Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-08-16
TELLS OF ISLANDS
Letter From Ottumwan in the Phil
ippines.
WADE rRInBlE A VOLUNTEER
Relates Some of His Experiences in
the Far Away and Strange Parts of
Uncle Sans Domain-Sishts in Ma.
Mia City.

Miss Jessie Trimble is in receipt OF
a communication from her brother,
Wade H. Trimble, of the Thirty-fourth
Regiment, U. S. ", now in the Philip
pine Islands. Mr.. Trimble is a son of
Mr.. and Mrs. R. M. Trimble, residing
on West Second street. His letter,
tho brief, tells of many things of gen
eral interest. 1t is as follows:
MANILA, Philippine Islands, July g.,
1900.
SISTER Jessie: / received your let
ter about week ago and was glad to
hear from you, and that you had lots
of fun while out west. AS for me
have none; everything is about the
same over here. left San Isidro two
weeks ago today and came down here
on my way to the company, but it is
hard telling how long l will be here,
as there are no boats going to Laog
soon, at which place the company is
stationed. 1t seems as if there are
but few boats land there on account
of the water being so rough, but there
are boats going out every day or two
for places on this side and beyond
Laog, but none for there. 1t. takes
about Sc hours to get there on boat.
I'AAAAAAeI 40 Pesi SAy q VeiASo WV ~
embraces about six or eight square
blocks. 1t has wall around it four
teen feet high and ten feet wide, and
about every eight feet along the top
there is place left in the wall for a
large gun. The Americans have a
| few guns in these places, but not
many; 1 think about dozen. Manila
consists of all large buildings, built
| frpy,, mi o1y
| which they make from concrete, that
| this wall is built from this kind of
rock, and you can't tell anything about
where you are by the names of the
streets, as they are all Spanish names
| and the streets are from half a
block to two blocks wide; that is the
longest and they run all directions.
There is one building here they
call the palace, and that is where Cen
| eral Otis had his headquarters, the
same that General Macarthur has
now. Every building has bars in the
lower windows. When you first go in
there every place looks like a Jail;
every place in 1t and in fact the city
has been built for protection in time
of war. They must have known they
were going to have war all their lives,
and l think there will be war here for
the next fifty years. To look at it
anyone would think that it had been
built for a thousand years, as some
of the buildings are literally covered
with vines.
! The Twentieth regiment is stationed
inside the walled city, which place
they garrison. The Y. M. C. A. build
/, ing is about three blocks from the
walled city, at which place I am at
! present. They have all kinds of read
ing matter and tables and chairs, and
they furnish paper and envelopes.
They also have different games here
you can play. 1t is thus a very inter-
esting place and one can find a crowd
there most any time during the day.
There is bridge here called the
| bridge of Spain, which extends across
| the canal, which is cut thru from the
water works. The water works
are about five miles from here. The
Fourteenth regiment is stationed
there. The boats can come up the ca
nal as far as the bridge, but nothing
but small steamboats, can go under
! the bridge, as it is very low. There is
i fully as much of the town on the other
, side as there is on this. They are
mostly business places on that side,
such as saloons, and stores of differ
ent kinds.
"The rainy season is just setting in
now and it rains most every day. It
doesn't rain; it just comes down by
| the bucketfuls, and when it isn't rain
ing the sun is extremely hot. The
Ninth infantry left here last week for
China, and the Eighteenth Infantry
and the Fourth Cavalry have received
orders to go, and l heard that they
We're getting up five more volunteer
/ regiments in the state to send there.
! would like to go there myself, but
there isn't any show of the Thirty
fourth going.
"Your brother,
| HWade II Trim hle y