Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-03-28
CURTIS CHRONICLE
COSBY LETTER FROM THE
YOUNG LIEUTENANT.
HIKING AFTER LADRONEs
False Alarm in the Enenys Country
Insuraent Leader VINO Becomes
Prominent in Insuar PoIitics-Boys
in the Burial Corps Going Home"
Ride With Gen. Picketts Son.

dieter to Capt. c. \. Curtis OF Madison
from his SON.
Santa Rosa, P. L, Feb. 4.-The
Philippines are truly deHghlIul no"
The nights are very cool and L sleeI
under my blankets doubled and the
sentinels wear overcoats. In the earl!
morning the natives build fires by
which to warm themselves, for the!
never wear extra clothing and never
use bed covering thicker than cottoi
sheet or a straw mat. The nights be
inc chilly the dews are neaVy. III
snite of all that homesick soldiers
NAV say the Philippines are delightful
at this time of year and 1t would be
hard to find their equal. II the weather
would only remain like this always
would be willing to spend my days
here. But when the hot season
comes, with it's prickly heat and other
attendant ills and the wet season with
it's muggy air, lose my enthusiasm
But now we have continual June-a
little hot in the afternoon, if you &C
out in the sun. but cool enough under
a roof or on the verandas.
There is an unconventional way OF
life in the tropics which is pleasing
We are little hampered in the way OF
clothes. If you visit native gentle,
mana planter or commercial agent
he will receive you in his drawers
with his shirtr tails flowing over them
and appear no more embarrassed or
conscious of offending the rules of So
ciety and good breeding than when
dressed in the percale sack and trous-
ers you have been accustomed to see
him wear on the street. 1t is the
costumbre Of the upper class Filipino
to remove his pantaloons when he en-
tiers his house to remain while. And
even the American officer conforms to
usage and the demands of the climate
to the extent that. after he has per-
formed the duties of the morning, he
loafs around his quarters in pajamas
until afternoon begins to wane, when
he takes bath, resumes his khaki
and a peaceful frame of mind and
passes into the street.
An Elusive Ladrone.
| have been hiking all the afternoon,
looking for ladrones on the other side
Of the river. There is a certain Velan-
clio who has a gun and a pistol and
wanders around the country with an
evil companion or two holding up
wagons and carts in the road and
boats in the river. He robs men of
money, clothing, rice, chickens and
other things. We have called upon
the gentleman several times but SO far
he has always been not-at-home to us.
A boatman reported few days ago
that his craft had been held up on the
river and some money, rice and beer
taken, and today the captain ordered
me out with a mounted party to look
up the ladrones. Of course we were
unable to find them, although we
rolled up lot of mileage over the sur
rounding territory. We had along the
boatman and policeman who knows
Velancio. We examined many
hombres and recrossed the river below
the town and came back home through
a dense underground of unscoutable
country. At the entrance of town |
called at Velancio's house and his
mother repeated the stereotyped reply
tn nv inOuirV for hor son.
Not at home"
She had not seen her erring boy for
mucho tempo.
When l came out OF the house
found my men gazing with much
at an object under the house.
A corporal crawled under the floor
and brought out the strangest bird
ever saw. 1t appeared to be covered
with wool like that of sheep and had
a big round head resembling a cats.
Santiago said it was guagu. Further
along we saw some children pelting
another. l think | will send one home
as companion for your cats and dog.
When | reached my quarters l found
that during my absence | had become
the owner of a whole cage full of birds.
They had been presented to me as a
tesJlmolial of regard and esteem by
an hombre whom we had had for some
time prisoner in the calaboose.
did not put him in the calaboose,
neither did l set him free, and l had
at various times talked to him in a
threatening manner when so directed
by the captain, when we were inter
viewing him and l was acting as inter-
prefer Somebody had accused him
Of collecting contributions for the in
surrectos, but there was no positive
evidence of it and he was liberated. |
never believed him guilty. These
hombres tell tales about one another
out of spite and often do not know
what they are talking about We
work in the dark to a considerable ex-
tent.
A Night Alarm.
Feb. 6.-Saturday and Sunday we
made an expedition across the coun-
try and through the uplands at the
base OF the mountain range, starting
at 1889. We took twenty men tho