The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-02-02
TALKS ON THE
1. PHILIPPINES
Continued from Fourth Page.

There was another ferry that ran from
the opposite part OF the city, that was
a bird. Anyone who has seen II Of
the old fashioned side wheelors, that
ought to have been ont Of service a
sentury ago, can get some little idea
of what this ferry-boat looked like.
Aud then the crowd that was on it,,
and the goods they carried, would make
one willing to pay 80 cents to see the
show. either Of loading OF unloading.
1t would carry horses and caribou, a
wagon or a boat; 1t would be a good
receptacle for beer, whisky, native
wines, fruits, vegetables, meat, fish,
olohing, Cinnamon, Fipilinos, soldiers
and any old thing that could possibly
be crowded on it. It used to be a
source Of amusement to 60 down to the
wharf about the time this boat would
come in and see the frantic efforts Of
the passengers to get of with their
sibly get on the gang.plank. remem.
Der one sight such as this when a couple
Of natives were carrying a oarboy filled
with a solution of sulphuric acid. A
couple Of Cinnamon were in their way,
carrying between them a couple Of
saoks Of RIGA, and one or two native
women who had been doing their mar
keting over at Manila, with a couple Of
boxes Of fish and other commodities
on their heads, all got to the gang
plank at about the anne time, when
one Of the Cinnamon, stepping ON the
foot Of a Filipino, raised a roar, and
by some means the carbcy was dropped.
The bottle broke and the liquid be-
gan to spatter around OH the lower
deck. It Is needless to say that the
two sacks Of rice were spoiled and that
the clothing Of the Filipinos and China.
men were in like condition and the way
they got cut Of their clothes was a
cauntion. One Of the women, who
stood somewhat near, noticed that a
little Of the acid had gotten on her
dress aud that in walking she had rut
her foot into it. I don't know where
she would have stopped undressing, in
her frantic haste to get out Of her
clothes, If a soldier had not come up
to her and. selzing a bucket Of water.
threw it over her head, and choking her
SO that she could not proceed any furth.
or in her undressing. This wa only
one soldier, and the other half dozen,
entering into the hilarity Of the ocoas-
ion, picking up the fire buckets to, be
found all over this lower deck, began
to throw water Unfortunately over
people and goods. so that the sulphuric
acid would not do any further damage,
and surely bedlam broke loose. There
was Chinese. Tagalio, Bicol and Ameri-
can, on the part Of about an hundred
passengers, and 1t was the worst babel
Of noise that I had ever been permitted
to listen to. After the deck had been
washed. about one.half Of the things
that had been purchased ut Manila
were thrown overheard, being utterly
spoiled. The mes who bore their
losses with the least concern were the
Cinnamon, and after the excitement
had finished they simply took the rice
sacks that were burned and the rice
that wal seemingly spoiled and with
infinite patience, separated the good
from the bad, and went on their way
rejoicing.
lone other means Of conveyance
usually adopted by the soldiers was to
get into a large oasooe, put their COM
missary supplies into it and then, get.
ting behind some launch, be taken to
whatever place they desired to 90.
These oasooes were boats probably 40
or 30 feet long, and possibly 30 feet
wide, and from 10 to ~ feet deep.
The carrying capacity was enormous,
but they were easily handled by the
natives. were cheap as a means Of con.
veyanoe and were adopted whenever
practicable. In this way our commits.
sary stores were brought form the YES
that lay IN the harb Dor and put In
the large buildings used as storehouses.
The similar boats used for passenger
traffic were boats probably 20 feet long
and 3 or 4 feet wide. with pieces OF
bamboo tied OIL each side about six
feet from the boat, so that the boat
not upset. The oars were prim-
tive; a blade proabbly Q feet long.
with a circular contrivanoe at the end
not much larger than a small desert
Clate. Two or three natives would
handle these, and with the use Of a
sail, II the wind were in tho right di-
would make very good time in
going across the water. BY good time
mean that you might 60 a mile in
about an hour and a half, but one is to
that in this county. where
The heat is 80 intense, that the native
character had imbibed the necessity
IN all things of making haste slowly.
"The beasts Of burden are the China.
men, and yet, p%aradoxical an it may
'eem, they are the men who are max
INK the money in the Philippine
at the present time. You can
1919 them out at almost any time and
place. carrying immense loads. IM.
,gine, il you please, four Cinnamon