Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-04-11

fighting savages and fever he would
soon be out of the way and no one
would be the wiser. All this didn't
seem to bother this genera. one bit,
for he set to work and constructed, on
q small scale, as fine a place as one
could wish for. The town was laid out
in squares some what after the man.
ner of our Western states-that is In
sections, only considerably smaller.
The streets are wide with side walks
in proportion and fitted with system
of cutters and sewers that empty INTO
the sea, the refuge being carried away
by the rising of the tide. Tropical
shade trees were planted on each side
of the streets and gardens of palms
and tropical 1owrs were not forgotten.
Water was piped from small creek
mile distant and hydrants placed at
convenient intervals throughout the
town, making complete water sys-
TEN. Arond this paradise was con-
structed high wall with lookout
towers at the more exposed points.
The wall was loopholed at intervals
of every two or three feet and on top,
broken glass as cemented, with the
sharp edges pointing in all directions,
making II difficult and dangerous TO
climb. In a line half n mile from
town, were constructed three block
houses. one of which commands the
water supply, the other two acting as
! lookotits. Around one of tnem is
barbcd wire trocha, built by the Span
iards, perhaps as Il means of stopping
an advance Of the Americans, but as
1t happened, the town surrendered
without n shot being fired. No one
\ seems to know where this general Sc
cured the funds necessary to carry
on all this work, but 1t Is said that
Spaniard has a method of getting
| things, that no one else has When
| the authorities Mt home found that
/ fever and savages had failed to de-
stroy their man and that he had been
prosperous and was still prosperlng,
that Jolo was u paradise instead of Il
fever district they took charge and
held it until the arrival and occu-
patton by the 23d U. S. infantry on the
10Th day OF May, 1890. Sorry can |
learn what became Of this Spanish
general.
Although governed by military au-
thority, civil laws are used, so far as
citizens are concerned. Civil cases are
few. Once In great while raid Is
made on Il Chino opium den and an
occasional case OF disorderly conduct
among the same class of people. The
usual premium for an ordinary case is
straight fine of 15 pesos, which goes
toward the fund for keeping the streets
Il
paying a license of 5000 month, and
must close on Sunday. No liquor Is
allowed to be sold in any manner, other
than by the drink. Any saloon keeper
= selling It by the bottle being liable to
the loss Of his right 20 sell and to de-
poYtation from the islands.
The stores are generally kept by
Chinese and Hindoos, the goods com
ing mostly from Europe, with prices
that seems to correspond to the dis
tance. The ordinary show window
f n store In the states being as large
IS n whole store room here. The lar
;est store is not over 10 by 10 feet and
takes at least ten clerks to attend
20 customers. One good American
| lerk can do more than 20 Chinese ol
Indoo clerks. If you want to buy
| handkerchief It takes Just four clerks
| walt on you. one to get it. one tC
how it, one to tell you the price ant
he other to wrap II up. Clerks hire
ONES high in this place, the average
eing ten pesos or 50 gold a month
hats about as much us an ordinary
lerk at home spends for car fare in tn,
same length OF time.
That last sentence makes me think
that the last street ear or railway ca,
| saw was nearly six months ago II
San Francisco with II possibility of II
being five or six times as long befor,
4 see one again.
Respectfully yours,
A. G.. KECK,
| Co. Il, 23rd U. s. Infantry
L 40