The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-06-12
Observation-Disclosures

The Philippine Islands are about
10000 miles from us-7,000 miles over
the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco.
Government transports usually re-
quire from twenty-six to thirty days
to make the voyage and the railroads
will take you to San Francisco in five
days. The islands are 600 miles south
east of the Chinese coast and directly
north of Australia.
Manila is 120 north of the equator
and our longest day is only IS hours;
the city is 1902 west Of Washington,
so when it is noon in Maryland it is
los in the morning at Manila; when
we see the sun setting in the west
here the Filipino is watching it rise
in the east, and when the flag on the
capitol in Washington goes down at
sunset the same starry banner is ris-
ing over the Governors palace at
Manila.
There are more than 1000 islands
but only 10 large ones in the Archi-
pelago. The area is about 114,000
square miles or as much as the area of
New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey
and Maryland. The population is
not so dense as in these states, being
estimated at 8,0O0,0O0 about as many
persons as in Pennsylvania, Mary
land and West Virginia.
The general character of the coun-
try is mountainous, though there are
many broad, level valleys, gently
sloping hillsides and almost level
plateaus; the valleys and some of the
hillsides are cultivated, the former
producing rice, tobacco and sugar
cane and the latter hemp, corn and
fruit. Much of the country is covered
with the finest hardwood trees, but
none of our forest or fruit trees grow
except varieties of pine and oak on
the highest mountains. Some of the
hilltops are covered with tall grass
and resemble our prairies.
The climate is always warm; we
never have frost and the trees are al
ways green; perpetual summer. There
are two seasons, wet and dry; rain
begins to fall in June and usually
ceases in November. During this
season we generally have a shower
every afternoon and sometimes a
storm with almost continuous rain
for a week. The air is moist and
when the sun shines through the
clouds it is very warm. December,
January and February are the cool
est months; then the air is dry, sky
clear, the middle of the day hot but
the nights are cool like the summer
nights here in the mountains and we
put on wooden coat and sleep under
a heavy blanket. March, April and
May are the hottest months. By this
time the sun has evaporated the
moisture of the soil, the ground is
baked and cracked, the rivers are al
most dry, the grass on plains and
fields is brown and dead, and the yer
tical rays of the sun come down with
wonderful power. Our climate, how
ever, is always modified by the sur
rounding water; we have breeze
from the ocean most of the day
Sometimes we have heavy wind and
rain storms, but rarely stronger winds
than here in Maryland.
Slight earthquake shocks occur
every year, but none have done seri
Gus damage since 1868, when many
houses were destroyed in Manila.
was standing before my class in schoo
one. day last summer when the fiool
seemed to be lifted up about foot OF
one side and then let down in about
five seconds. l did not realize unit
it was over that this was an earth
quake.
For tropical country the Philip
pine Islands have healthy climate
Natives and foreigners get malaria
fever, but this is not more serious
than colds or grip in America. Dur
ing residence Of three years l have
only been ''laid up' two weeks anG
never seriously i'll then. There was
much sickness in the army during the
war; the hospitals were full and thou
sands were sent home very ill, but
this high sick rate was caused chiefly
by the exposure of active campaigns
and by the bad habits of men them
selves. Most contagious diseases ar,
caused by dirty habits and unsani
tary surroundings. While many
Chinese and natives die every yea
of bubonic plague an American il
rarely attacked by it or by cholera
Many natives are marked by small
pox but l have known of very few
cases recently and the health condi
tions have much improved since tn,
Americans came. Natives usual,
keep their pigs under the house.
White people coming from colo
climate soon lose their rosy cheek
and get tinge of brown. Healthy
Americans may live there lifetime