The Seattle Republican., 1901-01-25
PHILIPPINE
POSSESSIONS
Accurately Described by U.
S. Soldier.

| Os OO101C1s
Not So Bad as Has Been Pictured
Islands Capable ofBeing Highly
Developed Commercially, Indus
trially and Agriculturally::- . Gil
mate Even and Equable.
The following very interesting
communication concerning the Phil
ippine Islands has been sent to this
office by Mr.. E. T. Hogan, a corporal
in the Forty-eighth United States
infantry (cOlored, who was former
ly a bank messenger in Racine, Wis
consin. He has promised The Re
publican other letters along the same
line:
A long time will undoubtedly
elapse before the characters and re-
sources Of this archipelago will be
fully known. My own opportunities
for gathering information have been
excellent, As my regiment is
stretched to. cover the northern de-
partment of Luzon and each bat
talon has its headquarters subject
to order per telegraphic instructions.
| have been assisting the commits
sary officer in purchasing the fresh
beef. which necessitates my taking
extra trips to the different provinces
for the purchase Of same.
In the Island of Panay | spent
three weeks and two weeks in the
Isle de Negros, where | visited the
town of Iloilo, on Panay, and stud
led and examined the envirOns of
the town of Jolo and Visugbu Liam.
derived much information from
natives as to the localities | was un-
able to reach Invariably one Of
the first questions people ask about
!. the Philippines is about the climate.
When in San Francisco, Cal, pre-
vious to my embarkation, | learned
from various ex-soldiers and sojourn-
ers in the archipelago, many differ
ent opinions on this subject, which.
however, is not matter of opinion,
but of record. The climate of Man
lila is almost identical with that of
Kingston, Jamaica, 1t seems less
uncomfortable to most people than
July and August in Chicago, because
the climate is very equable one
There are no sudden changes ofear,
and you can and do dress habitually
in the lightest of underclothing,
wearing over it only a thin unlined
duck coat and trousers; and mas
much as the variations are very
moderate, one soon becomes accus-
toned to the warmth. The mean
temperature of the year 1900 was
about so degrees F.; the cool season
(present time) lasts from November
to March 1st. In the cool months
the rainfall is very small, only oc-
casional thunder showers. The hot
season includes March, April, May,
the last being the hottest month.
The hot season ends in June, with
the exception of the southwest mon
soon, and the beginning Of the rains,
which last till about November 1st.
July 31st to August 9th, 1900, it
rained with violence, which is
maintained in our showers for only
five or ten minutes The total rain
fall during the wet season is about
lS0 inches; of the dry, about 10
inches.
The chief food staple of the Fill
pinO is low-land rice, and the popu-
lation is densest in those half flooded
areas, where campaigning during the
wet season is extremely difficult.
speak thusly as it is from experience
On July 30th | left Balvean de Ia
Union with one corporal and eleven
privates to take rations up the river
by the aid Of cascoes (native boats)
rain set in on the evening of the
30th, about 8 p. M, and continued
day and night for 22S successive
hours. When I arrived at Tagudir
Ilocos Sur, my cargo was damaged tc
such an extent that a board of sur
vey was appointed at once, which re
lieved me of all liability. Ration.
that were in cans were the only art