Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-09
ONE SOLDIERS EXPERIENCE.
Is Enjoying Health and Comfort In

Is Enjoying Health and Comfort In
LuxOn.
The following Is an extract from letter
recently received in Washington from Lieu
tenant Fred McC. Smith, battalion adju-
tant of the 4Sth United States Infantry.
row stationed at San Emilio, Luzon, P. l.
The letter bears date of May 6:
II am back in the mountains twenty-five
miles east of Candon, which you will find
on the China sea. on the map, in the prov
ince Of Ilocos Sur. 1 have been here since
April %. Previous to that time, after my
departure from Duplas, was on the hike
with my company, and did little bus
mess, getting one insurrecto lieutenant
and six armed soldiers Major Rice is in
command of this particular territory. Like
the arctic explorers. 1 am slowly working
nv way north All the work / had done
at Duplas was left, Of course. for some
one else to enjoy-the quarters, kitchen,
mess hall, stable and out-house-but then
that's soldering. Just when you get set
tied you are generally unsettled, and this
think-this uncertainty OF things-rathef
lends charm to the existence.
San Emilio is a much better place than
Duplas. Formerly, in Spanish times, the
dons had troops stationed here. l found all
ready splendid quarters for my men, and
all | have had to build has been stable
and a closet. l am personally quaTereo
very comfortably indeed in an old stone
building, with great wide walls, which was
built for a school house and was after
ward used as quarters by the Spanish OIL
GERS There are two one-story buildings,
each about twenty feet wide and forty feet
long, whose two front windows face the
main street, the entrance to the two build
ings facing each other on the side and be-
ing connected by a dirt and stone balcony
or platform about fifteen feet square. This
is fenced in by ratings and approached by
seven wide stone steps from the street.
The building L am in has two rooms and a
hall. the floors and partitions being made
of great wide boards whose surface l have
hau my hired Igarotte shine with banana
palms or leaves so as to resemble mirror,
This morning l had my front room OILED
with kerosene so as to keep away the little
ants. The back is used by my
striker Tomas Gaedac by name. My
meals cooked in my company kitchen.
and / live, eat and sleep here in this front
room. But l an in nowise cramped, and
take plenty of exercise, being well
can be.
I'm the other building have established
a school. and five little Ilocano girls, two
Igarotte girls and about twenty-one little
Igarotte boys are now studying their les
sons out loud-all talking at once-for it is
about o'clock a-m May Z, and school has
been in progress an hour. Most of these
little rascals are nearly naked, their only
garment being the customary 1garotte
breech lout. There are two or three little
1locano boys who don't even have the
IL, a
little white coat open at the front. The,
are supplied by the government, through
me. with states and pencils, and lesson
books in English and Spanish, as well as
arithmeticS in the same languages. l have
for them also lots of pens. penholders and
ink, but they are not ready for these things
yet. and probably won't be for some
months to come. l taught school myself
few days, but now have an Uocano teacher
During recess these little Cigarettes all light
their pipes-for they begin to smoke when
about two years old: 1t is very funny.
There Is practically only one street In
this town, although houses are scattered
down along the sides of this hill, along the
crest of which the street runs. The build
ings nearly all face the street and run back
so that their rears are propped way up in
the air on stills. But 1t is quite a pic,
turesque little place, and is well kept Az
one end Of the street the mountain spreads
about two acres. and hereon is a neat little
park with green benches. The one mair
street burns cocoanut oil lamps at night
Last night there was a heavy downpour
OF rain, for the wet season is commencine
now. A beautiful valley nearly surrounds
San Emilio, on the opposite sides of which
from here rise great piles of mountains
which are covered with beautiful trees an0
in this valley, which is formed of foothiiIs
sloping down to a little stream of pure
mountain water at the bottom, are myriads
Of ricefields (some green), which rise like
steps, one above another, up and down the
sides Of the foothills. The valley stretches
away to the east between great chains of
mountains. 1t is never sultry here in the
day time, and good breeze away from the
sea blows almost constantly. The nights are
splendidly cool. Back of the town, toward
the sea- is the top of the hill on which the
town sits, and from there one can plainly
see the China sea and the many mountains
between here and there, with their foliage
and their pretty valleys between Were
this place in America it would be an ideal
summer resort. 1t is at least 1000 feet
above the level of the sea, and the Igarottes
have built very good roads leading in and
out of It,"
New Pbflad elnhia