Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-21
FILIPINO BILLY
By Smith D. Fry

By Smith D. Fry
T HAVE spent four years in the Philippines,
i said veteran Sergeant of Marines, land if l
dared tell all my experiences quite number of
my former comrades might get into trouble.
and might get some little time in the guard
house myself for nv time is not vet quite out.
Zone of the most interesting experiences of
my stay at Olongopo. on Subig Bay, was with
Filipino Billy. He is an old man now, and is
well known throughout large section. For
well nigh three years Billy supplied the marines
under suspicion all the time, too. But the old
man was never seen nor known to make sale.
Where he procured the bino or the tuba we
never knew nor inquired. He sold 1t to us tor
twenty cents quart. His shack was made OF
bamboo. In the hollows of the big poles at the
corners of his shack he kept the goods. When
ever any of the boys wanted liquor, they would
go to old Billy and hand him the price. He
would take a bottle down the road and hide it.
Then he would come back and tell where it
might be found. The boys would go to the
place designated and find the bottles. Thus,
you see, he could never be caught in any trans
action. On several occasions he was seen re-
ceiving money; but the boys always declared
that it was given to him either gratuity or
for some little errands done for them.
PUT about two years ago Billy was caught and
- convicted-on account of the treachery of
w
or the boys would have made it hard for him.
Billy was fined one hundred dollars for the
offense. The boys made up the money for him,
and he was soon serving us again with the wet
| goods. There were usually about a thousand
marines on duty at Subig Bay, where the great
drydock Dewey IS located, and it did not take
long for them to raise the money for their Sc
cretive friend.
Tuba is a sweet liquor, quite palatable, but
very mild. Bino is thick as molasses and sick
TO he n 1
After awhile it becomes not only palatabe but
desirable to the boys. For twenty cents we
could get quart, and that would produce
good drunk for about five of us. Then, after
sleeping soundly all night. we would get up,
wash, dress, and move about for little while,
and then we would be drunk again. Two
DRINKS in one, for five fellows, and all for the
small price of twenty cents!
1.-THE old fellow made lots of money on his
stuff; but he was always poor. Like others of
his race he was an inveterate gambler and lost
money as fast as he made it. That was the rea-
son the boys paid his fine. He was caught
second time and the fine two hundred and
fifty dollars: but the marines again raised the
| money for him.
HE will never be caught again, because he
- now has new system which will never be
detected. If any marine plays him false, that
marine will be discovered, and he will need en-
balming fluid if his body ever comes back to the
United States.
"You know that the temperance people
caused the canteen to be abolished; but the
boys have concealed canteens.' That is new
one on you, isn't it, Well, we have no suffers,
either; but in each company we have sub
merged sutler, who controls the concealed can
teens Each one of these submerged suffers
is making pile of money. OF course it would
be impossible to work the game without the aid
of Filipinos. The submerged suffer pays
trusted Filipino to take his Outraged canoe and
60 after the five-dollar of booze. The Fill
Pine hides it mile or more away from the navy
yard He bottles it and brings the bottles to
the submerged suffer by whom he is en-
ployed. We pay the sutler twenty-five cents
for small quarts. 1t comes a little higher than
| the price charged by old Filipino Billy; but it
is delivered right inside the barracks.
Il don't know how it is done; but do know
that the Filipino is cunning and can bring the
stuff inside the navy yard without detection.
Moreover. one of them would die rather than
betray his employer or anyone of his CUSTOM
ers He rega1 us them as his friends The SUBJ
merged suffers are getting rich, all of them.
The officers do not know anything about the
existence of the concealed canteens' AS
matter of fact, l don't believe they want to
know.
"Subig and Olongopo are tight propositions;
but the boys can beat the game of enforced
temperance or prohibition. At Manila where
l spent several months. it is different. There
the soldiers sailors, and marines can get their
1ioror open1y an freely aS thew an IN Nau,