The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-01-17
LETTERS FROM MANILA.
David Carson, a Nsosho County Teacher,
Writes Interestingly to tho Times"
and Other Kansas Friends.
San NarcisSo. Dec. IL, 1901.
Zampale> Province,
Philippine Islands,

ZamDale> Province,
Philippine Islands,
CHANUTE TIMES:
Dear Sir:-Ir uas been more than
three III DnthS since | wrote you but l
have been All that time yettinR lu-
Gated au1 organizing The little brown
children ntU an American school.
reached this town September 16 and
have done business since Sept. Il.
San Marc sSO has a population OF
nearly 10000 and there are over 800
pupils of SchoDl age. The town Ia 10
cahed on he China sea 80 miles north
west of Manila. IL can be reached by
boat only in the dry season, as the
coast Is broadSide m to the sea and
the waves roll 10 40 feet high in the
typhOOn or rainy season. The town
is built mostly OF bamboo, though
there are many good hauses. l live
in house built Of timber that would
be worth hundreds of dollars in the
states. 1t is redwood, very hard and
desirable and as smooth AZ marble.
have pictures Of it aud other in er-
sstIng places in San NarcssO.
The tribe living here are IllOcanos,
and like all Philippines, they are
ing and bright. They are dirty, ig.
norant and very poor. Tney live on
fsh rice, grlsShoppecs, snakes and Il
dish called "busgOOn," the latter OF
Whlcl will start an American GA the
run whenever he comes in smelling
distance.
/ teach in ruined church with
bare brick walls. no floor, and benches
f., l. y, , I
was notified today by the municipal
authorities that | might select a
house and they would rent it for me
for school purposes | selected house
with five rooms and a nice playground
/ will begin work in it Monday, De
sember 16. have four native teach
ers and one American assistant,
though the latter is to be transferred,
and two girls, one from Boston and
enc from the Colorado University,
sent here in his place.
We teach by objects and pictures
mostly, and every morning l go to
school with pocket full of rocks,
sticks, leaves, etc. Tie school hours
are from to a. NJ. for native teach
ers, to II for the pupils and 2:30 to
4:30 p. m.
suppose my work has pleased the
Department for they have raised my
salary, beginning November draw
ell5 gold per mouth, or 1880 per year,
an increase OF $25 per month. | buy
my supplies at the civil commissary
in Manila and they are shipped free
OF charge, though l have to pay 20
per cent advance on United States
commissary prices, A small de-
tachment of cOlOred troops of the 25th
Infantry are garrisoned In this town
and whenever | leave it l carry A
salibre Colts pistol strapped on meas
it is not safe to go unarmed. San Fe-
lipe, the battalion headquarters, isl
only three miles from here, land l often
go there on foot. A river, fordable
only by bare-fOoted natives and army
wagons, lies between the two towns.
l have many IA laugh over our method
of crossing. Sometimes we give an
''hombre" two or three checkers (l4c)
to carry US over; sometimes we ride'a
caribou across, and once l pulled off
my shoes and with Low, that's my
comrade, perched on my back, l waded
across.
The little horses here are no larger
than American colts, and an Ameri-
can perched on one looks larger than
the horse.
/ made. a trip to Manila last week on
4 native boat, the Malicsi. She Is a
small affair and the waves were run
ming pretty high. The little old Ma