Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-05-14
j. aBLISHED 1855
SOLDIER % 'E IN THE PHILIPPINES.
John N. Mortor e rmerly Of This Place. Writes Of
the : and Other Conditions
! DE ILoq, MINDoRA. P II

a ~ DE LOG, MINDORA. Il J..
CAMP, FEBRUARY 5, iag.l
EplroR ( 8 jsoR: Perhaps the CEN
soR reade 3 would be interested in
something finight write, so ] will give
You few items. During years SER
vice have been over a considerable por-
tion of central Luzon, the largest island;
have seen the great eastern emporium,
Manila and the fourth largest island,
Mindoro, I have crossed and recrossed,
have been entirely around it, and in
nearly every large town. have been
somewhat surprised at tse small amount
of rainfall here. In no month of the
past year has there been greater rainfall
than is often received in Wisconsin in
the month of April, and for the past
two months It has rained very little.
However, this has been an exceptionally
dry seas on so ] am told. OF course it
is hot here, but the nights, during this
part of the year are quite COO. Along
the coast and in the mountains the eli
mate is quite healthy. AZ The islands
are small and irregular and principally
mountainous the unhealthy districts
comprise bat a small area
The resources of the Philippines are
boundless. In only few years,
with railroads built irom the sea-
coast towns to those great forests of ma
hogany, that lumber can be placed on
the market Now, only trees growing
near some stream can be transported to
Manila, where they command high
prices, $3.50 to 5000 for single log being
but a moderate price. American cap
ital can easily increase the output of
rice ten-fold but II is gold, coal silver
aud diaulorGs that the Philippines are
beginning to offer as her most flattering
promises. lMzon is full of gold and
coal; Panay has it's diamonds; and If
recent reports are to 5e believed, Min
denao is far ahead OF the Klondike in
her deposits of the yellow metal Ex-
cepting Mindanao. Mindoro is, perhaps.
the least known of the islands / think |
have been in places on this island where
no white man ever set foot before, and
know it viii shine forth some day as
a great gold producing region. There
are deposits of both silver and coal here
also. On the island Of Masbate, Just
east of here a copper mine is now being
worked
Regarding the Filipinos, have little
TO say, Their houses are built of split
bamboo, thatched with cocoanut leaves.
Sometimes they consist merely of few
leaves heaned up gainst pole. A few
of the Filipinos are educated, can speak
Spanish, and follow the occupation of
ladrone The majority speak but very
little Spanish On Sunday they dress
mp in piece of mosquito bar and a
bright smile and 20 to church. Week
days they wear the same, minus the
mosquito bar. Children under twelve
years of age seldom even wear the smile
They live on rice with a cocoanut thrown
in now and then A Filipino pig re-
sembles an Arkansaw razor-back, only
more so They fatten them on cocoa
nuts. The dogs eat what the pigs leave;
and many of the Filipinos look as il
they ate after the dogs Their beast of
burden is the caribou, or water buffalo.
ii is grayish in color, somewhat larger
than an OK and shorter. They hitch to
a sort Of sled and good caribou, on
good roads with this conveyance, will
travel q mile in four hours.
Ny company has been in field ,.ryice
ever since we reached the islands. Up
in Luzon, we hiked after Cailles, and it
was 10 our battalion that he surrender
ed Ours was the first outfit to be
stationed on Mindoro, and we have
had plenty of hiking here. My company
has captured nearly two hundred rifles
since we have been here and the insur-
rection is Cov practically over. On
Nov. 9Th our company was stationed at
this place but most Of It was out on a
hike leaving only twenty men here.
While they were eating supper in the
mess hall, with their rifles in their quar-
ters fifty yards away, the niggers, one
hundred and fifty in number, slipped up
to within seventy-five yards and opened
fire A few of the boys made dash to
| their quarters. running the gauntlet of
bullets and escaping without scratch.
secured their rifles and put the niggers
TO flight killing nineteen Our loss was
one man-shot in the foot
Several American deserters have been
| captured on this island. Only one now
remains and he deserted from our own
company last June. He was second
lieutenant at last accounts, but is prob
, ably colonel by this time.
Yours truly,
JOHN N. MORTON.
Co r. Both Inf.