OF fish that / never
saw or heard OF before.
They eat all these different kinds Of
tish the year round, except the fish that
costs so high, and this they eat only on
the anniversary OF the cruciixion Of
Christ.
Their religion is the Catholic, and they
have feast days every month. They also
have large PROFESSIONS on these feast DAYS
and carry images OF 81. Mary and ST.
Joseph.
We soldiers take much interest I'm the
valuable timber and the way il is worked
into lumber as these people are about
two hundred years behind the times. /
went into a sawmill not far from Manila
TO see how thew worked the huge tim bers
into lumber. lt was very laughable and
quite a sight To would be worth a good
sum OF money to some people just to get a
glimpse OF some Of the tools they use.
3
cut down the trees. IL takes them from
two to four days 70 cut down a tree that is
three feet in diameter, but OF course this
kind Of wood is very hard, being mahog-
ouy, which is Just as hard as steel. There
is another kind just as hard, known as
rosewood. Ebony is also here In abun-
dance, and sandal wood, and the COCO
wood, which is as hard as a piece OF flint
and hard enough to make nails Of.
After the trees are cut up into logs so
they can handle them, they are hauled
down from the mountains on a dray
built Of bamboo, and drawn by water
buffalo or caribou, 10 the rivers and are
ioated down to the sawmills. OF course
the people who read this need not think
that they have sawmills like our own or
use the same methods In hauling a log
onto the carriage in front Of the saws.
They are drawn or hauled out OF the
river and put in front OF the saw. First
they take a two-inch rope made Of the
best Manila hemp and hitch IL around the
log, then they hitch from six to a dozen
water buffalo to the rope then the natives
have a large pole and when everything Is
ready they yell more than the Indians do
at war dance. After il is drawn from
the water II is hauled into a long shed and
is hoisted on END ready for the saw, which
is put into frame 10 steady the log. A
platform is built around the log and
then two natives stand upon this plat.
form with a very large crosscut saw and
begin to work the huge logs into such
width OF boards as they want.
do not see how they can get enough
lumber sawed out in a week to make a
chicken coop; but there is a vast improve
ment among the natives since "Unele
sam" has taken step to help them for he
is sending machinery OF all kinds over
here and the natives are slowly becom-
ing civilized. think II is about time as
Uncle Sam has been at them for the past
two years.
AS the insurrection has been put down /
and the Americans have captured quite a
number OF the leading generals and OFF, /
GERS OF the Philippine army, ! do not |
think that there will be any more fight 1
ing. Ii seems strange how fast the officers /
came in and surrendered after Gen. Otis /
went home / believe that IL the govern |
ment had appointed Gen. Macarthur |
governor general OF the Philippine Islands 1
at the time that Gen. Otis was appointed, /
this insurrection would not have lasted 4
more than Lalf so long as il did, for IL has 1
been only about one month since 1
Gen. Macarthur succeeded Otis and about 1
three thousand insurgents have surren- /
dered. About a week ago when Gen. Pho /
Del Pillar was captured, he said that they /
had been holding off hoping for help from /
some OF the foreign countries, but as /
they had never gained a victory and their |
capital stock was very low, they had held /
councils OF war and decided that 1t would /
be best to lay down their arms, which /
they are doing very fast. / do not think /
il will be very long before the peace COM |
missioners make a settlement with the /
natives and give them self-government.
Hoping this will please the public, / am, /
Your Obedient Friend,
On II IA u