Evening star., 1901-04-23
IS "KING" OF DuPLAS.
Lieut.. Fred McC. Smiths Service il
Philippines.

u.
Philippines.
The parents of Lieutenant Fred McC.
Smith, United States volunteers, now on
duty in the Philippines, have just received
an interesting letter from him, dated Du-
plas. Union, Luzon, P. l., February IS last.
Lieut. Smith is Washington boy, and a
graduate Of the class Of 81, Washington
High School. After leaving school he at
tanned prominence in business here. En-
listing in one Of the volunteer regiments,
he soon earned a commission by personal
gallantry, his superior officers, in official
reports, speaking of him in the highest
terms of praise. His many friends here
have been watching his career closely. His
latest experience is interesting and is de-
scribed by him as follows:
Il am king of Duplas! Duplas is fifteen
miles east QnlanO from Namacpacan,
which, in turn, is eighteen miles north Of
San Fernando. You have to cross a noun
tain range to reach here from Mama cpa-
can. 1t is further inland than any other
post in the province of Union, and is
eighty-one feet above the level Of the sea.
being located in very pretty valley sur
rounded, except on the north, by noun
tains; Duplas is an 1garotte town or
'rancheria, containing about one hun
dred houses. 1t has a presidente and
vice presidente' and several 'policia' who
wear black 'see-more' coats and white
trousers. The balance of the male popu-
lation wear 'gee-strings' (made of the
bark of tree that grows hereabouts) and
little short pipes of bamboo in which they
smoke homemade cigars. Some have hats
The ladies of the town all wear strings of
beads. Most of them also wear a piece
Of cloth from the waist down that serves
as skirt. The little boys and girls wear
pleasant smiles. That's all! How would
the scene do for comic opera?
tTif1p tyup ,lyS
ago to look for insurrectos. Have 'hiked'
all over the surrounding country in the
meant1me-and that means eternal noun
tain climbing and descending, for there's g
little level land in the vicinity-all of it
being confined to narrow little valleys be-
tween high chains Of mountains. Every
valley is beautiful, however, and nearly
every one has Its lovely little stream Of
clear, cool, pure, sparkling mountain wa
ter. All of these streams run into creeks
which feed the Amburger river one of the
big rivers Of Luzon, which runs northwest
OF this town (within a mile, and in sight)
and empties into the China sea. through
it's four mouths, between Tagudin and
Bangar, two large towns, twenty and fif-
teen miles, respectively, a little west by
north Of here. Nearly all the trails over
the mountains in this part of the province
are impossible, as far as horses are con-
cerned.
Il am the only officer here, and have
Will me ninety-tive men. My Company 1
OF native Iocano scouts, fifty strong: six
I'd Cavalry men, attached to my company
for permanent duty (two of them from
Washington; thirty-eight men Of Com
pany A, 4Sth Infantry, and one man Of
Company F. 4Sth Infantry, who, although
colored man, speaks the Ilocana and Iga-
rotte languages about. as we'll as the ma
tives themselves do. also have with me
an Iocana surveyor, who is mapping the
country under my direction. Have also
forty Igarottes working on the trail over
the mountain toward San Francisco. which
is six miles from here toward Namacpacan
Just got back myself from a three days;
hike south Had about forty men with
me, and left all my property here under
charge Of a sergeant. We covered about
fifty miles and accomplished nothing Of i'm
portance, except to discover a new trail
and three Igarotte towns not previously
on any Of our American maps. We live on
the country to a certain extent on these
marches, it being impracticable to take
pack ponies or to load the men down with
rations | buy rice for the native soldiers,
and chickens at 'sepings Cor cents
Mexican) each, for the Americans. We
take along hard bread and coffee. we