Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-06-06
ED MORSE WRITES.
Lancaster Boy In the Philippine Islands
Tells Of New Life and Surroundings.
STATION. CAyIrr.

| arrived at Manila Tuesday morn
ing, the 10th, having come into the
harbor the morning Of the 18th and
Immediately took the Navy Launch
for Cayite and cot here Tuesday noon.
All the time since then | have spent
in getting room and place to
board. finally got room unfur
nished "a house, in fact, for Mr..
Thompson and myself for $35 % a
month Everything is reekoned in
Mexican money, which j. worth just
one-half Of what American money Is
worth. SO my room with nothing in
it costs me IS - a month / am
boarding at the Spanish restaurant
and thar costs $4,000 per month MeXi-
can without wine. l say without
wine" because all the clerks that board
there take wine with every meal and
pay s. 90 month more for that.
Don't worry about my taking any
thing Of that kind as intend 20 be a
cold water fellow. ! can get pretty
good lemonade at the Post Exchange
here and it Is the only place that |
can gel it. Their liz water is awful
and ] believe That il drank much of
that 1t would Kill me. Here n the
yards we have distilled water to drink
but ice is very scarce. although when
the ice plant is completed in Manila,
ice will be plentiful and cheap. l
have not written before as am pretty
sure from what am told that no ship
will leave tor the states before the
22nd and so 1 have taken my time.
All day Yesterday ! was in Manila
buying my furniture. | bought a
bamboo bed $4,000 steamer chair
($7.00) rattan chair (S6.00l,a dress
er $4,000, wash stand (S4.00). a
mirrow Isl 00l, Mexican, Of course,
and a mosquito net, two sheets a pill
low (stuHed with eotton), two pillow
slips and a sleeping mat. L took six
coolies Is carry all nv stuff ard Mr..
Thomp-on's down 10 the ferry and
we bad @ pay them $500 and it cost
S. Q 10 bring the stun over in the
boat Then | had to ret some more
men to carry it to my house. One
man took my bed on his head upside
down. hung a rattan chair ON each
end and laid the steamer chairs across
the bed and carried all those things
at once. Last night we slept in our
house for the first as that was the
first night that we had anything in IT,
Today or tomorrow we will try to get
muehache lb)y) to take care Of our
house and that vii cost from ten to
twenty dollars month We bought
tive gallons Of oil and | have gotten
my wash bowl, pitcher, cup, soap
dish, water monkey (Which is an
earthen water jug and the water
keeps cool in it if You hang it up in
drafD a lamp, aud the two of Us
bought a table We will have to get
a bath tub and a few things more and
we viii be settled until we can get a
chance TO ret better and cheaper
house. We got the only two empty
rooms in town. | viii ret out on my
furnishings for about 500 00-every-
thing in Mexican. Perhaps it will
cost 10000 | received my first suit
Of clothes from the Chinese tailor last
night and also my first shirt. Clothes
cost 5000 a suit and shirt $3.50.
Have ordered a suit OF Khaki next and
then will have some more duck clothes
made. etc. Got my white shoes this
morning. 1t takes a long time TO
get anything The boys here are fine
fellows, that is they have done every
thing possible for me to make me
comfortable.
John C. Munchen, whose relief
am, has treated me like brother so
far-took whole afternoon to help
hunt up a room, went to every place
in town where there was any show OF
getting one, helped me with my pur-
chases, watched out for me generally.
He is the chief clerk in our depart
ment and am to take his place.
have not done any work yet except
make out a few endorsements. and
probably shall not do anything before
next Monday.
have not been homeslck and am
not going to get that way. Got your
letters. written on the 18th 81 March,
yesterday. can tell Won that / am
glad 70 get them and hear from home
once more and learn that You we're all
well when it was written ] have
been feeling tine in spite of the heat
and have not mad the fever yet !
shall get that after being here a month
more or less. Everybody gets il
You must not be disappointed If
you do not hear hon me for month
sometime, al the mails Are irregular
and il Is sometime that long before