Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1901-04-02

Easter eggs they could have fried
them on the blazing irons of the rail
70 I'd track.
The trains running between Manila
and Malolos were in constant danger
of attacks from the Insurgents, who
were never far away from the railroad.
A number of American soldiers, armed
with rifles and with we'll fille1 ammu-
milton belts around their waists, were
always seen on these trains.
One of the amusing things which
came under the writer's observation
on Easter Sunday was the sight of
Chinaman who was in hot pursuit of
one of the trains pulling towards Ma
Mia. The..train was running just fast
enough so that the Chinaman, who
was putting forth every exertion, could
not gain yard on it. The poor c.
lestial was afraid that he might fall
into the hands of the insurgents and
had set his heart on reach ng the me-
tropolis, where he knew he would be
safe.
1t seemed that he had boarded the
train at Malolos and had attempted to
steal ride in one of the box cars. He
was thrown off at the next station by
one of the guards, but, believing that
it was matter of life and death with
him, he had desperately chung to the
train when it again had started. He
was once more thrown off, but sprin-
ted till he caught up again, only to be
pushed away with bayonet prods or
with the butts of muskets in the hands
of the unfeeling guards.
He wore nothing but a pair of loose
white trousers and a pigtail, and the
last named ornament swung to and fro,
and sometimes seemed to stand out
horizontally behind him as he contin-
ued his desperate race in the hot sun.
AS he ran by our camp in pursuit of
the coveted train he looked neither to
the right nor the left, for he believed
that every living thing within shooting
distance was an insurgent bent on TAX
ing his life. One of our boys fired off
a rife, and the "Chino," frightened
half to death, took a fresh squirt,
while the perspiration rolled in great
glistening beads down his muscular
brown back.
Fortunately forh him the train stopped
some minutes at the next station, en-
abling him to overtake it,. He leaped,
with the expression of a mailman on
his face, into one of the box cars, and
fell to the floor completely exhausted.
The guards allowed him to ride.
The people of the Philippine islands
are punctilious in their observance of
all religious olidays and sacred cere-
monies It is to be taken for gra nted,
therefore. that they observed Easter
Sunday with the usual formalities in
every. town and city where the Ameri-
cans had not disturbed their peace.
AS practically all the surplus earn
ings of the Filipinos had been alb.
sorbed by the religious orders during
the three hundred years prior to the
advent of the Americans, it was not
strange that the is ands could boast
of some of the most beautiful and ar
tistically decorated churches that could
be found anywhere.
Manila, the capital, has, of course,
some of the finest of these sacred edi-
fees. Ella Iglesia de San Sebastian, :"
or the San Sebastian church in Sam
paloc district, is one of the handsom-
est both in outward appearance and in
interior decorations thatanyone could
wish to see. It is built of steel and is
earlhquake-proof. The paintings, the
wood ca wings, the fresco work and
all the other decorations are superb.
The same can be said of the colossal
cathedral in the walled city, the church
Ut the Jesuits, and the numerous 9TH
er houses of religious worsh p in the
quaint oriental metropolis.
1t is the belief of many Americans
that the Filipinos are heather. 1t
may be interesting, therefore, to note
that the Filipinos entertain the same
opinion in regard to the Americans,
The writer, in talking with Filipino
ladies and gentlemen, returning from
services on holidays, has often been
asked in innocent good faith if the
Americans are no. Christians too. On
receiving an answer 10 the affirmative
they would reflect a minute, as if in
doubt, and then say: "Why is it then
that GU people do not attend church?'
From the breaking out of -hostil-
tiles up to Easter Sunday, 1899, the
Americans had captured about 80 cit
les and towns ranging in population
from 500 to 10000. In everyone of
these places the church was the larg-
est and most expensive structure. Not
fewer than 20 of these cities and towns
were burned. Soldiers as a rule are
not given to expressing sentimental
regrets, but manj could not refrain
from saying it was a pity that such
costly and magnifce Mt buildings,
which repre- sented so much toll and
sweat and self der ial, should be re-
duced to heaps of ashes and ruin.
Easter bOnnets? Yes, for the sake
of the feminine readers of the TRIBUNE
we will say word about the Easter
hat of the Philippine ladies. It can
not be described, because there isn't