The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1900-08-16
DESCRIPTIVE LETTER

George Thacker Tells of Some ofthe Hab.
!, Its Of the Natives OF the Philippines
The Products of the Country.-weap-
ons Used I'm Warfare, Etc.
| CAYAPO, p. l., June 10, 1900.
DEAR FATHER
Your letter at hand, but It had a hard
time getting here from regimental head
quarters, which is located twelve miles
distance. The rainy season has set in and
II has rained four days and nights with
scarcely an intermission and now it is
simply pouring. The boys had to swim
rivers and wade in mud and water up to
their waists to get here with the mail
yesterday, and today the roads are con-
sidered impossible, and it looks like it
would be some time before we can get in
Tor mail again. / was very much sur
prised to receive several letters regarding
my letter published in THE ISLANDER,
and will attempt to answer some of the
questions that have been asked me, but
it is difficult job, as am so far back I
can only write of what have seen N.Y.
self. Here, like other places, if you make
inquiry you can always hear several diff
ferent statements regarding the same
thing and do not care to write ANYTHING
| except what know to be the truth.
This place, Cayapo, where / have been
located for some time, is situated on the
edge of beautiful valley, some 200 miles
long, walled i'm on both sides by noun
tains. A railroad runs about half it's
LENGTH nyar which thu roOplo ch;v, thai.
produce to market at Manila. The chief
products of Luzon island are sugar cane,
rice, tobacco, sweet potatoes and garden
truck, such as tomatoes, radishes, etc.
Each town has several buyers, who buy
until they get sufficient quantity on
hand and then start bullcart train for the
nearest point on the rail road, from which
they ship to Manila. All this hauling is
done at night to avoid the heat of the day,
and it is not uncommon when we are out
scouting at night to run into a train of
fifty or sixty carts loaded with produce
call regular Old-fashiOned corn cutter,
that we made out of the blade of a scythe
or cradle; their knives look just like a
corn knife and are about the same length.
After cutting in this slow and old-fash-
Toned manner, the rice is bound by hand,
as such thing as binder or reaper or
mower is unknown in this country.
Their plows consist of one handle, which
runs straight through, to which they
fasten the water OK, or cariboo. Another
piece of wood runs down from this, to
which an iron point ten or twelve inches
long Is fastened. A brace then runs from
this point TO the main piece, and the pillow
most all their work, even for cutting
wood, of which they need but little, and
only for cooking. / have already written
you as to how their houses are construct
ed, except that / did not tell you that in
stead of nails and bolts they tie every
thing together with rattan and they are
very strong, nevertheless. The floors of
all the houses, except those of the very
wealthiest, are made of bamboo woven
together, while the dwellings of the rich
are floored with rosewood and mahogany.
The lumber is all whip-sawed with a
very crude looking saw and it requires
several days to saw enough for small
room. Their dwellings consist of only
two rooms, as general rule, one used as
Kitchen and dining room and the other
for general sleeping apartment. Their
beds are pieces of mating similar to those
woven by the Indians up there. | have
often wondered how the fair maidens of
San Juan would rest with nothing but a
rush mat between them and the hard
floor, instead of spring mattresses and
feather beds. The whole family, includ-
ing visitors, sleep in this family bed
room, and should a stranger come along
to whom they extended the hospitalities
of the night Il mat is simply laid Oh the
floor for him too. The cooking stove
and thcy have no use tor any other kind
is very simple affair. It is a piece OF
earthcnwara about two feet long by one
foot wide and ten ince5 deep; 1T has but
ono end and no top. When cooking they
burns up and around them. Their food
is rico and they know exactly how to
cook it. They first line the pot with
banana leaves, which prevents the rice
from burning, then mix cOcoanut with
the rice, which gives it delicious flavor.
They also eat c0nsiderable pork, but rice,
instead Of bread, is the staff of life. Very
few have chairs or tables, or want them,
and when eating, all sit in circle on the
floor, placing the pot OF rice in the center.
They all eat with their fingers, even the
upper class. The wealthy, however, have
chairs and tables, and if an Americana
happens in at meal time they will dig up
Knife, fork or spoon for the guest, but
they will eat with their fingers.
A few days since while scouting we
went into barriro, or town, and being
hungry asked for something to eat. The
Cabecia of the town took us up to where
they were having big wedding feast,
and we were greatly surprised when we
beheld long table, loaded down with the
good things of this country, and a bench
along each side to serve as seats. We
| were invited to be seated and you can bet
we did not hesitate to accept the invita-
ton. After being seated a bottle OF bino
IA similar drink to whisky and has the
same effect was passed among us and,
when the boys who drank had all they
wanted, gave us knives and forks and
we set to work with will. We had pork
cook ed in five different ways, and all the
time we were eating, native band, sta
toned just outside, played tor us. After
dinner they passed cigarettes ana
to say that some of the boys were quite
happy by the time we got away.
All the natives smOke-men, women
and children; you can see them smoking
anywhere and anytime, except at church:
Each one makes his own cigarettes and
cigars, and if you stop to talk they are
sure to offer you one or the other:
AS to the sugar industry. There are
quite number of crude sugar mills scat
! tered around. The cane is ground up,
and the Juice pressed out and boiled down
| into a very dark brown sugar, so black
and filthy that q white man can hardly
look at it without turning sick. 1t is then
made into great bell-shaped cakes fifteen
| to eighteen inches in diameter, when 1t is
ready to be shipped to market. They also
| make molasses, which has an acid taste
that do not like.
Strange as it may seem they have fine
roads all over the country during the dry
| season, but soon become quite impass-
able after the rainy season sets in. Uncle
/ Sam has now taken the matter in hand
| and in the course of year or two the
roads will be good the year round.
| The water oxen with which they DO
their teaming are worth on an average 80
pasos, or SIS American money, and their
horses $25 to $50 American money.
l al in Fri n.