The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-07-21
FROM THE PHILIPPINES.
Prot. Chas. {. Hoye Tells of Summer
Resort On the Island.

DAUlO, DEN6l Ell PROV, +. L.
May l, 1904.
To the Editor of The Republican:
Perhaps few lines from Philip
pine summer resort" will be of in
terest to the people of the famous re-
sorts of Garrett county.
During March, April and May, our
warmest months, the schools of the
Islands are closed for vacation, so in
April We sailed from Manila on the
Government boat $50 miles north,
then travelled ten miles east by car
rage to the foot of the mountains
here we secured A chair and four
lgorrote men to carry Mrs. Hoye and
the baby and two men to carry bag
| gage, while | rode a little native
pony when the trail was not too steep.
So equipped we began our "A mile
| journey up to the top of the principal
mountain range of Luzon where roads
are unknown and almost all trans.
portation is on the backs of naked
savages.
BagiO is new town, situated in a
billy pine and grass covered country
5000 feet above sea level-a 5000 foot
rise within 30 miles makes a pretty
steep climb.
The difference in climate. In one
day.we went from a sweltering trop-
zeal summer to climate resembling
summer time at Oakland, only much
cooler. | sleep under two heavy
wooden blankets, and my wife can't
go out walking during the day with
out wrap.
In the town is Government sani-
tarium, constabulary post, new
Episcopal church, hotel and a few
American and native houses and huts.
Rates at the Sanitarium to Govern
ment employees are $1.00 and $1.50per
day, and at the hotel $500; the form
er is full, so we are at the hotel.
Bagio is the summer capital of the
Islands and Gov. Wright and the
Commission are here now.
This mountain country is thinly
populated by few American miners
and a native tribe called Igorrotes,
who the Spanish vainly tried to civil
ize and Christianize. The natives
are interesting because they represent
humanity in the rough They are
remarkably strong and hardy, though
like all Filipinos, small compared
with Americans. When working the
men wear no clothing except a gee
string around the lOins, but the wom-
en- are better dressed. A man may
wear kind of coat or shirt when the
weather is cool but it is tribal Gus
tom to let the legs go bare; men meyer
wear trousers. Each member of a
family has home made blanket in
which he sleeps by fire on the floor
at night and wears over his shoulders
in the daytime when he feels cool.
They are the dirtiest people l have
seen; the water in the streams is
always rather cold so they never
battle
| Naturally the new educational sys-
TEN is rather backward here but l
visited the school last week and saw
one hundred and twenty boys busily
studying English; these pupils come
from all parts of this province; they
are housed, fed, supplied with red
blanket each and books by the Gov
eminent and taught by American
teachers. Girls do not come to school
because they do most of the work
both in and out of the house.
Some of your readers perhaps think
the Filipinos should be given indie
pendence or at least self government.
| Well but
Yesterday l saw public town doc
ument granting a license; it was writ
ten by the town secretary, an Ilocano
Filipino and signed by the Igorrote
Presidente or Mayor; the signature
was made by Ibis honor" putting his
right thumb in ink and then making
an impression on the paper with his
thumb, leaving blot.
All Igorrote officials sign with a
thumb print as they cannot write.
Again, l was in court last week.
Within fifteen minutes l heard five
languages used, viz, English, Span
ish, Hocano, Tagalog and Igorrote,
There were four Interpreters.
Very respectfully,
CHARLES +. HOYE.
P. 81 have been transferred to
Pasay, Rial, a suburb of Manila,
where l shall be engaged as supervis-
ing principal of schools.
G. +. H.