The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1900-01-26
By Chaplain 6. 6. Stull

: By Chaplain 6. 6. Stull
IS Of the First Montana Volunteers
This is the fourth Of a series Of inter
views by a Gazette representative with
Rev. g. g. Stull. late chaplain Of the
First Montana, and the pastor Of the
M. e. church III this city. The inter
views will cover all phases Of the Phil
ippine question and give u readers
accurate information as to the islands,
the natives and their customs. their
capability for self-government; the wa,
and its causes and the merits Of the
conflict; the c~apability Of General 9th
as a commander; impressions Of Ag'
uinaldo, the rebel chief, as cleaned
from a personal acquaintance BY Chap.
lain Stull. In short, tho interviews
will be an accurate history Of the Phil.
ippine war. i%nterspersed with interest.
ing "reminiscences Of the soldiers aud
the natives, and The Gazette considers
that ID is fortunate that Reverend
Stull has consented to publish, for the
first time, his experiences IN these col.
umns. The interviews nre published in
a conversational strain, the questions
Of the reporter being omitted IN order
that the narrative may not be discon.
nectad or lnarred. .
1.-The average soldier has no greater
delight in anything than IN roofing,
hence there were few points about ca.
vite but that were thoroughly investi.
gated. They could speak to you with
a greater degree of confidence than a
native about the best places for bathing.
or the most picturesque spots, or where
the greatest number Of ourios were dis
covered, the best position to take for
fishing and just precisely whit the In.
surgents were contemplating doing,
from actual observation Oh the field.
Bathing, at first. was rather a dangerous
luxury, for 1t was a notorious fact that
these southern waters are filed with a
species Of shark that would not hesitate
to run il on a ma and MAIN him II he
were ut a sufficient depth in the water.
Added to this, the stingaree would occn.
sionally give a boy an electric thrill
that would remain with him for some
little time. Again, the const was lined
with submerged boats where, having
sunk. they were allowed to remain. II
would seem to me to be a good PROPOSE.
ton for some bright fellow with a little
brains and boundless ambition to make
money to go over aud dredge this coast
for old iron and the various oommodi-
ties that might be discovered along Its
shores.
1--WE were permitted to enter the
shipyard between San Rogue and Sang
ley Point, where we saw an English
boat on the ways that looked exceed.
ingly tired. There could be no ques.
ton but that when Mr.. Dewey started
in to destroy the feet then III the. ha1.
Dor that he hit everything that was In
This vessel, high and dry, was
perforated fore and aft, and there were
a few small holes to be found in the
up among the clouds. OF
course the owner didn't do thing but
put in a healthy bill for damages, but
had become used to a little thing
like that and found enough men that
were aching to do some little work at
their old trade who went in. made q
better job than had originally been
done by the natives and turned the boat
to its English owners. A peculiar
hing about this shipyard to us was the
absence Of all steam machinery. All
The work that was accomplished was
lone by hand. The drawing of a boat
II large dimensions up on the ways
vas done BY rotary motion, inch BY
nch. Cinnamon sawed the hard lum-
,er with handsaws. and IL didn't mat.
er whether they were a day or a month
the job finished.
Passing beyond the shipyards we
anne to the solitary sentry box, that
warned the Spanish garrison Of the APP
roach Of any fleet. OF course, In these
lines, it WAS deserted. but occupying the
that 1t did OH an elevated piece
{ land, it was al easy thing to sweep
he coast from Corregidor almost to the
.aguna de Bay. 70 N u~nacquainted
With this Sangley Point there would be
aemingly nothing but u dense growth
( dank sea grass and the various ferns
nd palms characteristic OF this coun.
~. A vessel very innocently might
ONE within four hundred yards. antic.
no trouble, only to be opened
pom with one of the most deadly fires
1at might come from modern guns.
listing this v-shaped point we discov-
red walls possibly six feet thick ut tho
Up and twelve or fifteen feet thick at
10 bottom; behind these walls, powder
neutrality-suspicious. Of absolute safety
n the men, and two Of the most mod.
n guns known to military men. But.
b! What a wreck! Immediately Mr..
ewey had discovered that there was q
nall fnrt m Snn0lav point ha aant ma