Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1901-01-09
NEED
FOR CHINOS
MIR. Martin Thinks the China
men Should be Deeorted
From the Philippines.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR INVESTMENT
Says Instruction is Now Con,
fined to Rowing Bands of
Ladrones or Bandits.

LdorCneS or DdllqltSs
W. K. Martin, formerly well
known dentist oi Minneapolis, and
an old friend Of John NJ. VrOOman,
contributes the following Interesting
letter from his new location Ia the
fara way islands Of the Pacllic
My DEAR JoHN NJ. NRouMAS.-After
long waiting, thinking every now
and then "Well. must write to- my
old and esteemed friend, at last 1
begin In "a kind Of miscellaneous fash
ion 10 let you know oi my where
abouts, etc. have been in the Phil
ippine Islands IA little more than u
year, first landing Ia Manila, going
thence to Cebu. and, alter a short
struggle over lloilo, on the Island of
Panay, and afterwards a general
wandering about without much
method To various islands, finally
settling in Iloilo.
Cllmate.-The climate Of the Philip
pines Is described by some papers |
receive from the states NJ one Uf the
worst under the sun, but as far as |
can Judge from more than a years
residence find Ii one Oi the mildest.
Eveu in the rainy season, Instead ola
steady downpour, as IA great mnny
imagine, there is nothing VI the kind.
OF course, occasionally it does rain
and sometimes with vengeance
and afterwards clears up for days at
time. When 1t rains heavily. OF
course, IL tills all the mountain
streams, aud where the bridges have
been destroyed by the insurrectos 1t
is rather difficult 10 cross them.
Otherwise there is no Inconvenience.
c. 'tpluly one corlI a. ''s' ilner ur
healthier. climate, even iiit were made
to order. / am well aware that
many Of the soldier boys have had
some sickness, yet | attribute that In
a great measure TO their own foolish
ness in regard TO what they drink
and eat, which has nothing To do
with the climate. as you can readily
see; only here it will do 10 go into
excesses as one can In warmer
climate, and not feel the results, but
that Is the same in any warm, even
and damp climate.
The wAR.-There is no regular war
ON the islands at present; only the
insurrectos have separated them
selves into small ladrone (bandits)
bands, here today and there tomor-
row, levying taxes on the residents
ad libitum, especially In districts and
towns where there are no troops sta.
toned; and, OF course, II the inhabi.
tants cannot be protected all the
time by Uncle Sans troops the resi-
dents dare not refuse to give and
divide both money and provisions
with these robber bands, although
at heart they may not be In sym
pathy-as is often the case, To my
personal Acknowledgements the enemy
Yet there are a large number who are
most emphatlcally In insympathy with
them. Another thing, la my humble
opinion. would do morefor the peacs
of the islands than anything else, for
Instance: There are n lew Mestizus,
tF'ilipino-Spanlard hali-breeds) Span
iards and, am sorry to soy, some Oi
whittier skin, In all the centers and
towns who are bound to run the
show iipossiblc. They are the heads
OF the insurrcctiOn. They have their
private meetings and send money,
arms and ammunition to their Ia
drOne bandB-by smuggling the artl-
cles through the American lines by
good Filipinos and ChinOs. So, ~ !
have often remarked, II these rich
heads Of the insurrectos, who are well
known by the authorities rs such,
should be taken and deported 10
some place, such as Guam, for In
stance, lwherc they would have 10
earn their llyingl and cOniiscate their
property here, it would be only IA few
days before there would be- no more
lnsurrectlon in these islands.
TmEINHAmTANTs.-The Inhabitants
OF these islands aIe rather mixed
lot, ranging all through the different
shades from the black Negritos Ia the
mountain districts To the white Amer
lean, English, SpnnIard, German,
Swiss, etc.
The business, may say, is princi-
pally In the hands of n few Chinos,
English and German or Swiss firms.
There are many Chinos who make
much money as middlemen, and they
are all through the country-inevery
baria or town. The storekseper Is a