Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1902-11-13
LUZON's ONLY RAILROAD.
It's Tramc During the War in the
PhiIippines-Much Freight and
Many Third-Clnss Passengers.

Many Third-Clnss Passengers.
This railroad, the only one in the is
lands. runs from Manila almost direct |
ly north to a small port on the ives
coast of the island, about 120miles' dis
tant, called Dagupan. For the most
part it runs through low and fertile
country, particularly where it skirts
the bay of Manila, as it does for about
40 miles. The rivers flow down from
the mountains and enter the bay
through deltas, and the roadbed is
succession of entertainments between
low-lying fields and stretches of water
with numerous bridges. 1t was along
this line, says a writer in the National
Tribune, and across these rivers and
swampy fields where the most severe
fighting occurred the next spring.
every bridge and river crossing being
defended by heavy Entertainments and
being carried by assault by the Amer
leans. The engineering problems in
the construction of the road were not
at all serious, but the amount of stone
culvert and iron bridge work was con-
siderable.
was told that Of 40 engineers en-
ployed on the work 80 died, but If 50
my own experience convinces me 1t was
because of ignorance and willful viola
ton of plain sanitary rules for health
IN the tropics. No Caucasian can work
all day in hot, tropical sun. nor can he
sleep on or near the ground in that
malarial atmosphere. and escape fever.
Day work was necessary in surveying
the line. because there is neither dawn
nor twilight in that latitude. yet work
in the middle of the day might have
been avoided. Generally speaking, no
American should go to the Philippines
with any expectation Of working as he
does in this country. for II he does so
he will never get back alive. lie must
keep out Of the sun in the middle Of the
dav. say. from ten until three o'clock.
As this cuts out large portion Of the
working day II follows that manual
labor in this country, in the open air at
least. must continue 10 be performed
by the natives or the Chinese. who
make far better laborers than do the
lazy and unambitious Tagals
The Caucasian must rest contented
10 superintend and keep well in the
shade most Of the time If he would re-
tain his health.
At this time the passenger traffic of
the road was fairly large. considering
the poverty-stricken condition of the
masses of the people, three long trains.
chiefly of third-claSs cars. running each
way daily. It's freight business CON
sisted chiefly Of the transportation ot
rice. sugar. coffee. tobacco and hemp,
though but little Of the latter was
grown within the territory served by
IT There is comparatively little out
ward movement of freight from the
city. since each district supplies itself
generally with its own food product
Of rice. fruit and fish. the three great
sfaples that constitute the bulk of the
native diet. Much Of this class OF
freight also reaches the city by boat
along the various waterways. Through
the district we were passing runs the
large river. the Rio Grande de Pam
ranga. with numerous branches. Other
streams also flow like it into Manila
bay.
In these streams swarm the bancos,
as the dugout canoes are called which
convey produce by way Of the bay to
Manila. Cascos, the large freight light
ers of the islands, also ply on the larger
streams and go quite a distance inland
on the Pampanga. All these reduce the
freight offerings of the railroad con-
siderably, combining it largely to the
products Of plantations and to districts
not drained by the rivers. The district
surrounding Manila for a distance OF
some ten miles is also tributary to the
CITY by other means Of conveyance
than the railroad. Heavy two-wheeled
carts. resembling the old-fashioned
dray Of this country. and drawn by the
| ploddinp carabaO, or water buffalo, &c
most Of the freighting, but little carts
called carromatos, drawn by ponies
also serve, while crowds Of women may
be seen on the roads at any time max
| ing their way toward the city with
baskets on their heads. the women be
ing the bread winners and commercial
directors of the lower classes.
So far as the eye could see the road
was bordered on either side by rice
fields, sugar plantations and banana
orchards, the tobacco district lying
still farther north. Along the bay
were numerous swamps and sloughs,
flooded at high tide, which were i'll
closed with mud or brick walls and
used as fish farms. Native towns were
as close together as towns along the
railroads in the United States, though
they did not represent nearly so
much wealth and business in pro-
portion to the population. A Filipino
town of 5000 people bears slight re-
semblance to an American town of the
same population, either in its construc-
ton or its industrial features. 1t is
composed of large stone church cost
ing almost as much as all the rest Of
the town combined, plaza and public
market, a number of buildings of &C.
ment basement and wooden upper
story, the lower portion used for stores
and the upper for residences, few
cement and wooden residences of the
better class, few combined cement
and bamboo residences. and a multi.