The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-02-22
Attended a Filipino Wake.


is secretary {, the Attorney-General in
the Department OF Justice in the Philip
pines, tells his mother some interesting
things about the social habits OF the Fill
pinos in a letter just received His very
readable letter is, in part, as follows:
Manila, Dec. 10, 1872.
Dear Mother
Answering your last few letters in gen.
eral. and the one OF October 3, with en-
closure from my old friend Purdy in
particular, / now take my typewriter in
hand to let you know that everything is
lovely in the Philippines except the de-
preciated Mex-, the ladrones. the rice
famine surra. cholera, bubonic plague,
typhoons and other minor troubles. The
reason haven't written oftener lately is
that foolishly lent my machine to fair
Spanish senorita living near by who took
IL into her little noodle that she would
like TO become what she called a 'teep-
eereeter.'' all same Americana. Yes, L
know there are lots of typewriters at
the Office. but incredible as il may seem,
and against all tradition as il is. there
isn't time in this particular government
Office TO write personal letters during bus
TO be constantly ION tap" that prevents.
No. 1 didn't take Thanksgiving dinner
with the Wichita school teacher this
year We had a big feed at our own
house, turkey. duck cranberries, chicos.
etc. TO say nothing Of such delicate fluids
as Jerez. Tansan. San Miguel Mrs
Moore and Julio, the cook, spent most OF
two or three days getting ready for that
how l,raz
failed to show up at the appointed hour.
Lamentabie, wasn't it. The poor lady was
in the deepest OF distress at the prospec-
tive waste of so much good chow" Then
We followed the Biblical injunction and
went forth into byways and hedges and
commandeered people 10 come 10 the
feast 1 succeeded in rounding up two
Castilizn beauties. and after much pull
ing and hauling prevailed on them 10
stay and take chow with Us the which
they were very glad 10 have done, after
IL was all over The dinner was saved
and everybody was happy. The only fly
that could discover in the ointment was
the sight of the sweet things shoveling
food into their faces with a knife. But
that. / may say, is costumbre. and al
lowance should be made accordingly.
Speaking of feeds. We went UP TO Ma
lolos last Sunday. my friend Juanito Gin
. English plain John HacketD and l. We
didn't go there with the particular pur-
pose Of getting something TO eat; in fact.
We considered the chances excellent for
going hungry or dining of boiled rice,
alias morisqueta or bigas. and dried fish
Our object was 10 visit the historic capt.
tai of the short-.ived Philippine Repub-
lie. take a few pictures, find some shady
spot along the banks OF the river, and
mediate on the ephemeral triumphs Of
this world in general and Of the Malolos
government in particular.
We'll, we pesticated around the ancient
burg. and after visiting the ruins OF the
big church destroyed by American shells.
the cockpit and market. and paving our
respects 10 the Presidente OF the town.
on one OF the struggling roads, by courtesy
q street. We came upon large building /
set back in the midst of a grove of mag
niicent old trees. It looked so inviting
We drove in. Finding a miscellaneous
collection of vehicles about the entrance
Of the building, we interviewed the first
cocherto in sight saying, "Cost2" which
may be interpreted TO mean, Well. :
what's going on here, anyhow" The re-
ply was, Fiesta" That "smelled WELL
the Spanish say. and We. thinking
the AFFAIR must be some quasi-public func-
tion the building being the old convent
or priest-house Of the town. proceeded
TO put ourselves in the way of being
hauled in by the hospitable feasters. Sure
enough while trying TO get into the
church. which formed a part OF the con-
vent building, they caught sight Of US
and insisted on our coming up. After
the due amount Of reluctance being shown
and explanations made on our part 10
the effect that we were simply desiring
10 visit the old church for the purpose
OF seeing some fine wood-carving il was
supposed TO contain. We allowed ourselves
TO be conducted up stairs 10 the scene of
the festivities We had noticed knots Of
black cloth tackled on the outside OF the
building. but neither this circumstance. +
Tor the more suggestive one OF the lugub-
rious notes blown into the unccmplain-
ing ambient by the native band. served as
hint TO our suspecting selves OF the
real meaning Of the pow-wow. The crepe
we thought the remains of All Souls day
decorations, and having heard rag-time
played at church solemnities, nothing in
the way Of native music surprised US.
Amy misgivings We might have had were
put at rest. and our hearts made glad.
by the sight Of several hombres busily
engaged in pulling corks. and others van
ishing into the saia OF reception room
bearing trays OF red and amber-colored
fluids 1t appeared that the gentleman
giving the fiesta was prominent doc
tor Of the place who lived just across the 1
road. but whose bahay was too small 10
accommodate the guests, probably about
two hundred in number. Being presented
70 our amphytrion. he made Us welcome.
inviting Us 10 partake freely OF the re-
freshments and the soothing Panatellas +
and then turned US over 10 a sort OF floor
manager or master Of ceremonies This
latter who was one Of the provincial
officials. happened To be an old acquaint- :
ance. At least he said he remembered
meeting me in Manila in the Fiscalia.
4 e the Attorney Generals Office and
/ replied. oh 81. si' Well he couldn't ,
do enough for Us. and apologized two
OF three times because there couldn't be .
any dancing. He said il wouldn't look
Just right as the occasion OF the gather
ing was the obseQuies in honor Of the
doctors father. who had just died. Ii
vas even So We had stumbled onto a
wake unawares. In an alcove at one end .
or the salon there was an altar raised.
snd il front thereof. surrounded by many
candles. a bier. Seeing which We imue-
ciately took another one ourselves. The .
nerves seemed 70 demand II at that par