Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1901-12-19
LETTER FROM
CAYITE, ?. |.
Ed Morse Writes Entertaininglu
From PARKWAY LuzOn.
DESCRIBES fl GRAND F6TE
Lancaster BOY Prosperous and iidDpu
Holding Down Position With Uncle
Sam the New Domain.

DEAR MOTHER AND THE REST;
We have been having three days of
Fiesta Saturday to Monday and / am
pretty well tired out They had all
kinds of bands and it was impossible
to get away from them. | don't see
how they could stand it, as they would
play by the hour, repeating a piece over
and over. | know that they played
longer at a stretch than | would have
cared to had | been in their place
There is this much however to say,
they have not the wind nor the strength
to fill their horns like an American
band could The music they play is
mostly of light character, good deal
like circus music. However, some
times they play operate selections that
are very good and well rendered. 1t
seemed to me that we were being
serenaded ali the time. One band
played a clarinet solo, one that | used
to hear Rob play and they played it
very well, or the clarinetist did The
Fiesta started early Saturday morning
so early that | did not get any sleep
that morning after five o'clock They
think it the proper thing to serenade
one at all kinds of improper hours.
There were bands here from all the
lar to our Fourth of July with a fair
thrown in. AS you already know, the
Filipinos are great people to gamble
and one OF our fellows counted -
chuckluck games at the San Rogue
gate. and that is STRAIGHT. There were
numerous booths much like the stands
they put up on fair days, etc. and
nearly all of them we're lotteries. where
a person could draw things varying in
value from 10 to ID cents Thereby
getting rich in short time). All our
men quit work at three o'clock on Sat
urday and did not work ON Monday at
all The Fiesta is supposed to last for
nine days, but these three days are the
principle ones. 1t is in honor of the
Patron Saints of Cavite. ] had
Manila paper that described the Fiesta
very we'll but somebody swiped it, or
] would send it home. Sunday was
the big day and the crowd was esti-
mated to be from 10 to II Thousand,
and yet more peaceable crowd never
saw-not one drunken Filipino and not
one fight When they get drunk they
call it "borracho' they stay in their
houses This one feature Is one that
cannot be duplicated in an American
crowd.
For sometime past there has been a
feeling of uneasiness as regards another
uprising, and every precaution was
taken to prevent anything of the kind
during the Fiesta There were sol
diers. marines. insular conStabuIary
and the regular police all through the
crowd and nothing happened. ] don't
Think they had any intention of doing
anything They are too wise TO do
anything attended with so much risk.
Not a Jacky was allowed ashore and
the Marines (outSide of the patrols
were kept pretty close to the barracks.
Boats were run from Manila every half
hour and brought hundreds and
thousands of natives. You must re
member that this was a religious festi-
val and on Sunday. Sunday evening
there was procession with the usual
accompaniment of candles everybody
had candle in their hands boys
swinging censors. and the Padres with
little boys holding up the tails of their
gowns. 1t was not SO large one as l
expected having seen larger ones be
fore. | came down to the office Mon
day yesterday worked a while and
went home before eleven. / went to
Manila in the afternoon to attend to
little business. Did not see anyone |
know as did not have time.
There were some very good boat
races Saturday afternoon. There were
several between different crews of the
warsbips. The sailors are all fine
looking fellows with great big shout /
ders and arms on them and great big
chests. The most closely contested /
races of the regatta were two between /
native bancas and they were the most +
interesting They do not row. but they
use paddles and naturally sit facing
the bow instead of the stern. They /
made the paddles fly. Six Of them
entered in the small banca race six 4
bancas with four men each, and they F
we're pretty closely punched at the /
finish.
As I was in Manila a. the afternoon. I.
a not get To see the bicycle race /
that took place on Monday. 4 large I
number entered for the race which was +
about seven miles. 1t was wRECKING 1
race from the word 90 and the wheels /
were all smashed up the fellows in the +
forefront being all smashed up and a