The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1901-06-05
WHAT JAMES |! ! SAW.

WHAT JA MES Saw
Some Of Tie sites Eli route from Guam to
Manila and Home.
ames S Beecher, WhoWent with
his brother, Lieut. Albert ~ Beech
lei to G naln, Ladrone Islands, Tor
the purpose Of carry ring on surveys
on that Island. and who has since
returned to this country has writ.
ten an exhaustive letter to his rela-
tives on what he saw along the
Philippine archipe lago, in Manila al !.
and elsewhere on the Island Of Luz
ION, as well as at Hong Kong and
other stopping places on the way to
the western shores Of the United
States
Speaking Of the trip through the
straits at the southern extremity Of
the island Of Luzon, the northern
most Island il the Philippine arch,
ipelago, and on which Manila IS
located. Mr.. Beecher writes:
For day and a half we were
passing through the archipelago,
often going so near shore that the
villages were plainly visible and
the lights on shore distinctly seen.
There are Army posts on nearly all
of the little islands, and where an
island has no post or garrison it's
coast is regularly patrolled by the
gun boats that Uncle Sam has
scattered over the seas down here.
The beat !" Of one Of these boats
happened to be near the course OF
the Brutus, on which boat we were
riding yesterday, SO we had q good
view Of her.
Certainly to look at from a dis
tance these islands are paradises.
All the islands are more or less
mountainous. and on Mindora we
saw the peak which is said to be
5000 feet in height. This " indora
| is a large island and vet practically
nothing is known Of it. Some Of
the islands appeared as one mass Of
green foliage. The trees appeared
lgT. =
| to be larger than those in Guam. 4
am told that there are forests OF ma
hogany, teak and other valuable
woods on these islands. In places
THE mountain slopes have been
cleared and little ranches and plan.
tations are worked. The water IN
side the islands was as smooth as 8
lake, butof course during certain
seasons Of the year these waters are
subiect to typhoons.
/ On April 18th, eight days after
arriving in Manila. and when James
and Lieut.. A N. Beecher learned
that they would be unable to get &C
commod ations on the army trans
port, bound for San Francisco, ane
they had concluded that they Woule
/ have to take liner from Hons
Kong, James wrote:
Capt. Merry and Bert. have
apartne at the Hotel Delmonict
and Gale Palacio and the rest 0
Jour party is at the Universal hotel
4 alittles down the street. They arr
both run by Spainiards. It's al
absolute necessity to speak Spanish
here. All the army officials ane
1 others who have been here am
length Of time speak the languag,
well enough to get along with cab
Imen, walters, shopmen, etc.
The army is everything dow
/ here. There are IS, 900 men ia til,
army il the Philippines, and Manil;
lis the headquarters of them all
i The streets are full Of army wagons
amb ulances, trucks and carts. Tn
city IS policed by the army, and il
4 this connection it might be said tina
1 that the present Manila police fore,
4 is considered to be one of the fines
lin the world. The streets ar
i CLEANED and sprinkled and ever
paved by tile army When 1T i
considered that Manila is a city Q
from 300, 900 to 400, 900 Inhabitants
i thatit has an enormous commerc,
4 ofI great wealth, and is not, in shor
1 the half heather sort Of q place tina
4 many people imagine II to be, on
may fancy what a proposition til,
army has to face here Some day.
! ago had occasion to 90 through