Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-03-26
CONCERNING THE PHILIPPINES
A Grand Rapids Boy Writes Interesting Letter
About His Experienc There


10 HE EDITOR:-I have received
SO many letters from friends at home
asking me about the condition of
things in the Philippines at the time
L left for the United States. | will
try and enlighten them on the subject
through your paper.
At the time the 9th Infantry left
for home the inSurrectiOn was over in
all Of the islands but Mindanao. In
MindanaO the natives (MorOS,) who
are all MOhammedanS are not up in
arms against American authority but
refuse to be governed by Christians.
Business is building up in all of the
islands, but the loss Of over half OF
the caribou philippine cattle) was a
serious set back, The Philippine
commission is going to appropriate
money to import a number from other
islands in the East Indies. AS a result
of the instruction nearly all of the
sugar and tobacco plantations were
| abandoned, the hemp business was at
stand still while rice, the principal
food of the people had to be imported
in large quantities at the expense Of
the government. Many of the ports
were closed and most were idle. Now
the abandoned haciendOS are being
taken up by Americans, Germans and
English.
There is much money to be made in
hemp with little capital as there is
always big demand for it, The only
tobacco shipped is the Manila cheroot.
COpal, or the dried and chopped
kernel Of the cocOanut is exported in
large quantities to he manufactured
into Oil. The natives make cloth of
the fiber of the pima plant, which is
much tougher than silk and as fine
but is worth as much if not more. Of
rice enough is not raised for home use
and much has TO be imported from
| China.
There are immense forests of the
finest woods which have never been
touched Saw mills are wanting in
all parts. Lumber cost $40 per thou
sand feet and is all whipped sawed.
| | have seen such woods Of ebony, nara
and mOlaye used here for fire wood,
which here at home would be used in
the manufacture of pianos and fine fur
niture. The nara and molave which
are very hard take a polish like
marble. The country is rich in
minerals, although but little mining
or prospecting done at the present
| time.
There are few cattle in the country
The caribou water buffalo, one of the
SlOWeSt of animals is used for all heavy
work. There is also sort Of bumped
cattle (the trOtting bullS) which are
used for travel. Horses are small
about the size of our Indian ponies.
o dogs there are nearly as many as
people, all of them hOWlerS too. One
can see goats and pigs running in and
out of the houses at all times of the
day, Their finest hogs are about as
large as ours in height but not in
weight, their hogs are worse then our
Arkansas razor backs; about as thick
as slab.
Each family has supply Of fighting
cocks. Sunday afternoons all the
people 90 to the cock pit this is a
public place and belongs to the town
or city where much money is won and
lost. One sees very few things from
| the United States. All the machinery
in the sugar mills comes from England,
the cotton goods lone never sees
Woolens here are of English and
German manufacture About the
only thing American sees here is
| PabSt SchlitZ and other brands of the
am DER IulU. L nave seen UQc U0oSU
kinds of machinery all covered with
rust ia the abandoned mills waiting
| for some one to start it going. Most
of the trading is carried on by the
Chinese, of which there are many, too
| many in the country. They own all
of the shops and handle most of the
| money.
When the American troops first
came to the islands they were paid in
gold and now one could live there for
years and never see gold coin, Where
did it all 90 to? 1t has found it's way
| into the hands of the Chinese and is
now in the large banks Of Hong Kong
and Singapore. The troops are now
paid in green backs, this the natives
| refused for a long time.
Schools where English is taught are
to be found in all OF the islands. tue
large towns have American school
teachers. The towns that were so
| filthy when Spain owned the islands
are now cleaned in the same manner
as the towns here at home. What the
country needs is to stop this flow of
| money out of the ISLANDS by the
Chinese, exclude the Chinese, and
| bring over American push and capital
| and the Philippines will be one of the
richest colonies in the East Indies.
Gus. CLOsUIT,
Company II. 9Th q. S. Infantry,
I l.