Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-03
AUGUSTA LOCALS.
A 7O-MILE RIDE.
Former Augusta Poy's Exper-
fences in Panay.
Over the Mountains on the Back of a
Water Buffalo.
Interesting yAtvcnt Tres among People Who
Never Be'o.e Saw White Men.

school duties and l entered on it with
a trip of 20 miles on horseback,
rnariboa back, afOOt, etc, over this
island and I thought perhaps the read
ers of the Journal might like to know
something of what / saw on my trip,
so / take this method of giving short
account of my wanderings.
In the first place l was invited by
an army contractor by the name of
Huhnstock to go with him, and the en-
petition was to purchase beef for the
army. And right here l will say that
there are very few caribou or water
buffalo and cattle left on this island
owing to the ravages of the rinderpest
during the past year. The dying off
of their stock has not only taken
large part of the wealth Of the people,
but it has removed nearly all the
Graught animals so that the people
have been unable to till their land.
Thus their crops of rice and sugar cane
have been cut off. making them doubly
poor, for owing to the enormously in
creased value of the caribou on ac-
count of its scarcity only the more
wealthy can purchase them now. and
there can be little doubt but what
huhdrcds of people in this province
and in fact in this whole island are in
danger of starving. Formerly cattle
could have been obtained in album
dancc in any of these towns, but Ow-
ing to war ana the dread rinderpeSt it
10 now necessary to go sometimes far
INTO the mountains to find any cattle
ut all. 50 when Nh Huhnstock offered
me the chance to make the trip with
lin | accepted at once, knowing that I
would have Il guide not easily lost and
u man we'll known to the numerous
bands Of ladroncs on the island as
sure shot ard hest let alone.
So last Friday morning about 6
o'clock in Il DRILLING rain storm we set
out. he on an American horse / on
little native pony so small that my feet
almost reached the ground. We set
out not without a shade of uneasiness
III my part for not before for 10 years
had | been on horses back, ami
here we were starting for IgbaraS 20
miles away, but having as little idea
about whether that would b" the end
of our journey as the English have as
t. when the I;ocr war will be finished.
We each took a 3n-i0 KraC Carbinc and
a six shooter. as IiuhnStOCk said ''tn
avoid trouble" and it is a very pc
Guitar fact that all the natives along
the road will take off their hats to 4
man with Il gun. while his neighhor
without one need look for no such
respect. Without incident we reached
Guimbal some II miles away. / md
hoped to See the American teacher
there but he was in lloilo. Here we
resolved to change horses. so in ac-
CordanCc with the custom here We
simply sent out men to catch two good
ones and then sent one of them back
to the prceidentc to tell him ana or
der feed for our horses till our return.
We we're lucky in getting two good
horses Mine was especially good be
ing one of the best and strongest littl"
fellows | have seen on the island
With our fresh ponies we made lgbaraS
on the gallon where we went to the
"Convento" where two American and
81 few Filipino soldiers were quar-
tered, after ordering our horses cared
for and getting some sweet potato
cake. rice and water for ourselves we
went over to the house of the presi-
Gcnte.
The presidcntc was Il smooth, suave
fellow of about 40 years. talking good
Spanish His greeting to me was very
cordial when he found | was an
"Amcricano Maestro" We talked for
some time. He said there Were no cat
tie in the town as all had died. We
asked him about the health of the
place as we had noticed a large num-
her of men increasing the size of the
graveyard as we came by. He said
. h., 60, f,,lI
there That day q persons had died,
IN the little town of perhaps 1900, and
the daily death rate for a long time
had been from IL to %. He was hop
ing now that medicine had been sent
up the conditions might be improved.
But he said that the poverty was dis
tr ssing. many families formerly we'll
to do. having no food or clothing, for
this was one Of the towns burned by
the American troops. and the rebuilt
town consists of very small bamboo
shaclls all ovcrcrowded so the health
conditions must be very bad.
While we were talking the 16-year-
old son of the provincial treasurer
came in. He said that he had been
sent up there with medicine to dis
tribute. He had been over here in the
+ HltlDDlutS oIIN Il ana lie WAS
Mortified at the situation he found
there. Just before dark we walked
about the place with the prcsidente
VINO told us much about the conditions
there and in the surrounding town
and barrios. While we Were talking
noticed a man passing us, clad i'm a
gee string with his two baskets OF
rice balanced on the end of a pole
across his shoulders. 1 had of course
seen hundreds of similar sights. but
something or other in the mans ap-
pearance caused me to follow him with
my eyes. 1 suppose the presidente no.
ticed it. for he said. Now see tina,
man. he was wealthy year ago. and
would have felt insulted to have ha6
any one intimate that he would ever &c
about like that. but his stock is al
dead, the people are all sick, so he car
hire no one. and now he must gathe,
T, his 'palay' (rice) as best he can OF
starve." And this is common tai,
throughout the island.
That night we slept at the convento
Oh a bSnboo bed, and if anyone evei
ofserf ader of this bamboo bed
leftA II Ave Won no stones 4,