Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-01-31

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT OUR
COLONIAL DEPENDENCIES.

The following letter, written by
Harry Tash, a graduate of Whitman
College, and now teaching school in
the Philippines, to DR.. NJ. Stiles. OF
Walla Walla, will be of interest to all.
1t is dated Maimao, Nov. ID:
You of course want to know some
thing of the country. Just shut your
eyes and think Of everything We have
in America; now We have the same
here except mosquitoes. Now think
of everything we haven't in America,
and you have it. This is as though
one had been transported to another
planet.
found nothing as I had expected
it. l had pictured wild, rocky
country, swarming with reptiles and
monkeys, inhabited by wild, savage,
people. also thought the war here
was over. All my ideas were wrong
immensely so. In the first place, the
country is not wild and barren. 1t is
beautiful, and you see spots as fertile
as you find anywhere. The people are
not savages. You find some very
cultured men and women, people who
have had college educations and who
are indeed intelligent. Social life
among such is refined and in many
ways corresponds to, our social lie At
home. The people are hospitable to
excess. When you are in the house
OF one of these people you are at home.
Everything and everybody is at your
service. They will receive no money
for any kind of service when in their
homes. They adhere strongly to the
Catholic faith. They are exceedingly
fond OF dancing. Sunday is their
dance day as Thursday is their day for
bathing. You may wonder at this
last expression, but 1t is fact that
on Thursday they spend all day bath
ing.
At first my school was very small
on Thursdays; have now persuaded
them that they can bathe rs we'll on
Saturday.
As to the snakes and reptiles, they
are very few. Monkeys are found only
in the mountains.
As to the war, it is not yet well
commenced. 1t is my opinion that it
viii! never end. They say they want
President the same as in the America.
They are fighting more to-day and
with more deadly effect than ever be-
fore.
As TO the openings for person here,
there are two, and only two. If l
we're doctor and had little money
to run little drug store in connection
with my doctoring, would surely
come here. There are advantages for
a good medical man which cannot be
found anywhere else in the world.
The other is government position.
The country has great resources, but
it will take millions to develop them.
Lumber sells at fabulous price. You
should see sawmill here; they have
them on every street corner. 1t con-
sists Of two naked "hombres'-a rude
sawmiil made by hand from rude
piece of steel with teeth fled in it,
and this is fastened in q rude frame
and large log one end of which is
fastened firmly to the ground and the
other is in the air. One man stands
above and the other below. This is
the sawmill Of the Philippine Islands.
On a mahogany log they sometims
saw all day for one board. Then
these boards being very rough, are
planed by hand with little jackplane
which carpenter at home would not
have for a gift.
The hemp business is the all inn
portant one. At present hemp is very
dear, and every possible means OF
conveyance of the same to market is
used. Carabou carts, little ponies,
which are not larger than dogs, and
even men and boys throng the road,
each heavily burdened with hemp. 1t
is even pitiful to see young man car
rying from 100 TO 200 pounds on his
head and shoulders.
A few years ago this province was
noted for its fine caribous. A little
more than year ago the plague killed
95 per cent. and all the cattle. At
present . plague is sweeping the horses
aud they die like flies. You see doz-
ems where they have died along the
road. Since the cultivation OF rice de-
pends entirely upon caribous at present
no rice is raised here. Thousands of
acres of fine level land lie overgrown
with tall grass with here and there q
fat caribou grazing.
The school system here is working
we'll 90 far as I know. Seeing the
wretched condition OF education when
we came and to hear the little fellows
read and sing now. you would not be-
lleve that such change could come
about in two months. Ii you should
pass my school some morning at 8
o'clock A. N. and hear a hundred lit.
tie voices singing America" you
would not belieye Won were in n savoya