Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1900-07-10
would be too good for the ladrones.
Yours truly,
WALTER A. MEsTREzAT.
TAYABAs, p. I.
June 3, 1900

June 3, 1900.
Sunday in the Philippines is sort
of holiday. Everybody goes TO church
/ ia the morning after which they
spend the rest of the day in dealing
at the stores and cock fighting. This
is a much more brutal sport than it
is in the states. On each left spur is
fastened a little curved knife three
inches in length, quarter of an inch
wide and sharp as a razor Three or
four passes end the fight as by that
time one or both OF the birds are dead.
! 1t is seldom both of them come out
alive. All kinds of money changes
hands on the result
The soldiers of this regiment who
have been away for several days on a
hike are back without having had a
scrap. They did some good as they
released twenty-six spanish prisoners
and brought them in. 1t would do
you good to see how happy these pris-
oners are when set at liberty.
AS the war is over twelve officers of
this regiment made application to be
discharged from the service on &C
count of business reasons. All were
refused. There is captain worth
over million dollars and he would
rather fight than eat.
This country Is the home of the
lizard. We have first the little house
lizard about four inches long, it runs
over the walls and ceiling and lives on
flies and mosquitoes. 1t is harmless
and we never injure it, even when 1t
makes our flesh 'screep" as it runs over
us in bed. Another is about a foot
long, it never comes into the rooms
but runs up the outside of the house
and tears around in the garrett. IL is
after mice and the small lizard re-
! ferred to. Then there is the lizard
that lives in the fields and woods. /
have seen them from two to six feet
long.
/ have just read long article by a
scientist in which he says ants are
the great curse of civilization in the
Philippines. With a good moon glass
that man ought to see seventy or
eighty feet.
The ants are great scavengers and
nothing in the country works as hard.
Drop just little bit of meat on the
floor and in a few minutes it will be
moving off carried by an army of ants
so small they can hardly be seen. /
had an argument with wasp yester-
day and when I knocked it out it fell
on the floor where two ants were do
ing sentry duty They each walked
around it twice and then went off
and disappeared down crack in the
corner of the room. In about two
minutes they returned with enough
ants to drag the wasp off in rapid
time. There is a large red ant that
works in and around trees. / have
been much interested in watching
them for they make ropes and bridges
of themselves over which the rest of
the army passes. There is also very
large black ant that acts in the
capacity of undertakers. II bird
falls dead they go to work at once
with all their might to remove the
dirt from under the bird. When at
last it is below the level Of the ground
they cover it up. do not profess to
be a christian but certainly look
with awe and wonder on the works Of
the Creator.
We have many birds here of beau
: tiful plumage the most beautiful OF
which is the tyre bird. Our wren
, has first cousin here, it looks just
like it, but is little larger and sings
some OF the same notes as the wren.
There are many other beautiful sing
ers, two of which always wind up
/ their songs with notes exactly as they
occur in two well known musical
numbers.
We have plenty of morning glories
, just like those at home, and / have
, found a vine just like the Virginia
, creeper only two OF the five leaves are
split. One day | found real tea rose
, but have never since been able to
ever find the bush. Over near Pasay
there is a trench in which it is said
500 Filipinos are buried. Passing
there once about midnight | was sur
prised to find the air full of a delight
full fragrance. As / had never noticed
it in the day time made an investi-
CATION and found the great grave COW
cred with moon flowers about eight
inches in diameter. | was glad moth
er nature was SO kind to those poor
deluded mortals.
Yours truly,
WALTER A. MEsTREzAT.