The National tribune., 1900-01-11

Whatever the cause. one does not have tc
wait for a microbe in order to get sea-Slck
and with proper care the result is remedla
and beneficial. If people inclined to con
sumption once become sea-Sck they are
said to lose the tuberculous tendency
so consumptivcs ought all to go to sea.
Every one on board was yaccinateC
to-day. the seven physicians making qulcR
work of the job; not that there is any danger
of smallpox, the purpose being to aVolc
quarantine. and obtain a quick clearance
at Honolulu.-R. C. KIRK.
| TRANSPORT SHERMAN, Dee. II, 1899.
| EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Among
the passengers on the Sherman is Mr.
| Office Department, who went out to the
| Philippines in June. 1898, with F.W. Naille,
Director of Posts. and assisted in locating
| the half-dozen poStoiiiceS already eStaD-
| liSled by our Government in those Islands.
/ Mr.. Kelly. who came home four months
ago for the purpose of visiting his friends,
is now returning to continue the same line
| OF work
Po5toliccs were established at all points
| occupied by our troops, including Manila,
Cavite. and San Fernando, on the Island
of Lrzon: 10 Ilo in Panay; Barcalog, in
| Negros; and Cebu, in the island of that
name. Mr. Kelly thinks that a new Office
will soon be added at Tarlac, in LuZon.
| In that case the one tSan Fernando may
be discontinued for the present; though
the policy of PoStmaSter-General Smith
is to enlarge the postal facilities as may
be found necessary, and it is likely that
one or more offices will be established before
much time elapses in each of the larger
islands. Towns on the railroad from
Manila to Dagupan, which formerly IN
cluded some % stations, will be likely to
receive early attention.
,fr-I 6INrII
ernor, among his multifarious offices,
which were about as numerous as those OF
"Poo-Bah," held the Office of Provincial
PostmaSter-Generala and Chief of the Tele-
graph Service Unfortunately, his inter
est in the establishment of lines of transit
of all sorts was too frequently limited to
the amount of personal revenue such
projects afforded. This was well illus
trated in the delays which arose in build
ing the railroad from Manila to Dagupan,
distance of 120 miles, first officially
projected in 1875 by a royal decree dated
Aug. 6 of that year, but which was not
fully completed till 1894. 1t was not the
cost or labor upon the roadbed, or upon
the 16 bridges which had to be constructed
that occaSioned such delay, so much as the
direct Intervention of the Spanish officials
making excuses for suSpending the work
until requisite tips" from contractors were
forthcoming.
The first Philippine railroad was Off
cially declared to he open to traffic on Nov.
23, 1892; but as passengers and goods
had to be ferried across the Calumplt River,
the road was not really completed till nearly
two Years later.
Telegraph lines did extend from Manila
to all principal towns in the island of LuZon;
Capiz and Ilo llo, in the Island of Panay,
were also connected, rs well rs the towns
of Cebu and Tuburan, in Cebu Island.
Such of these lines as have not already
been reopened will soon be at work again,
and others added.
There was a telegraph line from Manila
to Bolinos, the northernmost point of
ZambaleS. prior to 1880, and in that year
the Eastern Extension & Australasia
& China Telegraph Company, Limited"
completed a submarine cable from Hong
kong, effecting junction with this land
line to Manila.
Up to June, 1890, the Spanish Govern
ment paid for this service 81, 200 per month.
In April, 1898, this cable was detached
from Bolinos and extended POI miles to
Manila, making a direct marine line from
Hongkong to that city. In the following
month it will be remembered that this
cable was cut by order of Admiral Dewey,
and communications suspended from the
I'd of May until the 21stof August following.
Another submarine cable was laid by the
same company in 1897, connecting Manila
with land line in Panay extending to
Ilo Ilo and Tuburan, in the Island of
Cebu. This cable was also cut by order of
Admiral Dewey on May %, 1898, and for the
same reason that the main cable was
severed-to intercept the communications
of the Spanish army with Madrid, and pre-
vent the sending of false and deceptive
reports. Communications were reopened
after the preliminaries to
peace with Spain were signed, Aug. II,
1898.
1t is not impossible that system of
wireless telegraphy, like Marconi's, might
prove great value there as in Hawaii in