The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-10
FROM ISLAND OF LUzON
LETTER RECEIVED IN THIS CITY
FROM MRs LEyONA Il. NEwsoM.
She and Her Husband, Formerly
Teaching i'm the Philippines.

a letter dated Sept. . has been received
from Mrs. LevOna p. NewsOm, now in
Iuzon. p. T.. and who. with her husband,
Sydney Newsom. were formerly teachers
IN Manual Training High School here. Mr..
Newsom has now the appointment as SUI
perintendent of public instruction TO the
provinces Pangasinan. Tarlac and Fam
bales. Mrs. Newsom has been appointed to
a fine position at Linjayan, in LuzOn. The
following extract OF general interest 70 the
public is quoted from a personal letter writ
ten TO a friend at the Manual Training
High School:
w reached Manila June %. after a very
calm and pleasant voyage. a period Of
tWenty-eight days On the water Is q Won
derful experience, but still we were glad to
see Manila living in front of US one morn
ing about . O'Clock. Just across the bay is
historic Cavite, one OF the quaintest old
Spanish towns imaginable. But Manila is
that. too. and in the three weeks we spent
there we never tired of driving through the
narrow streets and seeing the delightful
mediaeval-lOoking houses and churches.
The church is "A thing OF much beauty all
over the islands and gives one a great re-
spect for the artistic tastes of the Spanish
friars. You probably know that the old
city or Manila IS surrounded by a huge
stone wall, built in 1870. 1t has the old mOat
and drawbridges, with the sentry boxes,
and made US feel as if re were living in the
middle ages. All this would not be so
EAldHSt " Olt nO mas AIdNtAEu dDIOdus Jul
10 US. fresh from the newness of America,
IL was very novel.
our home for the next three years is
Lingayen, at the northern terminus OF the
only railroad in the islands. 1t is 100 miles,
or tnereabOuts. from Manila and is the cap
ttal OF a very rich province. Its population
IS about 1900; its location is beautiful,
having the mountains on one side and the
ocean on the other. 1t was built by the
Spaniards as a health resort and has an
unusual number Of good houses and build
fngs. "A very pretty plaza in the center and
q church more than 200 years old, which is
a continual delight 10 the eye. Ii has a
great Moorish tower, vine-covered with
moss, ferns and Iichens. Against the duh
blues and whites of the main building this
forms a beautiful color scheme. We have
which is much more comfortable than peo-
pie at home can imagine, l suspect
CONSTRUCTION OF DWELLINGS.
a the houses here are built with a
lower story Of stone. intended for store
rooms; the upper of wood, is designed for
occupancy. This is a country of hard
woods and we have mahogany floors, which
are beautiful. All the rooms can be thrown
together and the four sides of the house are
in reality sliding windows, so the whole can
be opened. The houses are all built OIL the
street. with large side yards. surrounded by
stone walls-ours is eight feet high. In this
yard are lime and banana trees bearing
fruit and many Towering shrubs. among
them several fine ~oleanders. Fruit is very
excellent and very cheap also. Bananas, 5
cents for a dozen and a half; ~cocOanuts, 1
10 2 cents apiece; pineapples, 5 cents. now
that they are out Of season, but in season,
/ cent. We have two servants, both Fill
pine men, a cook and a house boy, who are
very faithful and good servants. who ex-
pect to Go everything and make them
selves generally useful.
THE native teachers know considerable
English. All can read it, and some speak
very well. The older pupils in the schools
have made some progress in the language,
but the younger ones are beginning at the
very first. They are, for the most part.
bright and interesting. The upper classes
here are what they call mestfzos'-that is,
half Spanish or Chinese; these people are
light in complexion and are very refined
Filipino. lazy and shiftless. but still they
are Maiays and really have quick minds.
All are very clever personally. and We have
no dirty children in the school. The school
house throughout the islands is usually a
bamboo building, but we are fortunate
enough here TO get a Spanish college, which
Is an excellent structure, with tile floors
and large rooms.
we have been very agreeabIy surprised
in the climate. Here in Lingayen especially
IL is very pleasant. The sun is very hot at
noon. but our house is always cool. and the
mornings and evenings are delightful We
have a fine ocean breeze all the time, as
the house Is situated between the ocean
proper and an arm OF the bay. Every night
we sleep under a blanket. We have heard
what a hot summer you had at home and
we pitied you. odd as It may seem for one
I'm the tropics to be commiserating those
living in a temperate zone. We have never
had an hours sickness. although we have
been here three months and have been very
busy. Mr.. NewSOm and his secretary have
Travelled over the three provinces in his de-
partment on a tour of inspection. The
Americans employed in the schools are.
most of them. excellent people, graduates
of Harvard. Yale, Wellesley. Smith and the
best schools in the United States"