The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-08-28
Julius T. Frelin Returns From Uncle
Sans New Possession.
Has Taught There Two Years and
Expects to Return There.
Work Of CiviIizing the Natives Will
Require a Long Time.
From Mondays Daily.

julius T. .Frelin arrived in the city
Saturday night direct from the Philip
pine Islands, where he has been teaching
for the past two years. He is a gradu-
ate of the Mankato state normal school,
He will attend the university of Mime
sofa for two years, and then he intends
to return to the Philippines
Mr.. Frelin taught for nine months in
the province of Benguet and the last
year in the province of Illocos SUR, both
in the islands of Luzon. Benguet is To-
Gated in the mountains, six thousand feet
above the sea level. The days there are
hot and the nights cool, while at Illicos,
on the sea coast, it is always hot. The
natives in Benguet are about the least
civilized of any tribe in Luzon, being
head hunters. They make soup out of
the brains of their adversaries, which
they eat with a relish. Until the Ameri
cans arrived they went about complete
" naked, but now those that have adopt
ed civilization wear stovepipe hats, but
nothing else as a rule.
Mr.. Frelin had hard time of it at
first, as he had nothing to eat except
roots that he dug in the forest for the
first few weeks. After that he got
some provisions, through the aid of the
army officers, and did his own cooking.
Twelve American teachers were assign
ed to the district, and only one lady
teacher was employed there, she being a
married lady. The Filipino girls only
90 to school where there are lady teach
ers, as they are afraid of white men.
When Mr.. Frelin was transferred to
the coast, he had an easier time of it as
regards food, etc. The people there are
much more civilized.
The schools were closed when the
cholera broke out, and when Mr.. Frelin
left. hundreds were dying daily. Black
smallpox was also taking off some of
the teachers. The last four weeks that
he was on the island, Mr.. Frelin devot-
ed his services to the care of several
teachers who were down with the disease
in the hospital. He had had smallpox
while at college at Paris, and he did not
fear it. All of the three teachers died
There were cases of bubonic plague,
cholera and leprosy in the hospital all
around him, yet he did not contract any
of these diseases, and is much more
fieshy than when he left America. He
does not consider the islands as unhealth-
full for Americans if they are careful
about their diet. The natives are very
ignorant and will not take any SANITARY
precautions, so they fall easy vistims to
cholera and other diseases.
Mr.. Frelin says that the advent of
the Americans has not thus far proved
beneficial to the natives, as they have
seen the worst side of the Americans
and have acquired their vices and
have not been taught their virtues. The
soldiers have debaunched many of the
women, and when a white man appears
the women scatter like birds before
hawk. through their fear of the race.
The educational department is very
thoroughly organized, and is doing good
work The discipline is very strict, and
any misconduct on the part of any teach
er is reason enough for sending the per-
son home. The field for promotion is
open to all, and every subordinate is
watching the conduct of every superior
with a view of supplanting him in his
position.
The natives are very indolent, and in
order to develop the country as III should
b developed it will be necessary to import
Chinese or other labor. Mr.. Frelin
thinks that the islands will make very
valuable possession of the United States,
and should be kept, but that it will be
several generations before the people are
civilized. The first step necessary IS that
the many different tribes should have
common language, and that is now
being taught them by the American
teachers, so that the children often con-
verse in it on the streets. Only small
proportion of the people know the Span
ish language. Each tribe, and there are
fifty or sixty of them, has its own Ian
guage and nothing in common with the
others in customs, tradition or religion.
The chief of each village is held re-
sponsible for the safety of the teacher
stationed there, and he is prompt to fur
nish a guard of native soldiers when
asked to do so. There is very little dan
- ra... 4lo ,ot;yoc however