The Washington times., 1904-04-17
SUMNER CAPITAL
Of PHILIPPINES
BaguiO Accessible by PRINT
tive Modes of Travel.
5000 FEET ABOVE THE SEA
The "Sinla' Of Manila-Uncivilized
Tribes OF Igorrotes in Neighbor-
ing Heights.

Baguio, the village TO which the capt.
tai Of the Philippines mas Just been
moved for the summer, is 10 Manila
what Simla is 10 Calcutta. II IS in the
province OF Benguet $50 miles from
Manila. This distance is, ut present.
covered by boat. by stage and by horse
back. An electric line now building will
soon connect the summer colony with
Manila
B2guio Is $500 feet above the sea, on
: pine-covered mountain, where the
climate is cool and delightful. and an
abundance of pure water is TO be had
Second Year as Capital.
Last summer was the first time the
government was moved away from Ma
Mia for the summer Baguio was ser
lected AS the most desirable ste fbr a
summer capital. and the Philippine Com
mission erected number Of American
houses and a large Sanitarium there.
The houses We're occupied !ast year by
Governor Taft and the commissioners.
Clerks and other government employees
We're quartered in the sanitarium. Tit
governor OF Benguet, William 7. Pack
also has home at Baguio.
Fred Carpenter. private secretary to
Secretary TAFT. was with Mr. TAFT at
Baguio last summer and was delighted
with the new capital Mr. Carpenter
says the little resort is probably more
interesting now than il will be after
it. is more developed. 1gorrotes now live
in the mountains surrounding the capt.
tai and still cling to all their primitive
customs in spite OF the invasion of civili-
zation
BY Boat, Stage, and Saddle.
The trip nom Manila is made by
steamer 10 san Fernando Bay. then 10
Magulin by coach, and from there to
Baguio ON horseback. From Magulin
the baggage of travellers - carried by
lSorrotes, who make their way over
the mountain passes with greet trunks
strapped TO their backs.
In spite of the chilly nights in the
high altitude. the Isorrotes wear no
clothing but strip Of cloth about their
groins. II night they sleep sitting
about fires which line the mountains Of
Benguet. The only houses the Igor
rotes have are small matched huts OF
one room.
These natives are nos Christians, but
Churc1lmen ere working diligently
among them now. and some have been
converted to the Catholic Church
Bishop Brent believes them far the
most interesting of the Philippine tribes
and Is directing missionary work among
them The IgOrrotes are kindly disDOs-
ed toward Americans and have never
troubled visitors. This makes BaguiO
especially desirable as d summer resort
There are mountains near Baguio said
10 be as high at 5000 feet but they are
SO difficult OF ascent that they We're not
considered . desirable location for the
capital All the mountains near BaguiO
are densely covered with pine trees. be-
meath which grow tropical ferns of
great size, adding to the beauty OF the
trails.
No Resort Near Manila
The failure of private corporations to
develop a summer resort near Manila
made it necessary for the government
TO provide a place where officials might
escape the excessive heat aaalong the
coast Only a few Igorrotes lived in
Bagu.O when the commission selected il
as the site for the summer capital. Gov.
William T. Pack was the only white
man living there. He bad a beautiful
home and large grounds which have
been improved extensively
So FAR IL has not been possible TO raise
vegetables successfully ar Sag1IiO bflt