River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1900-05-03
From the Philippines.
Extracts from Rod Williams letters TO his
parents.

Romblon, p. L., Jan. 20, 1900--Near
here is a large mineral spring which
We find excellent for bathing. The
water runs out from the rocks at the
foot of a high cliff and is nearly as
wide as the Kinnickinnic. 1t is al
ways clear and clean.
This is the first place in which we
have been located where it was safe
for us to get outside the town without
carrying u guns, and | assure you
we enjoy it. We a chase all around
here, over the mountains and through
the woods to our hearts content and
need have no fear of being cut to
pieces, for the natives here are dead
stuck on us-and III money! We
only have to do one day fatigue
duty" during the week, and we drill a
half hour a day--Saturdays and Sun
days excepted. We are expected to
soldier here as we did in the States,
and the fellow who appears at guard
mount or dress parade with his shoes
unshined, buttons unpublished or a
spot of rust on his gun or bayonet, is
SURE of a guard-house sentence, and a
fine. Nearly half Of the company
have been fined or put in the guard
house, but l have escaped thus far,
aud think l can fool them for a while
yet. We do not expect to see any
more fighting, but / suppose if they
find themselves in a tight place they
will call out Co. G and put them in
the front, as they did before. We
have all our property here from Iloilo
now and have all been supplied with
new cots and as we have fine, large
quarters we have all the comforts Of
a home.
Please thank the Smith family, for
me, for the books, They are read by
every man in Co. @, and all agree that
"David Harum" is all right. Tell
Taggart l patched up those cigars
that were broken in transit and
when l smoked them it reminded
me of home.
We expect to start for the States
before the 1st of July, but Of course
we do not know anything definite
about it. This is the finest climate in
the world. During the day we can
run around dressed any old way, but
at night it is s. cool government
blankets are a comfort. Bananas are
scarce here but we get much fruit of
other kinds and get along all right on
that score. Romblon is nearer to
Manila than Ioilo and we get all our
supplies from the former place now
Jan. eff one lived over here a
few years he would forget what cold
weather is and snow would be such a
stranger to him he wouldn't recog-
nize it if he should see it. There
is no news here. We never hear a
word from Luzon or Panay except
what comes to us in a roundabout
way from home. We are just staying
here-that is all. Our duties are
very light. We have nothing to do
but GO on guard once in 8 days and
rest between times. We get pretty
we'll rested; have plenty of good things
to eat and are getting fat. / have
been nearly around this island and
have made a rare collection of beauti-
full sea shells. We are all getting |
anxious to go to one of the neighbor-
ing islands-Tablas, just west of US,
and a much larger island than this
and clean out the Kakiaks there,
where they say there are $50, we'll
armed. If we "a get near enough
to them it will not take lis long to
round them up. But l suppose they
are like all Kakiaks, better runners
than fighters.
We have some fine fruit here.
There is n kind that grows on quite
large tree and looks something like
a pineapple only it is a dark red in
color, and it tastes like a strawberry, |
1t is very nice. Some OF them grow
as large as a peck measure. 1t has no
English name and / would not like to
pit to write h native name.
The climate here Is the best we have
experienced. Fevers are almost I'M
on this island. / believe /
would like to stay here were it not so
far from civilization. We still hear
rumors that we are to be sent home
but we know nothing about 1t. II we
do not so back this spring we shall
stay here another year for the govern
ment will not send us back in the fall
Or winter. We would just as soon 90
home and yet II re were sent home
should probably be sent to Cuba or
Porto Rico and as far as climate is
concerned we had much better be
We dread the trip across the
pond for it is something worse than
chasing niggers, and yet it is a thing
We must do,