Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-12-25
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~ Christmas John .,. >, &'''''
~~~ilt n1dnild. ~ nc harvey.

training and that our first Christmas
in the land, which we had come to
take away from its rightful owners,
was to pass away without an effort to
display our Americanism. But 1t was
not to be. About midday gladstone
shout rent the atmosphere in the vi
cinity of the San Miguel district,
which was followed by succession
of yells and cheers from good, sound
American lungs, from Tondo to Nal.
ate. The cause Of this sudden out.
burst was the excellent Christmas
dinner that had BEEN prepared for
every company, troop and battery in
the entire army corps, the cheers were
used as a means of showing their ap-
probation. II there is any one thing
that will make a soldier 'holler" for
Joy, 1t Is a good palatable meal. II
he thought another would follow he
would hang around and "holler" dur
ing all the time intervening between
meals. Such a dinner we had; just
think of turkey with cranberry sauce
and plum pudding. to say nothing Of
all the frills and tucks that usually
accompany such luxuries, served in a
tent in the land of sweet sunshine and
naked niggers, nine thousand miles
from home. One of the narrators
felt like 'hollering" for week after
this meal. In fact he wanted to die
while he had a good taste in his
mouth. And not only did those dain-
ties satisfy the appetite, but our men,
tai man was renewed and enlivened
and all hands were ready to make it
a real lively Christmas.
In this Montana took the initiative,
and the writer's feel secure in the
statement that the Calithumpian pro-
cession presented by that organiza
tion was the first ever beheld in the
streets of the Philippine metropolis.
The diary says: But Montana came
20 the rescue; glorious Montana!
Magnificent old state whose motto is
"Oro y Plata" did not your noble,
genius laden sons wake the echos of
this antiquated adobe town with a
gladsome shout that shook the scales
from these moss-grown. vine-covered
walls, when our own Marine Band
tearing off the dulcet strains of "The
Hot Time" tramped boldly through
the dusty streets followed in grotes
que parade by our Calithumpian
braves, costumed in every garb Illus
trative of the callings and occupa.
tions of the people of the state which
represents the brightest star on the
flag; and did not the wary, untotured
Filipino in wondering amazement
seek the highest places from which
to gaze upon these terrible men from
the Occident in fear and trembling,
etc.?
This parade started from the quar-.
ters of the First Battalion about two
o'clock p. m, with more than two
hundred men, representing every
thing from Chinese laundryman to
wild Indian. The band. too. was
costumed in as fantastic garb as the
body of the procession. The route Of
march lay along the principal streets
of the city and everywhere regimen
tai camp was reached a genuine ova-
tion was accorded us. Our near
neighbors and good friends of the
South Dakota regiment were visited
first and had prepared q generous sup
ply of beer which was not overlooked,
and from here until the march was
ended our ranks received constant ac-
cessions from other regiments until
thousands of -fun-loving soldiers fol.
lowed in our wake, yelling and cheer.
ing as II they had received orders to
depart from the breeding ground OF
malaria and Insurrectos. When the
Escolta was reached a scene of tumult
ensued which would be difficult to pic
ture. The bowling procession fright
ened many of the water buffalo, which
is the slowest animal known in his
normal state, but living electrical
body when excited. and these animals
stampeded in every direction, leaving
their Chinese drivers behind to listen
to the sympathetic? advice OF their
American friends. To the Filipinos
a diversion of this character seemed
to be something they could not com.
prehend. and as they gazed in aston.
ishment even their stoical natures
could not suppress the exclamation
"mucho malo,"
From this time until taps" sound
ed, 1t seemed more like Christmas
Even the natives appeared to have
absorbed some Of the American en-
thusiasm after seeing the "Montana
parade" and later some native bands
which we're composed largely OF
stringed instruments, appeared on the
streets. One Of these bands. which
used horns manufactured from joints
of bamboo of different sizes, visited
\ our quarters and rendered some really
creditable selections for such crude
instruments.
No restrictions were placed on the
soldiers during the day and at night