Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1902-10-29
The Cholera Situation in the Philip.
pines Hardly to be Realized
From the Dispatches.
THIRTY THOUSAND DEATHS
Sanitary Measures Are Entirely Neg
Ieeted and the Disease Has Spread
Over the Islands.
Great Falls l.eadcr.l

Parry l.. Sargent, formerly of the
Fort Shaw Indian school and we'll
known in Great Falls. writes from the
Philippines on the cholera situation
a letter which is startling To his
friends here. Mr., Sargent, together
with his wife and several ladies from
this city left for the Philippines two
years ago for the purpose Of entering
the government schools there. They
were engaged AZ Tarlac and the pres
ent letter is from there, having been
nearly two months in coming.
At the time when Mr., Sargent wrote
the conditions were something terri
bic and hardly to be realized from
the dispatches:
II believe that IL God ever makes
an example OF what he a do In the
way OF furnishing a people scparat"
| from others that he has chosen the
people OF the Philippine islands FOR a
severe example. For two years after
\ lIlf llNulIfiNibh blbh' ohN wy hAAl'
rice was raised and the people were
short Of food. After a few fields Of
rice were cultivated and farming be-
gan to the caraboo died OF
%rhinderpest and much loss was sus-
tanned. The season is unusually dry
and that will shorten the rice crop
and the worst affliction OF all is the
Asiatic cholera.
"Since March goth of this year
there have died OF the cholera up to
date, so far as recorded officially, ov-
er $1,000 people. Now multiply this
by two and you will have about the
exact number that nave died. the 9th
er 10000 deaths have not Deen record
eed because not reported. The natives
won't report the sickness or death by
| cholera because that means a church
funeral cannot be held and the con
facts will have to go in quarantine.
"The disregard Of the natives for
all sanitary rules and quarantine
caused the Americans 10 abolish the
pass system OF travel and Il row every
thing wide open to the hands of the
native kickers. The result has been
that the cholera has spread over all
the islands and we don't know where
to look for the end. Until the pass
system was abolished and all turned
over to the incompetent natives we
didn't have a ease Of cholera In this
province. Now only two or three
towns are free from the epidemic.
I'VE boil not only the water we
drink. but also the water for our face
and hands and bath and even after II
Is boiled we disinfect II. Why the
skin has peeled OF my hands a time
or two from the s of disinfectants
"Out at the detention camp here the
natives are alarmed and do not want
TO stay because they see a big dark
form of a man or devil walking about
at night trying to get them.
THE natives here in town have
printed crosses on all the doors OF the
houses TO keep the dark form from en-
tering. The same will be done at the
detention camp and those there in
quarantine will not be In danger.
when cholera breaks out In a
house they scatter among their neigh.
bors so as not TO be quarantined.
hence cholera infection Is quickly car.
ried around the neighborhood. When
one dies OF cholera In the house and
the American inspector gets hot on
the trail they take the body from
house to house and hide II so they can
bury 1t in the cemetery-thus again
infection spreads.
Many bodies are buried under the
houses. or In the timber close by or
thrown In the river. Under the above
conditions you are no doubt surprised
that not more than 10000 have died.