The Washington herald., 1908-06-07

the crowd. including the mules, looked
on in amazement.
The carabao is an extremely hideous-
looking animal. but possessed Of more in
telligence than he is given credit for.
When you see them buried in a mud
hole, all but the nose and eyes. your first
feeling is one Of complete repulsion. and
your prejudice is such that you cannot
bear to look at them. but as they come
into your vision day after day and you
note their plCdding patience and perse-
verance. you cannot help but admire. AL
though a carabao viii bury himself IN
the first mud-hole that presents itself.
and IS never so happy as when COM
pletely covered with slime and filth, vet
he refuses absolutely TO drink anything
but perfectly pure water, and will 20 for
days absorbing moisture through the
hide. which is very porous. but not drink
ing a drop.
I feel as IL must say a word about
the condition Of the civil employees in the
provinces. There are possibly sixty civil
ians employed by the Philippine civil
government having passed civil service
examinations here or in the States living
in TaclOban, some school teachers. teleg-
raphers. civil engineers, &c These civ
ilian employees are denied quartermaster
and commissary privileges. which works
great hardship. for reasons too varied
and numerous to set forth a few OF
which are inability TO get fresh meat.
vegetables, ice. distilled water. fuel. &C.
The army people get the finest kind OF
meat, potatoes, SC, from the commits
saryi also plenty Of ice and distilled
water at the minimum price The civil
ians go for months without tasting fresh
meat, can get no water consequently
have 10 boil the water from the disrepu-
table wells in the vicinity. and then. hav-
ing no ice 10 cool il. drink Il warm. II
would appear, from an unprejudiced
standpoint. that ii is not exactly a square
deal that the civilians and their families
have 10 contend with; to put It mildly.
IL is very unfortunate.
was approached by the leader OF tha
Democratic forces here the other day and
asked If l would not give them my vote
for certain candidate for the Democratic
convention to be held in Denver during
the summer. l asked him how he could
tell what my politics were and he replied:
/ don't care. just so 1 get your vote" I
Informed him that ] had only been In
Iaeloban three months. and the law re-
quired residence Of six and he said
oh, we will get around that little diff
Guilty without any troubie;" from which
It would appear that politics follows the
nag In the same unauthorized manner
as dealt out in the home land.
A great many Of the natives are suffer
ing from beri beri. This is a very peculiar
and insidious disease. II is a mistaken
idea that it is incurable. as I have seen
many cases where severe attacks have
been cured II is something on the order
or infiammatory rheumatism. being ac-
companied by painful and swollen Joints.
and also has some OF the symptoms OF
locomotor ataxia and dropsy. as in the
mai stages the victim loses the use OF
legs and arms and has 20 be fed and
moved, being completely HELPLESS.
There Is diversity Of opinion as 10 its
cause and various other matters CON
nected with its appearance. In this prov-
ince we have several army doctors and
no two agree exactly as to It's ravaRes
Lieut.. Farrow, In command at Abuyog.
Leyte, with 100 men, has a on sick report
with beri beri. It very seldom attacks
an American, and when II does the case
Is generally mild and quickly healed !
The percentage Of recovery from attack
or this disease Is thought here To be now
at least 80. At present there are rs
cases IN the army hospital at Taclohan
ana possibly 500 In the town. The an
pearanee Of hot. dry weather Is said 10 be
sure sign that the epidemic will soon
Do mastered. EDWIN s GEE