The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-08-04
FIGHTING It OVER
Main Street Push Worked
Up Over
WHO FIRED THE FIRST SHOT
In the Philippine War--Neither
Side Convinced.


since the outbreak the Philippine war i:
being fought over again on North Main
street and unless the hostile words are
discontinued, the battle promises 10 equal
the real article.
North Main street is patriotic place,
and a few days ago the boarders and
drop-ins at one of the hotels brought Up
the question Of expansion, which natur-
ally drifted back to the Philippine war.
During the debate, which at times be-
came over-heated, little dried-up fellow
who was smoking the stub of a cigar
and who was perched on the back Of a
chair taking in the whole situation with
out saying word, jumped from the
chair and got in the middle of the little
group Of debaters. happy thought had
struck him with terrific force and he in
tended 10 spring a sensation
who fred the first shot " he shouted
almost at the top of his voice. WAS it
your Uncle Sam or was it the FilipinosT'
For q pair Of seconds there was silence,
and then some one with anti-imperialistic
views assumed that he knew all about it
and waded in to impress 1t very wildly
upon the minds OF the people that 1t was
the United States soldiers.
Nothing further was needed to create
the biggest argument ever participated in
by the North Main street push The war
was on again in dead earnest They
commenced at the first smell Of smoke,
when the Maine was destroyed, and fol-
uyaA fhvnT ra1,
Cuba, the battle Of Manila bay, the can
ned beef scandal and up to the present
time, and had it not been for the uncer-
tainty Of the thing the Boxer war would
have been brought into the discussion
This was eliminated On that occasion
Funston was pictured swimming the
Bag Bag with his sword in his mouth
the flag was set TO the tropical breezes
over Coloocan, the Filipnos were being
chased. through the swamps and Aguin-
aldo was nailed to the cross and burned
to death. All this and more came I'D in
the argument, and oratory flew in every
direction. There were two factions-the
expansionists and the anti-imperiaIists.
who fired the first shot?" was the
bomb-shell that was fired from a rapid
fire repeater And 1t consumed all the
time. Expansion and antl-imperialism
were dropped for the more interesting
discussion. This was the grave question.
WHO fired the first shot?" was repeated
over and over again. Expert testimony
was introduced on both sides. which were
about evenly divided, and Mauser rifle
loaded to the muzzle could not have put
stop to the discussion To back IN
their argument one side rumaged through
pile Of old newspapers and statistics to
prove that your Uncle Samuel" as he
heartily said, commenced the attack
Others knew better, and in less than
three minutes $40 100000 in Imaginary mon.
ey was put UP in bets.
The debate became so heated that one
CT the more enthusiastic rushed ont
Into the street and put the question to
the first person he met who fired the
hrst shot?' Not finding out he kent on
going down the street and a policeman
chased him three blocks, thinking he was
Insane
Inc discussion has extended four blocks
on Main street and has been on almost
week People have quit their work to
take part in the debate. Curb-stone
squads and salt-barrel and dry-goods
box warmers have taken it up and it is
beginning to be not stuff
The expansion crowd says the Filininos
fired the first shot. II know it" said
one of them, "for my boy who was in
company Of that fighting Twentieth.
was right thar at the time, and bv
George, he says it was the niggers."
But this is not satisfactory evidence
to the other side and they insist on know
ing the name of the Filipino who pulled
the frSt trigger, what kind Of a gun was
used and the size of the bore and pheth-
er or not it was a smooth bore. TIL.
s4o.OoOoo0 that was put UP as wagers will
remain in the hands Of the stake-bo1dar
until the gun that fired the first shot
Is produced In evidence.
The discussion broke out wifi, renau-a7
vigor in a hot tamale Joint on North
Main last night and it was warm enough
to burn the insulator off a telegram
pole The debate was brought TO the
Eagle ONCE for settlement, but decision
was deferred until after the Boxers get
through cutting and slashing.
The fight for rights has assumed spcb
great proportions that one Of the nartjci-
pants is said to have shouted in his
sleep the other night. in loud stentorian
tones, Who fired the first shot?"
Inc hrst shot was fired by the Filipino
Insurgents on the evening Of February
D. lss9' and the first cablegram from Cen
era Otis to the adjutant generals Office
al Washington on that date. said:
insurgents in large force opened at
tack on our outer lines at s:45 last even
Ing; renewed the attack several times
during the night; at o'clock this morn
Ing entire line engaged. all attacks "a
pulsed. AT daybreak advanced ar.i,st
the insurgents and have driven them h.
yond the lines they formerly occup,ed
capturing several villages and their de-
Tense works. Insurgents loss in 6aas
and wounded very large; our casualtias
mus far estimated al seventy-nve. very
few fatal"
The greatest skin specialist in Ama-ics
originated the formula for BANNER
sALNE- For all skin diseases. all cpts
or sores and for piles, its the most
healing medicine. c. Gehrinr 4ao :
Douglas; Geo. Van Werdsn. COS \. Main
Wichita Drug Co. 10 Z. Douglas: Gps
saur, 624 Z. Douglas
HOPES FOR END OF IT
Hili Ayres ANXIOUS for DuvsI-s ann
bell Natter 10 be Settled.