Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1910-03-24
CONTEST PIANO ARRIVES FROM FARGO.
SECOND TO NONE IN THE COUNTY
friends in this city, he has consented to
our publishing the same:
Fl. Mills, Corregidor, z. |.

Fl. Mills, Corregidor, P. /.
Feb. IL, 1910.
wish some of you were over here.
It's great place. | am enthusiastic
over the Philippines. The climate has
been much maligned in the states. Of
course, if one goes into the swampy
regions or the lower lands he can expect
miasma, dengue, malaria, and the like
but so he can in Florida. In the
mountainous regions or even in the
level lands little above sea level the
climate is fully as possibly
more so-than is that of our gulf states.
During eighteen months in Louisiana
lost nearly thirty pounds in weight
and have gained nearly that much in
ten months here.
Manila bay, as you will remember
from your geography, is on the south
west coast of Luzon and is about thirty
miles wide. Corregidor is an island in
the mouth or entrance to the bay, and
if level would be as big at some of the
large farms near Webster. 1t is irreg-
ular in shape apparently the rim of an
ancient volcano. Its highest elevation
is about six hundred feet. We have on
the island a garrison for the Coast
Artillery Corps, Corps of Engineers,
Signal Corps, Hospital Corps, Philippine
Scouts and the usual on-commissioned
staff. In addition we have about 800
military convicts (Filippino) and 5000
natives. Our nights are usually cool
although the days may be hot, so SER
vice over here is no worse than in other
places.
We arrived here after two months on
the transport-we came from New
York via Suez, you remember, and
found ourselves in the middle of the hot
season-April 22nd. The rains set in
during July and although the rainy sea-
son was unusually mild, the rains con-
tinued until October. Since then we
had perfect weather until recently. Of
late it has begun to get warm. Our
quarters are very pleasantly ard well
situated, facing south and giving Us
! beautiful view toward southern Luzon
and Lubang, and on clear days with
Mindoro visible. From our porches we
can see sunsets more glorious than any
you ever see in South Dakota.
Our cooks are usually Chinese (chinks)
and our house boys (muchachos) Flip
mos. The nurses are usually Filipinos,
but the washing is done by Chinese or
Filipino men or women. We pay our
cook so, muchacho Is, nurse 10 and for
laundry IA pesos. A peso, you know,
is one dollar Mexican or fifty cents in
American currency. A media peso go
centavos) is the equivalent of quarter
peceta GO centavos) to dime, media
peseta to nickel. five centavo piece to
211 cents, and a centavo to one-half
cent. Our paper money comes in 2, 6,
10, so and 100 peso denominations.
Most of the younger natives in south
ern Luzon speak Tagalog, Spanish and
English, but find can get along with
them better by speaking Spanish than
| can with English. Only in a few
cases have | found it necessary to piece
out my Spanish with Tegalog words.
should like to go on and tell you Of
the natives themselves, but am officer
of the day and it is time for me to make
my latter midnight inspection of the
guard. A study of native customs is
very interesting. For example, they
cry-both men and women-whenever
they enter your house for the first time
in your employment-fo good luck.
But | will reserve them for later let
ter.
AS you see, like the Islands never
theless I'll be glad to say goodbye to
them about this time next year-for
although the Philippines are interesting
the climate agreeable and the service
especially in the Coast Artillery pleas
ant, they never quite equal Gods
Country" United States.
Yours as ever,
Lieut.. Robt. Arthu