The times., 1901-06-03
70 TEACH THE FILIPINos.
A Thousand Instructors VIII Reach
Manila Next September.

General Bird, the head of the transpor-
tation branch of the Quartermaster's De-
partment of the Army, and the "admirat
of the army transport fleet, is at pres
ent preparing to flood the PHILIPPINES with
schoolteaehers, now that the work OF re-
moving the troops stationed In the archi-
pelago has been practically completed
One thousand teachers. male and female,
have been ordered to report to Prof At
klnson, Superintendent OF Schools at Ma
Mia, by September l, and General Bird
has been called upon to provide the
transportation.
That this is no easy task IS assured
by the head Of the transport service, who
attended 20 the movements of the troops
during the Spanish war, and handled
both railroads and steamships, besides
attending to the subsequent needs of the
service in the Philippines.
According TO the views of General Bird
it is chiIds play TO handle armies or
soldiers. when this is compared with the
| task of finding lower berths and civilian
! service for a thousand "schoolmarms'
| and pedagogues during a months voyage
| on the Pacific.
! The teachers have been recruited from
| forty colleges scattered all over the
| United States. About 700 are men, In
| order TO accommodate the crowd, General
| Bird has ordered the transport Sheridan
refitted, as he does not desire TO have a
/ lot of sick and disgusted teachers to turn
! over to the authorities at Manila. The
! big vessel Is having her lower decks rem
ovated and altered so as to ensure com
fort and privacy.
The cabins will be turned over to the
ladies and the men will have to pick out
! the best quarters among the hunks be-
| tween decks, which are ordinarily used
| by the troops. General Bird fears trou-
BILE and jealousy, as he cannot give every
body the best places.
on an ordinary voyage, with troops on
board, the task would be simple. as the
highest officer would get the best cabin,
the other officers would be allotted ac-
cording to rank, and the men would oc-
| cdpy the hunks.
While army transports are not fitted
up like ocean steamers the Sheridan will
| undergo a big change. The male teach
ers will have to toss pennies for lower
berths, but win be shown the same treat
ment afforded commissioned officers on
other voyages. They VIII have their meals
| served at long tables set between decks
and the food will be better than the ra-
tions usually served. The female teachers
will take their meals In the officers salon
where the accommodations are as Hne
as those of the ordinary transatlantic
liners.
After arrival at Manila, the teachers
will be assigned to school districts by
prof. Atkinson and will at once proceed
to train the young Filipino idea how u
shoot The birch Will replace the rifle
and with education free ii is believed that
a new condition of affairs can be brought
about.
The arrival of the Sheridan, which will
leave San Francisco about July Is, IS
being awaited eagerly by the hundreds OF
Young army officers and civilians located
al Manila The Importation of 800 Amer
ican girls into the archipelago promises
10 be a great event In the history of the
islands. ard 1t is promised that the army
| chaplafns now in the Philippines will
have their hands full tying matrimonial
knots. Only q very few of the female
| teachers are married, and the American
colony in Manila is awaiting the inevita-
bic result with interest.