The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1901-03-08
An Edgerton Volunteer Writes of His
Experience.
IRIGA, P. l., Nov. Esd 1900.

for comfort during the rainy season, but
has cooled wonderfully during the last
month, the nights especially; we can
sleep very comfortably under our army
blankets now. The mosquitoes left with
the warm nights SO we are having very
comfortable Sime at present. The small
amount of sickness during the rainy sea-
son was surprising. There were but
twelve deaths in the regiment, although
about half the men were sick more or
less of the time. | wasn't sick minute
during the time and have come to the
conclusion that [ am one of the lucky
ones, so far as health is concerned.
Some are talking Of reenlisting when
their term of service expires, but | think
| will come home and make a visit first,
then I'll see. You write that Arthur
Gleason will soon be home, but hardly
think he will be home any sooner than
will, unless he gets disability discharge.
[ don't know where his regiment is sta
toned at present, but some where around
Manila. | see by the paper they are
having number of men killed from am
bush, the same as the 18th. These two
regiments seem to be the only ones that
are having trouble now with the La
drOnes, We have one regiment Of in
surgents in our district but they are in
Albay province and seldom trouble us.
Two Offic- rs gave themselves up a short
time ago and are in town now enjoying
themselves. One lieutenant colonel
wants to head an expedition against the
insurgents and I think Col. Dorst will
give him his wish. [ don't know wheth-
er III go or not, but certainly hope SO.
There is an attraction about being shot
at that is hard to resist TO hear the
bullets cut the gras5 around you and
whistle pas your head, is a sensation
you can never forget. Ii we should stop
to think about getting hit, perhaps we
would turn and run, the same as they
do, but just as quick as the first rifle
cracks, every one is up and throwing
lead as fast as he can make his gun
work. L have never yet been in charge
for they always run before we could get
near them. They have excellent trenches
all over this country but they won't stay
in them and fight if we get nearer than
300 yards; and don't blame them bit,
they don't know what they are fighting
for; all they know about it is, if they kill
a soldier and get away they are consid-
cred good men. Their wages are two
dollars per month and furnish their own
clothes; that certainly is no incentive
towards making good fighters, and they
are not lighting for principle, because
they have none to fight for. My opin-
ion is, their officers tell them if they sur
render to the Americans they will be
shot or hanged, and the ignorant fools
don't know any better. Their officers
keep out of rifle range in fight and
steal everything they can lay their hands
on. When they have stolen fortune
they come in and surrender to the Amer
leans and nothing more is done with
them.
When the natives come to see and
know what the Americans really are,
this robbery and murder will cease.
People in the states call the soldiers
murderers and cut Threats. Ii they
would come over here and see what we
have to stand at the hands of these ban
ditti highwavman and mountain rob-
bers, think they would change their
opinion of us; but no, they will stay back
there out of danger, and snap, snarl and
whine about what they are too cowardly
to come to the front and see and know
for themselves. But why t+lk, history
tells us we had the same class of cop
perheads during the war of the rebellion
and suppose they are one of the evils
OF war. When these insurgents are cap
tured they are we'll treated and given a
couple of months in jail when they
would get not less than twenty years for
the same offense in the states We let
them out at the end Of their sentence
and nine times out of ten they are up to
some deviltry before they have been re-
leased tWnntV- fOnr hCurc Wa havo
captured some as many as five different
times since we have been on this part of
the island. They style themselves in
surrecto soldiers, but they are nothing
more than mob Of cut throats and rob
bers. Ha f the men in this town fought
us fer two mouths but as soon as they
saw they were defeated they stopped
and are now good citizens and good
friends. They all say we were misrep-
resented to them or they would never
have resisted us at all. These are the
insurgent soldiers and are as much enc
mics of the ladrones and robbers 1--WE call
them insurrectos) as we are ourselves
[ think [ have clearly demonstrated to
you that there is no instruction and no
rebellion against the rule Of the u. S., SO
| will leave the subject and talk of some
thing else.
This may not interest you but every
thing in these islands interest me; even
the smallest specimens of humanity
these little brown Philippine babies,
they look so cute toddling about the
streets; why, they walk when only six
months old, and they seem to require no
care, or at least get none; and as far as
clothing is concerned they require none
and get none until they are about six
years DID, In patroling the streets we
have to step carefully for fear of step
ping on the little things for they seem to
be everywhere.
In speaking of dress goods there is a
kind of cloth called pinya; there are
several grades of these goods, all hand
made, and some Of them quite expensive.
1t IS made from the fibre of the pine
apple and of course very rare. The
common dress of the natives is made of
hemp of different degrees of fneness.
The shirts made from hemp cost from
SOC to $500 and are the coolest things
possible. The holiday dress of the diff
ferent classes varies according to the
class. The poorer class wear hemp
clothing and straw hat, although Gus