Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1901-08-21
sEVENTFuL.
Period In the PiIip-
pines.
Teachers Arrive and Be-
gin to Instruct.
-
More Than 500 From
United States.
How Those 90 Spend
Their Honeymoons.
There Were 5000 Applicants
For Positions.

As in every city in the United States,
So in Akron, the phenomenal raid of
Cupid upon the hearts Of those 60
school teachers, en- route from the
states to spread knowledge among the
Filipinos, has been an interesting sub
ject for conversation, and at the same
time attracts attention to the work
these teachers are to do in the schools
of the Islands. The honeymoons Of
the teachers have necessarily been
| short that is, SO far as wedding
trips and fancy receptions are concern
ed.
These teachers on their arrival at
Manila were met at the boat by re-
preventative of the department and
conducted to the municipal school,
where rooms had been furnished with
bamboo cots, mosquito nets and bed
ding, with a few toilet articles, ard
there they camped down until instruc-
tions could be given each one and
transportation procured to take them
to their stations. In the meantime they
became acquainted with Manila and
attended to matters of accrued salary,
expense accounts, and personal pre-,
parations. For the several hundred
teachers due to arrive on the Thomas
n August, the exposition buildings in
Ermita, one of the best districts of
Manila, are being fitted up in better
shape. This lodging of the teachers is
necessary because of the crowded con-
dition and high prices of the
hotels and on account of the
Iimpossibility of securing lodging.
rooms in the city, owing to scarcity
of houses. The teachers have been as
signed and have now gone to their
stations. Their experiences during the
next few weeks will never be forgotte Il
by them. Multitudes of questions
We're asked of all connected with the
office in Manila, and soon they will
understand why definite answers could
not always be given.
To realize the peculiar difficulties in
educating the little Filipnos, it is nee
essary to sweep from the mind every
American idea of schools, of convey
ance, Of communication and of Ian
guage. Then imagine an area as long
as from Maine to Florida, as broad as
from Boston to Chicago. Over this
expanse are scattered $50 inhabited
islands, with over 1000 smaller ones.
There is but one railroad In the whole
archipelago, and that poor third rate
line from Manila to Dagupan, dis
tance as far as from Washington to
Philadelphia The remainder of the is
lands have no railroad, no public con-
veyance like stage coaches, no express
companies and very few wagon roads.
The great majority of travel is over
trails, which lead here and there from
village to village, often over steep
mountains and through large streams.
Communication between seaports can
be had by merchant vessels, which
, run very irregularly. From the sea-
, port to any interior town the travel
may be by boat OF canoe, if there be
Il river; possibly by carriage, but in
most cases on foot or horseback.
/ In February, March and May the
1000 or 5000 applications from teach.
ers were carefully considered, and
, some 800 We're appointed in the States.
[ On the Lawton and Sheridan arrived
the first of this small army. After
, the appointment and before the ar
rival of these teachers, all available
! information was secured through
teachers, military officers, and a two.
months personal tour of the islands
, by the general superintendent, and the
t distribution Of teachers decided upon
Great difficulty was found in assigning
the women teachers. No woman
teachers will be sent to ungarrisoned
towns, and only to such places as al
, ready have some American women
wives of officers or civilians. To a
few exceptionally good towns they
will be sent in two's. The great ad
vantage of having husband and wife
3 who are both trained teachers is
lkeenly realized. OF the 500 appointed