The Worthington advance., 1900-07-06
From the Philippines.
ARAFAT, Luzon, P. I.
Nav 4. 1900

From the philippines.
ARAFAT, Luzon, P. I.
May 4, 1900
Have just received your paper o.
March 18th and 23rd and was very
glad to get them, for in this place o.
exile whore we only get mail twice q
month and then six weeks old, the ar
rival of mail from home is perhaps
the most pleasant thing that occurs tc
relieve the monotony.
The mail for the company, usually
three or four armfuls, is brought from
h'dq'rs to the first sergeant's room
where it is separated and put in shape
for delivery. By the time it is ready,
usually from ten to thirty minutes af'
ter it is received, the company is lined
up in front of the door, all smiling
eager and expectant. Usually each
one gets something and then a hall
hour is spent in devouring it. First
come letters from home, then home
papers and finally the dailies. II
some one gets nothing he asks the
first sergeant to look again. "No
nothing for you," says Sergeant
Bonge and the disappointed soldier
drops his smile and goes to his bunk,
cussing Gen. Otis, Mckinley, the gov
ernment, the mail system, the mig
gers" aud about everything that he
sees or thinks of, finally wishing the
Philippines in a much warmer place
than they now are, tho it is surely
warm enough here.
We have been doing garrison duty
here since about Jan. 10th, and while
it is not as hard as hiking, we have no
snap. Besides guard duty, which
comes every third day, we escort
'bnll trains" of rations and clothing,
wagon trains carrying the same ma
terial, and officers from here to Cab.
tao, 20 mi les north, and to San Fe,
nando, 15 miles south. The company
also goes out on ten or fifteen mile
scout once a week. Bull-trains usual
ly go through about twice a week
One train of 172 carts went up about
a week ago. There are three com
panies here, e." g" and H." o1
the 22nd Infantry. Their normal
strength is 128 men to the company
but they are 80 thinned by Sickness
discharges, etc., that they will now
average sixty men only each for duty,
Our clothing, rations and equip.
ment are good. We wear khaki
clothing, tan shoes, leggins and cam
paign hats. The food generally con-
sists of potatoes, bacon, beans, canned
tomatoes, fresh bread, dried prunes,
peaches, apples, onions, canned sal
mon, canned corned beef, rice, rolled
oats, macaroni and coffee. Fresh
meat. mutton or beef, is issued ~
days in each 80. With the exception
of the potatoes, many of which are
worm eaten, the food is of the best
quality and no one has cause for COM
plant.
We are now getting the quarters in
shape for the rainy season which be-
gins next month. Since Dec. 18th il
has been very dry, and until about
March LIST it was quite cool but since
then it has been 50 hot that no ont
leaves the barracks unless it is neces
sary It is so hot that a tin boiler O
water set in the sun in the morning il
SO hot by 2 p. m. that one can barrel,
use it for washing.
| We are living upstairs in an oil
stone building, which is the propert,
of an insurrecto general. II is cool
larry and dry and we are quite com
Portable. Have been using bambo
hunks but the government will issu
Icanvass hunks this afternoon or to
morrow.
The insurrection seems to be owe
ror the time, but the insurgents AZ
VERY active in places and we expee
outbreaks during the rainy season
Although the great majority of th
natives seem friendly it is only b<
cause they are compelled to be. Th
American government is holding th
islands at the point of the bayone
There is at least company of sole
I iers in each town, no matter ho
small and some of the larger towr
outside of Manila have six or eigl
companies. There are three compa,
les here and this burg isn't as lare
As RushmoFe, an :amiiga" town.
fupderstand Otis has gone hon
and Gen. Macarthur ia now IN con
mand. Gen, Funston is said to be