Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-06-29
THE FIRST FOURTH
IN THE PHILIPPINES

On the Fourth of July, lS99," writes a
soldier who was with General Otis in Ma
Mia on that day, the main part of the
American troops were away In the interior
or the Philippines, strung out on long lines
IN front OF an active enemy. All our out
posts were close to the native camps. Not
only the men on post and in actual touch
with the enemy, but the reserves as well,
were under strict orders to be ready at a
minutes notice to meet an attack, Fourth
or no Fourth. These orders were obeyed.
By the way, up in San Fernand General
Young's men were treated to a Fourth of
July salute from across the lines. The
Filipinos opened a fusillade about sun
down and outclassed all the fire cracker
fiends of Manila in getting up a celebra-
ton racket.
However, all over the islands, ever in
the isolated districts covered by our troops
in the Viscayas-that is, in Cebu, Negroes
and Panay, where the garriSons were but
handfuls in comparison to the natives I'M
der arms or prepared for Wharf.-The holiday
was formally observed.
when the day was officially ushered
in by the bugle notes Of the army reveille
the regimental bands along the miles and
miles of camps, a perfect girdle across
Luzon and the Viscayas, played The Star
Spangled Banner At noon, when the
guns of the Sixth artillery numbered the
national salute on the Luneta at Manila
and the warships in the harbor and along
the coast echoed in response, the field bat
teries Of the army all over Luzon swelled
the salvos: so, too, in Negroes and Panay
and in the robber infested mountains Of
Cebu. And to make the soldiers on routine
duty feel that they were Columbia's chill
dren as we'll as her bodyguard every man
had an extra good dinner, served with the
best delicacies the camp and the available
markets afforded.
THE Escolta. which might be called the
Broadway Of Manila, although 1t is a very
narrow street in point Of fact, was alive
with bunting. Every flag that had a
mission in the Philippines was in
evidence along the Escolta-Old Glory
bunting. Every flag had a mission in the
here, there and everywhere, the
union jack ditto, then the red,
white and black standa Of the German
fatherland, alternating with and peacefully
caressing the tricolor Of La Belle France;
SPANS flag was in the display and waved
as proudly as ever. There were flags, too,
of the FOLLOWS and flags of the biacks-all
flags but Aguinaldo's. But If Aguinaldo's
standard was missed by any one on the
Escolta that day the disappointed indi-
vidual didn't let his neighbor know 1t.
II hdibSN Voc inv - 49, 49,
show. The Luneta of Manila is a crescent
shaped plaza overlooking the beach. There
the bands play for the populace, and there
all the parades and public demonstration
are held. 1t was crowded like a country
fair ground on prize day.
ION the Luneta were held the formal
exercises, without which no Fourth OF
July celebration is complete. School boys
in holiday attire gathered around the band
stand made the most picturesque feature
of the scene. There was a swarm of them
in clothes of variegated hues-Filipinos
and Japs and Chinese, trained to sing
patriotic songs in English.
AT first the school children were timid,
like average American children unused &c
appearing in public. They began with
America then struggled through Hail
Columbia and The Red, White and Blue.
The band played popular airs between the
songs. Finally, when the enthusiasm was
verging on the bursting point, the little
ones gave their masterpiece, The Star
! Spangled Banner Some of the Inn
p-omptu choruses at home would have
been put to the blush by that performance
on the Luneta. The soldiers cheered as
only soldiers can when 10, COO of them let
their lungs loose; flags waved all over the
plaza. and even old ocean became patriotic
and dashed the beach with great waves
like some monster eagle Tapping his
wings in a frenzy of delight. This was the
climax. After that Uncle Sans celebra-
ton dominated Manila. The transplanted
holiday was a 'go!'"