The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-05-27
keekuk Soldier Came Across Copy
i and Read Il Through From
Start 70 Finish, Ads
and All.
BERGER WRITES HOME
He Is a Member Of Co. b, Twenty.
Fifth infantry and Does Not
Think Very Much Of
the Country.

The following letter from a Keokuk
boy, doing duty in the Philippines has
Just been received by The Gate City.
The letter was written April 8, mailed
from Parang on April 10, reached
Manila on the 10th, and arrived in
keokuk on May %. according to the
postmarks. 1t Is as folloys:
Prang Mind, P. l., April 8, 1909.
Dear Old Gate City:
81 do not know how 1t came here at
all, but q came; a pap0rsof dear old
Keokuk. It's The Gate City and you
can say read every inch of it, good
news and bad news is all the same
here. Well 1t is Sunday here and is
hot as it can be. Well. here is some
thing in army up to date.
/ The Philippines Island are bunch
of trouble gathered together on the
horizon OF western civilization. They
are bounded on the north by rocks OF
destruction, on the east by typhoons
and monsoons, on the sonth by can
nibals and earthquakes and on the
west by boosters and smugglers.
The climate is combination OF
electrical changes, especially adapted
to raising cain"
The soil is extraordinary fertile,
producing large crops of instruction
and treachery. Though inhabitants
are extremely industrious their chief
occupations being trench digging,
manufacturing OF bolos, knives and
reloading Remington cartridges Their
amusements are cock lighting, monte
dealing, theft and cheating.
Their diet consists of fried rice,
boiled rice, stewed rice. rice, more
rice and rice. Their marriage service
is very impressive. especially the
clause wherein the wife Is given the
privilege Of working as much as her
husband desires, which is from day
light to dark.
The beast OF burden is caribo.
On three mile journey only ten
days rations need be carried. II tle
trip should be for one hundred miles
| the driver would die Of old age before
reaching his destination.
The rivSrs are of a serpentine ma
ture, running in opposition to all
known laws Of gravitation
Manila, the capital city, is situated
on Manila Bay. Cavite, the next city
of Importance, is noted for its natural
facilities. for naval station and its
large number of saloons and China
men.
The principal exports of the island
are rice, hemp and war bulletin. The
imports are American soldiers, arms,
ammunition, beer and tobacco.
Malaria is SO prevalent that on sew
eral occasions the island has been
shaken by a chill.
Luzon, the largest of the lot re-
sembles one of old ST Grim's boots.
Communication has been established
between the numerous islands by sub
shutting mosquitoes for. the carrier
pigeon. the mosquitoes being much
larger and better fitted to stand the
fatigue of the journey.
The native costume is the flour sack
tied around the waist. The children
under twelve years of age wait that
year for their clothing. The towns
are aggregation of shacks, full OF
filth, our dogs, cats, pigs, chickens,
horses flies and bulbs, the Inhabitants
all living on terms of equality. The
native drink is chino or concentrated
juice, cactus juice barbed wire and
lighting.
ELLSWORTH BERGER,
Co. b., 25th INF.