Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1901-06-06
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A LETTER FROM "
" THE PHILIPPINES.

MeNltO anu huurulll county. llt
was a member of Company i here
three years ago, volunteering to
help fight the Spaniards. Mr. Ell
wood is now in the Philippines
and writes the Montgomery City
Standard the following letter, I'M
der date of April I, 1901. The let.
ter will be read with no little in
terest:
Editor Standard. In answer to
an unknown correspondent from
your city, inquiring for informa-
ton regarding our possessions, |
take this means of enlightcning
him, as well as Il host of my school
fellows (God bless them!D, who
may desire to know something Of
the country.
This group of islands, known as
the Philippine Archipelago, cX-
tends from the Equator to about
the Goth degree north latitude;
east and west, about - degrees.
The total number amounts to about
900, and their area covers Il dis
lance of l,2OO miles north and
south, and $50 miles east and west
The nearest point to Hong Kong,
China, is about COO miles.
History records that Ferdinand
Magellan discovered the islands
about the year 1876, and they have
been held by Spain since that
time until our Uncle Sam appear
ed on the scene in 1898. Notwith
standing the fact that the islands
have been under Spanish control
for more than 300 years, very lit
tie has been done for the advance
ment of civilization. The capital
city, Manila, situated on the beau
tiful, land-locked bay Of that
name, was founded about the year
1888, and in 1890 the city was en-
closed by an immense stone wall,
with all of its essential cOncOmi-
tants-towcrs battlements, meats
and drawbridges. Very few chang.
es have been made since then, and
the old city exists today in all of
its primitive grandeur. Nowhere
in the world, | think, is there Of
fcrcd such an opportunity for the
study and comparison of the an
cient and modern means of defense
of cities. Manila is now divided
into two cities, known as the old,
or walled city, and the new city,
divided by the river Pasig. The
old city stands as it did 300 years
ago, while the new city is more on
the modern order, altho there is
much to be desired from an Amer
lean point of view.
There seems to be Il great deal
of ignorance in the States regard
ing the climate here. Practically,
there are only two seasonS-the
wet and the dry. The wet season
begins properly about the first of
June and ends in November. Dur
ing these months, ON account of
the excessive rainfall, the weather
is not extremely warm. From No
vcmber to April is the dry season
and practically no rain fall at all
during this period The sun is not
hot and the nj ghts are cool and
pleasant; III fact this is II delight
full season; the average tempera-
ture is rarely above - degrees.
The products are rice, sugar, to-
bacco, hemp and tropical fruits.
The grade of hemp grown is pro-
duccd in no other part of the world
and at harvest time farmers know
it is the best and highest priced,
In regard to the people; con-
slider this the most interesting top
IT,. Like our Indians ut home there
are many different tribes and dla-
lccts, but they are all MalayS and
differ very little in general appear
ance. They are small of stature,
the tallest hardly attaining to over
five feet, but they are straight and
well-muscled, with coal black hair
which grows luXuriantly on the
women, the men wearing theirs
short IA la pompadour. Pleasing of
address but very treacherous; hos
pitable in their homes but as NOR
dinate liars are surpassed only by
the Chinese. On Luzon which is
the largest island of the group, are
twenty-eight provinces and twenty
four different dialects are spoken,