Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-09-08

Ing about it for the past year and making
raids upon the people. During the insur-
rection against the Spaniards Aguinaldo
and his army burnt large part of the
town OF Macabebe, destroying the mag
nficcnt cathedral. a church covering TWO
or three acres of ground. They burnt macy
Of the houses and perpetrated all sorts or
outrages, so that today no Macabebe can
utter the name of Aguinaldo without
curse.
In coming to Macabebe / had to have
guards with me- / came from Manila to
Calumpit by train Here was one OF our
army posts and connected with it COM
pany OF Macabebe scouts. Lieut.. Cnad-
wick one of the commanders of the COM
pany. offered to go with me, and we took
two of the scouts an escort. The scouts
had guns and revolvers and we were each
armed with six shooters. We rode for six
miles down the Rio Grande river watching
the clumps of bamboos which we passed
very carefully for fear of an ambush. We
next go. dugout and had ourselves ferried
across the river. When we stepped on the
other side we were in Macabebe land.
| wish l could describe to you our ride
over the Macabebe plains to MacabeDe
town. The country is as fat as the Valley
of the Nile. We went through rice fields
where the green sprouts were shooting out
of the ground. We rode past vast planta-
lions of sugar cane, oceans OF pale green,
which rose and fell in billowy waves under
the fresh wind from the Zambales noun
tains. The road was lined with a very
arbor of bamboo. the feathery stalks rising
fifty and sixty feet above the ground and
whispering in the wind Now and then we
passed rows of beetle palms. slender silver
trunked trees topped with green punches OF
green nuts hanging down like fringe
where the leaves sprouted out twenty feet
from the ground.
We saw MANY houses Nearly all were
matched huts built upon poles not unlike
the homes of the Tagalos. Indeed, the
country and its surroundings are much the
same as those of other parts of LuZon.
There is a great difference, however, in
the people. In Tagalo land the men and
women are sullen. If they smile you can
see that the grin is a forced one and Their
treacherous. Here everything is OPEN
Every man, woman and child that We met
on the road waved his hand and said good
morning Even the babies had been
taught to lisp good morning., and we
often heard the words: "Americanos mucho
bueno' Every one seemed glad to see US
and all went out of their way to show il.
1t is the same in the town. The peopie
can't dc enough for US, and the experience
makes me long for the time when the Fill
pinos shall really know that the Americans
are their friends and we shall have con-
dition like this over the whole archipelago.
The Capital of the Macabebes.
Macabebe is the capital of Macabebe land.
1t is a town Of about 1000 people, made up
of hundreds of good-sized bamboo houses
with roofs of nipa palm. The houses are
built high upon poles. They are close to
the street, along wide roads, which meet
in a great plaza in the center. Upon this
plaza are an enormous church, temporary
structure which has been built upon the
ruins of the burnt cathedral; the bell tow
err which calls the people to prayers; the
quarters in which our soldiers are sta
toned for the protection or the town. ana
the bazaar or market, in which the most OF
the business of Macabebe is done.
The Public Gambling Hall.
But stop; l have forgotten one very i'm
portant part of the plaza. This is the bill
| lizard hall and the gambling room. These I'LL
| the best building of the whole square, and
| they are right in the center of the town.
! Like all Filpinos, the Macabebes are fond
| of games of chance. They will bet on any
] thing and at any time. The scouts, after
I fighting all day. will sit up half the night
and gamble. The children gamble. pitching
| centabos You see women playing cards
upon the street in front of their stores.
| Every other man has a game cock which
| he is willing to back against all corners,
and every day the gambling goes on In the
center of the plaza The stakes there are
| high, and l saw several hundred dollars
| change hands in one game one afternoon.
The greatest gambling of Macabebe town
| takes place Saturday night At this time
there immense tables put up In the
plaza, and every one comes out to take
| his part in the game. On one of the tables
| the different games of chance are played
| and on the other are dishes of salads, fish,
| meats. cakes. &c. The man who wins at GER
| tain of the games has a right to select any
one of the dishes on the eating table. He
| can take his home for Sunday, or. If
| he prefers. treat his friends the plaza.
/ The participation in the gambling is gen
| eral and all the officers of the municipality
| are present. The band plays and the peo-
pie come out and promenade up and down.
| How the Macabebes Do Business.
| ] have been much interested in watching
| how the girls shop in Macabebe town.
| There are no stores except the shed or
1 booths in the plaza. These sheds have
| bamboo floors and walls and roofs Of loose
| thatch. They form, in fact, great bazaar
4 of cells opening out upon the street, each
| of which is store. The merchants are
i all women and many Of them very pretty