The age-herald., 1900-11-12
LETTER FROM THE
 PARKWAY ISLANDS sb
Major Shields of 33rd Regiment
 Writes Interestingly
LIFE IN THE PHILIPPINES
Says it is a Wonderful Country and Will Prove Great Acquisition Something of the People
 and the War

The following letter, written by Maj. D. G. Shields of the Thirty-third Regiment, now on duty in the Philippines gives some very interesting information relative to the islands and the American soldiers stationed there. The letter was written to a friend in this city, who has kindly given The Age-Herald permission to publish it. It is as follows:
 "Vigan, Iloeos Sur, Luzon, P. l., August 1, 19O0.-My Dear Doctor: have been rem inicing some today and have thought of the many pleasant times we have had to- gether, of the fish we have caught, the lies you have told, and the drug store circle, with its odds and ends. Old Doctor Carleton and his Hardshellism; Jim Rice and his dogs Norman, Jim Hunton and Crazy George; Judge Abbott and your hon. ored self and your humble servant, with Meriddeth and his bad luck and anixety about the weather Christmas week and his doubt as to the sale of his togs. These are memories with merely pleasant recollec- ton without benefit. There is another side; and I remember the intellectual treats I have enjoyed in talking with your good wife, her sister and Miss Sallie. There are a thousand things that would interest you all, and as my time is limited I cannot write book, but will give you something of my observations, and will leave my personal experiences until return to Texas and have time to cut up few dry goods boxes, whittle down a telegraph pole while I regale my hearers with deeds of war, of heroism, and of those who, by the aid of newspapers, are great, but are small on the ground, for there are many such. l suppose you are shouting anathemas against Bryan and singing the praises of Mckinley and the administration. Nine- cent cotton, dollar-wheat and riding on the waves of prosperity created by that good ship, the Republican party Look out for ground-swells and typhoons in November.
 A Wonderful Country.
 Well, sir, this is d wonderful country. Though 1t has cost us some millions of dol- lars and precious blood, 1t will ultimately prove a great acquisition. Strategically 1t Is of great value, being the key to the Ori- ent and our great growing trade with Chi ma, India and Japan. Hong Kong is but three days, Singapore but six days It is mountainous country, beautiful as the mountains of Switzerland, with magnificent forests of pine and hardwoods. mahogany, strawberry, ebony and many other classes equally valuable Valleys splendidly wa tered rich as any soil in the world It supports ten million people, with forked ct pLC nln hn11 a1,, for rice mill and cariboos (white buffa- los) and ponies eight hands high, and wo- men with their loads upon their heads their transportation. Sugar is ground from the cane by two logs turned by a cariboo Tobacco, great crop. is raised in fields of one or two acres to fifty feet square, and some of it Is the finest in the world. Vege- tables grow well from October to May the other months are too wet There are oranges, lemons, lines, bread fruit, guava, thirty varieties of bananas, some of them most delicious; corn of a poor quality pine apples, beautiful eggplants, lettuce; but watermelons and canteloupes are indiffer- ent; cucumbers are fine
 '"rhe people are small generally, though there are some fine specimens. The Me- gritos. who were the aborigines are ex- ceedingly small, very black with straight black hair,- and perfectly formed. They are not over four and half feet high, active, wild, though not dangerous. There are but few of them left, perhaps not to exceed 2S 900 in all. These were almost destroyed at the time of the early Spanish conquest by the inroads of the Malay tribe. It is said there ,are 800 dialects spoken In these islands. The population are chiefly Malays, Chinese Japanese, Nigritos, Indians, ,Moors and Europeans. The people are born gam blers. Cock fighting Is the natural amuse- ment Every town has It's cockpit and Sun- day afternoon is the gala time. though at any hour in the day you can see the spozs
 Natives Are All Right.
 The natives are seemingly tractable and amenable to government. It is the mixed classes called "Mestizos" of the Chinese and Spanish that are troublesome. They are very susceptible to religion, being Sz- ceedingly superstitious. and are easily in-' fiuenced upon a profession of Christianity. Their education is poor, their methods crude and just what the Roman church has done in all the domination under the Spanish rule. AS in Mexico and Central America they have held their sway by holding their people in ignorance and <by superstition. The priests-natives-gam drink and fight chickens. Their feasts of Easter and the feasts of Holy Week, are illustrated with images; the whole tragedy Is pictured from the scene in Gethsemane to the resurrection. Judas is hung in ef- figy and then stoned. The old churchs are magnificent piles, crude but attractive. Convents, spacious and equipped in Ori- ental style The people wear but little clothing. The women have very pretty costumes; a skirt and a waist with full sleeves no stockings. They are as handy with their feet as with their hands. The ladies all smoke cigars twice the size we use. If they drop the 'siipe they never stoop to pick it up, but use their toes. The women carry the burdens on their heads. They have the power of balancing down fine They can walk with pint beer bot tie balanced on their heads and carry