The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1900-03-27


aSeriss-Nativcs Dress as They Did
1000 Year AGo-A Failure of the Rice
Crop Would Cause Famine.
4" ENERAL JOSEPH WHEEL
l. ER, Of the United States
. Army, writes as follows to the
New York Sun from Santa
Rita, Philippine Islands:
l have now seen much of the coun-
try and the people in that part of Lu-
ION for about fifty miles north of Ma
Mia. In every town there is a mag
niGcent stone church and a convent or
monastery. The value of the church
and monastery of town seems TO be
equal in many cases TO the value of all
the other buildings in the town.
The sugar storehcuses are also ex-
pensively constructed buildings. They
have very thick stone walls and either
cradle space of ground; iome of them
have dimensions Of about sixty or sew
enty feet by 100 feet
There is n general impression that
the insurgent army is made up very
largely of people without property.
and that people who have property
desire the Americans 20 control so
that they can have protection aud feel
that their property is secured to them,
but ] find that there is also fear or
apprehension among some Of the
wealthy that if the Americans control
and give universal suffrage, the power
of the wealthy people would lie taken
away and their hold on property very
much impaired. ] think that il the
wealthy people could be assured that
they would be protected in their prop
crty rights by the United States it
would have very good effect
The friars and priests are charged
with all sorts OF expressions and mis-
demeanoTs, but it must be remem-
bered chat friars and priests are very
numerous, and in so large n body
there will be found every possible
phase Of character and disposition.
The religious orders are very rich.
They have been acquiring property
for nearly three centuries.
The statement / have seen that
seventy per Gems. Of tn - 1plo of Lu-
zon can read and write is n great mis-
take 1t may be true of Manila, but
it is not true of the rural districts, and
the percentage Of iiliteracy iii the other
islands is much greater than in Luzon.
The appearance, mode of life and
method OF performing work is to-day
very much like that described in the
Bible OF the beginning OF the Chris
tian era.
The people dress very much as they
did 2OOO years ago, the means Of
transportation by carts drawn by cara
boas is about the same, and their
methods of Smelling and cleaning rice
arc as primitive as possible and no
better than they were 2O0O years ago.
During the last few years sugar mills
and rice mills have been erected in
some Of the larger G ties, and this has
especially been th, case since the
building of the Man. aud Dagupan
Railroad, but in the aller cities and
towns rice is husked by pounding by
hand, and Is winnowed by throwing
it mp I'D thus separating tie chaf just
as in the earliest times.
Nearly everything can be grown,
but oranges aud bananas are not rs
good as in other localities, the reason
no dou being that they seem to give
them n Iltivation whatever. II they
were cd ivated believe they would
be as fine IS the products Of any other
country.
Z GTobacco is grown in tho valley Of
Cagayan, in the northeastern part Of
LUZon, which is said to be equal
to any tobacco in the world Tho
coffee grown IS said to be superior to
Mocha
Rice is the principal product, and a
failure of that crop will cause "a terri
bic famine, as the people depend al.
most entirely upon il for food. Sugar
is the principal crop for export. The
greatest amount exported in any ono
year was 2G1 G8l tons, which was in
1893.
Corn grows very rapidly and the
ears reach their full growth about sixty
days from the time Of planting. The
provinces which are especially spoken
of as productive OF corn or maize are
Niscaya, Isabella, South Camarines,
Pampanga, Pangcsinan, NucYa Ecija,
Bulocnu, Botuugas, Albay and ARRAY.
Wheat is grown i'm Bataugas and San
I5idro, Isabel and Ilocos Sur
There is q great abundance Of very
valuable timber in these islands aud
many varieties of beautiful hard
woods under native names, such rs
mahogany, black walnut aud ebony.
Gold, copper, coal, iron, sulphur,
lead, building stone, petroleum and
guauo are found
There arc many different tribes live
ing Iu these islands. tho only ones in