Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-03-13

Florida Blanca, January 81, 1900.
!. Charles Hall, Esq.-For some time !
have been contemplating writing you,
but my time for correspondence has
been rather limited, and besides there.
are so many friends to whom I would
like to write that it is hard to tell
where to stop.
Well, we have been on the island
since October %, and up to the pres
ent writing our mission has been an
extremely peaceful one We were first
sent to Angeles on November /, and
expected to take a prominent (?) part
in the advance from that place a few
days later, but we were disappointed.
We were left to garrison Angeles until
November Is, when the regiment was
split up and the different companies
We're sent to garrison small towns liz
that locality. Our work ever since has
been to establish civil government in
these places and to act as a large po-
| lice force. Each town has president,
corresponding to our mayor, council
composed OF representatives of the diff
ferent 'sbarrios'' (wards). All acts
passed upon by the council must be
approved by the military commandant
at each place, and / have had all I
| wanted to do to try and translate all
the papers sent to me for approval.
My knowledge of Spanish is limited,
but even if / were able to converse
fuently in that language, 1 would still
have my hands full. as very small
portion of the population is able. to
speak Spanish. In this province they
speak Pampangan, which is not in the
least like Spanish. 1t sounds more like
Chinese. My company was at a small
place called Santa Ana, from November
lis until the 10th inst, when we were
sent here.
There has been no garrison here and
so have the whole thing to do over
again.
|. We arc at the foot OF the Zambales
| the most desirable I have seen any
where on the island. The airsiss pure,
water plentiful and excellent and the
scenery beautiful. We nave the disad-.
vantage of being fifteen miles from
the railroad, but we notice this only
when We have ia tions, etc, to- haul.
out.
For transportation each company
has two carts and four water buffalos,
which are used by hitching them to
carts in tandem fashion. These animals
can draw heavy loads, but are slow,
and require water at least every two
hours. They don't drink much water,
but absorb it thru the skin. They never,
fail to lie down when you attempt to
cross stream, or even a mud hole in
the road. The people as a rule are
shrewd, and while they are not well
educated most of them are able to
read and write their own names. They
are very superstitious, and especially
regarding their religion. Much has
been written and said about the church
here, but it appears to me that people
have not had much else to hold them
together. They do not seem to be able
to comprehend what it means when we
tell them that they are expected to
elect their own civil officers. All males
are requested to take out certificate
of registration, for which they pay 10
cents American money. This is an old
Spanish custom, but with some slight
changes. In Spanish time Filipino
was requested to pay So and a China
man $40, and now it is hard to convince
i them that it is not a trick of some
II hiuO W lSouc tuGLI 81 Clcdp, duN dUONc
all to let the Cinnamon in on even
terms with them.
1 We are going to have the election
There on February $, and it will be a
red letter day sure. | would like to
have Colonel Phillips here to help me
on that day.
4 I have made several trips up into the
hills, and have captured few guns,
which the insurrectos hide in straw
stacks and such places, but have not
run run onto any sniggers" who o. cared 70
are now simply small bands of robbers
who won't fight for fear Of having their
\ guns captured. They hide in the moun-
tains and make nightly raids on the
lsmall barrios, keeping the inhabitants
in a constant state of fear. captured
fellow today who has been fugitive
/ from justice for about two years. Only