New-York tribune., 1909-11-21
FILIPINO BILLY
By Smith ID. Fry

T HAVE spent four years in the Philippines" &"
1 SAID veteran Sergeant OF Marines and II
dared tell all my experiences quite a number OF
nv former comrades might get into trouble.
and might get some little time IN the guard
house myself for my time Is not vet quite out.
"One 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
with liquor without being caught. He was
under suspicion all the time, too. But the old
man was never seen nor known 10 make sale.
Where he procured the biH1 or the tnbI We
never knew nor inquired He sold It 20 us for
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
90 10 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 bows would 90 20 the
place designated and find the bottles. Thus.
YOU see he could never be caught IN anv trans
action. On several occasions he was seen re-
that 1t was gwen 70 him either a gratuity or
for some little errands done for them
RUT about two years ago Billy was caught and
COnvIcted-On account of the treacherv of
one Of the marines. We never knew who did it,
or the boys would have made II hard for him.
Billy was fined one hundred dollars for the
ottense. The BOYS made up the money for him,
and he was soon serving us again with the wet
goods. There We're usually about thousand
marines on duty at SubIg Bay. where the great
drydock Dewey Is located. and II did not take
long for them 70 raise the money for their Sc
cretive friend.
Tuba IS a sweet liquor, quite palatable, but
very mild. BiH0 IS thick as molaSSeS and sick
ening TO the taste. One must learn to drink it,
Atter awhile II becomes not only palatable but
desirable 10 the BOYS. For twenty cents we
could get quart, and that would produce a
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
drunks IN one. for five fellows, and all for the
small price of twenty centsl
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 a
second time and the tine was two hundred and
nifty dollars, but the marines again raised the
money for him.
He will never be caught again. because he
now has a new system which viii never be
| detected. II any marine plays him false. that
marine will be discovered. and he VIII need en-
| balming fluid if his body ever comes back 10 the
United States
You know that the temperance people
caused the Cantecn 10 be abolished: but the
| boys have concealed canteens. That is a new
| one on YOU, ISN'T it Well we have no suffers.
either. but IN each company we have a sub
merged Sutler, who controls the concealed can
teens Each one Of these submerged suffers
| IS making pile OF money. OF course il would
| be impossible 10 work the game without the aid
| OF Fihplnos. The submerged Sutler' paws a
trusted Filipino To take his outraged canoe and
| 90 after the tve-dollar cans OF booze The Fill
pino hides II a mile OF more away from the navy
ward. He bottles II and brings the bottles u
| the submerged suter by whom he is en-
| Ployed. We pay the sutler TWENTY-FIVE cents
| TOR small quarts. IL comes a little higher than
| the price charged by old Filipino Billy: but II
| IS delivered right inside the barracks
| 81 don't know how II 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
| betrav his employer OF anyone of his custom
ers. He regards them as his friends The sub
merged suffers are getting rich all Of them
| The officers do not know ANYTHING about the
existence OF the concealed Canteens' rs a
matter of fact. | don't believe they want to
| know.