Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-05-17
CORPORAL MUIR ON LIFE
In THE PHILIPPINES
CAMP SToTsENBERG, PAMPAGUA, Pro.
March % 1906

March 29, 1906.
This is my first opportunity to full
fill my promise to write to you. We
have been very busy since arriving
here, but at last are comfortably en-
camped at StotSenberg. When we
were ordered to the Philippines we
were almost sure of being stationed at
Fort Mckinley, five miles from Manila
but upon arriving here were ordered
to the interior at once.
Stotsenberg is sixty miles from Man
lila. 1t is situated on a sandy fat at
the foot hill of a range of mountains.
The valleys and mountain sides are
covered with the most dense growth
of trees and underbrush imaginable.
In fact a bamboo thicket is almost
impossible. Bananas, mangroves and
cocoanuts grow in abundance and are
very cheap. One can buy eighteen or
twenty bananas for five cents. Five
cents will buy great big cocoanut and
mangroves are three for ten cents.
| find that the natives are very
industrious people. They are small
in size but are very strong. In Manila
the lower class of natives furnish the
men for common labor, while Chinese
are the merchants. The high class
Filippinos are very bright and quick
to learn, and the government employ
them dS foremen where native labor is
used. The natives are generally
peaceable, but there are many among
them who are treacherous and who are
still working for the old cause of
freedom. On the day that we landed
here we got the news of the out break
on Nindanao Island and only three
days ago there was an out break in
Samar. Why they should rebel l
don't know for they are seeing better
times now than they ever did. One
native told me that during the Spanish
rule laborers received only so centovas
(30) cents per day and now they get
one peso $50 cents) for the same work.
Men who are employed on the rice
fields get 35 cents now and only got Is
and 20 cents before the Americans
came.
Natives here IN the interior have a
great fear of soldier. A sentry never
needs to tell one to 60 away twice for
they ''savy the boom, boom" if they
don't. One of them will walk half a
mile out of lis way to get out of sight
of field piece.
A great many people would be sur
prised if they knew how little it
effects battery of LBS men and all
equipments to change station. What
confusion there is when family
moves from one side of town to
another Why, one wouldn't be able
to find his way out of the house for
two weeks. 1t .tC, 4 the battery one
day to get into shape after arriving at
the camp grounds and that included
a picket line for the horses. I'll wager
oiidu IL viz pSOPlO VI VI dLu Iod pluS
were to be sent here without prelimi-
nary training that half of them would
be in the hospital and half in the
shade tanning themselves all day long.
That is the beauty of the U. S. army.
The men are kept in condition tc
take the field any time.
All drills here are in heavy march
ing order. The men carry all field
equipments and ammunition. Road
marches are taken very frequently sc
as to harden men and horses as well az
to get acquainted with the roads and
physical features of the country.
Well | shall close as mess call has
gone and if there is any call that q
soldier likes to answersit is that one
Yours truly,
GEO. K. MUIR.