The Weekly Tallahasseean., 1902-01-17
THANKSGIVING IN PHILIPPINES
Corporal Walker Writes of the Situa-
ton in the Islands:

| OO4P al WALKER Writes OF the SlCua-
| tion in the Islands:
San Francisco de Malabon, P. l.,
Dec. 1, 1901.-Weekly Tallahasseean:
fIhere is not much news here now.
Everything is very dull, especially
1slnce so many of the boys of this regi-
ment went home. There are only a
very few left, and consequently duty is
.pretty hard, but the rainy season has
about ended now and that is one great
'help to the soldiers doing duty in the
philippine Islands.
With the ending of the rainy season
will come some long dusty hikes, es-
peclally if the ladrones keep showing
up like they have for the last few
weeks, and good many think they
'Wlll be much worse after the natives
have finished gathering their palay (Or
rlce), and as it is about ready for cut
ting, we will not have long to wait to
see what they are going to do.
Several small bands of ladrOnes have
showed up around in different places of
LaVlte province. Lieut. Van Schaick.
sy1th a small detachment of Company
II, ran into a band of ladrones near
Nasugbu. The lieutenant was badly
cut with a bOlO, having his left arm
almost cut off. besides receiving sew
eral more small cuts. Private LaSall.
| Company H, was also slightly wounded.
| A detachment of Company B at In
daug had Skirmish with a band of
ladrOnes near that place, in which they
killed two, captured five, with two
rifles and several hOlOnc
We captured six ladrOnes here in
MalabOn few nights ago. They were
holding meeting in a small bamboo
shack over on one of the back streets
A native secret service man reported
it to Capt. Wolf. He took a detach-
QIent of our company and went down
and surrounded the house and captured
a good crowd of them, but turned all
loose except six that were identified as
ladrOneS by the secret service men here
| in Malabon.
General Bell has been put in COM
R1and Of this brigade, changing places
with General Sumner, and we are ex-
pecting another trip through the pro-
vince of Batangas, where the ladrOnes
seem to be the bOldest, and the worst
part of General Bells territory. They
captured a government meat wagon
the other day near Lipa, Batangas pro-
vince, killing two of the guards and
capturing two more with their horses,
rifles and ammunition. The guard were
members of the 9Th Infantry. 1t seems
as if BatangaS and La Guna provinces
are the worst part of Luzon Island
now. All the other provinces are very
quiet, except small bands of IadrOneS.
Well, Thanksgiving is past and we
WILL have to wait until Christmas for
another rest day and good dinner.
You must not think because we are
over here in the Philippines that we do
not have dinner once in awhile, even
if. we do have to slum pretty often for
dinner. Thanksgiving we had thirteen
f1Ge turkeys, with oyster dressing, and
cranberry sauce, green peas, sweet
peas, sweet corn, spinach, radishes,
mashed potatoes, gravy, pumpkin pie,
bcead, butter, coffee, oranges, bananas,
aud plenty of everything left over for
supper. So, you see, we are not SO far
out of the world that we cannot cele-
brfate Thanksgiving, even if a squad of
us did have to get up at II o'clock that
night and go out three miles through
thS rice fields to look for a ladrone that
Was reported to be out there, and which !
proved to be true. 1t only helped to |
digest our big dinner and supper.
9'he bOlO attack is still threatened |
here, and we are not allowed to leave [
quarters without having on our side |!
arms. 1t seems out of place to be go I
ing around here now with side arms, !
everything is SO quiet and peacable ap- /
patiently, for we did not carry our side !
arms when the fighting was so thick |
over here. But it is general order from |
division headquarters, and all troops /
in this division have to go by it, but t /
locked rather out of place last Sunday /
at church for every one to have on his
side arms, and even Chaplain Potter
had his revolver laying on the table
neasr where he was standing.
The chaplain has started up a place
herse in Malabon to take the place of
the canteen. In his place you can get
a cold drink, but it will not be stronger
than ginger ale. Lemonade, milk
shakes, ice cream, cakes, pies, cigars,
cigarettes, tobacco and stamps are also
sold. He also has a reading room
where you can go in and read the latest
papers and magazines while you eat a
plate of cream. On Sunday nothing is
sold, but the chaplain holds services
twice, at 1920 a. m. and z p. m. He
mas phonOgraph now and gives an eX-
hibitiOn two or three nights every il
week. His place seems to take all right
and to answer very well for a canteen.
Well, this is all. l will come again
when | have more time.
.CORP'L JEFF. M. WALKER
Company F, 4th Inf, U. S. Army, San
Francisco de MalabOn, CavIte Pro-
vince, Philippine Islands.