Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1903-05-26
PHILIPPINE LETTER.
MA1AB4NG, MUND., P. |.
March 18. 1908.

side of the world. | really don't know
what success / will have in making the
letter of interest, as everything has
been very quiet here since | last wrote
you. No earthquakes or cyclones have
occurred aud the natives have made no
trouble of any account. The troops at
camp Wears, under command OF Capt.
Pershing, 10Th Cavalry. have made
several advances around Lake Lanao
and succeeded in destroying several
small forts and overcoming some OF the
lesser Datoes. The Sultan OF Baclod
is still very defiant and persists in send
ing letters to the American commander,
calling him and his men hogs who eat
hogS'' and expressing his desire to
fight He has force of about nine thou
sand men and a large, strong fort. well
defsnded No doubt when the United
States forces that are coming In from
the other side of the island, get the
wagon road completed and ammunition
supplies, etc., on hand, that the CON-
bined forces, assisted by the field artil-
lery, will soon bring him to terms.
The Moros, on the Island Of Jolo, ly-
ing south and west of here have, during
the last few days made an attack on
friendly natives, killing about forty of
them and one American. Four COM
panies of the 11th Infantry leave here
tomorrow for the city of Jolo, to assist
part of 18th Cavalry, stationed there,
in suppressing the uprising. Jolo is the
residence of the Sultan of Sulu, who is
the head Dato of the Moros. 1t is a
very pretty city, we'll built, with wide
paved streets, etc., and is surrounded
by thick stone wall 1t is one of the
finest posts in the islands. Our regi-
ment is getting ready to be relieved, all
unnecessary work is suspended and the
men given extra drills instead, so that
they will be able to make a good ap-
pearance when ordered to Manila. The
regiment has never been able to become
well drilled, as it is one of the last regi-
ments organized, and since coming to
the islands the time has been fully occu-
pied in other other things.
We will be relieved June by the
23rd Infantry, which leaves the states
in the latter part of April and will go to
Manila, staying there the remaining
portion of our time in the Islands.
While the actual duty there will not be
as hard as the field duty here, the days
will be well filled up with drills, dress
parades, concerts, etc. The change will
prove very agreeable to us after over a
year uutJ Oh ILt lluC. HC ~clO
try was stationed here during 1899 and
1900 and will see many changes upon
their return. Malabang has changed
from pretty native village to a very
pleasant post, with barracks for six
companies, officers houses and ice
plant, several American stores, many
large buildings for storing supplies, all
laid out with walks and planted with
rows of shade palms. 1t is the most
| important post in the southern islands.
| think in one of my previous letters
mentioned the abundance otfrults, ETC.,
also bugs and lizards. As we very sell
dom go to sea, fishing, | cannot tel
you fish stories, so will tell you a snake
story. When we landed here no one
saw any snakes, bat the natives kept
telling of "mucha graude'' snakes W
in the mountains. We went up in the
| mountains and still saw no snakes ex-
cept few little ones. At last one was
killed by men who were working on the
road that measured about ten feet long
and about as large as a mans wrist,
We thought that was doing pretty well
unit le night in January, when civ.
| III who runs the post exchange,
h. d racket in his hen house. He
investigated, and finding nothing went
back to his house. The chickens, how
ever, kept up racket, so he took Ian
tern and investigated the second time
and upon looking up over his head he
saw a large snake lying on the roosts
He (the man) promptly vamoosed and
getting some help, proceeded to make
war on the snake. After.a hard hight
they killed it and upon measuring the
snake, found it to be fourteen feet five
inches long and fifteen inches in circum
ference. 1t had swallowed three of the
hens and was still looking for more
Well, that we thought, was getting
quite large, butlhe next night man OF
the 1ith 1nfty.. stationed at the falls OF
| the Matilire river, on the trail t.
Wears, heard some pigs squealing
down near the river. The noise keep
| ing ND, he took his rifle and walked
down the path running from the camp
to the river. There he found snake
and three wild pigs fighting. The snake
was coiled around one of the hogs and
had another in his mouth, while the
third pig was making brave attempt
| to rescue his comrades The soldier
took BIZ nd in the fight and shot the
snake. Other of the men coming down
they carried the snake to camp and
measured it. 1t was twenty-four fee
and three inches long and twenty-five
inches in circumference. | measured
both snakes myself, and so know thai
these are true snake stories
1t has been very warm here for the
| last two months, but now the rainy
season is just beginning and vino
| blows q gale nearly every night Re
ports came in this morning from JolC
| that the Sultan of Sulu had informed
the Colonel of 18th Cavalry that ht
could no longer restrain his follower:
rnd asked that he might be sent to
India by the first boat, as he knew that
trouble would esult in the wiping out O
his people, and as he as friend O
the Americans, he wanted to be away
so that he would not be blamed. On,
battalion of the 18th Infantry is goinl
on board the transport Llscom thi
morning and will arrive at JolO by Sun
day. No doubt when the Moros see tbs
reinforcements and know that th'
Americans mean business, they vii
quiet down.
/ am receiving the PILOT right along
thanks to your Kindness, and it is full o
interesting news to me. There ar
quite a number of Wisconsin boys her
in the 18th Cavalry and we make it
point to exchange papers after eacl
mail arrives In this way there is yer,
little Wisconsin news that we dom
know, of, although it is about eigh
weeks old before we get it. Since tn
establishment of regular boat servic
between hers end Manila, we get ou
mail twice each month. The Hai-muI
lust came in this morning and has fifty
eight sacks of mail on board, and as tn
paymaster is paying the troops toda
everybody is feeling well satisfied.
must bring this rambling letter to
Iclose In order to get it away today
trust that the next letter will prove q
more interest. With regards to all m
friends, remain, sincerely,
SERcT. r w BAKER,
Care 37th Infantry Band.