Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1911-08-17
AUDUBON COUNTY BOY
Served Three Years In Army In Phil
ippines As U. S. Interpreter
At Manila. Sergeant
Of Police Now

We were much surprised and pleased
to have a call from Police Sergeant
VIM. III. Beedle of Manila, Phillip
pines. Will was born in Greeley town
ship, Audubon County, Iowa, twenty
eight years ago. When quite young he
moved with his parents to Gray where
they kept store for short time. La
ter they moved to Audubon, where
they resided until about the time that
the Spanish American war broke out.
The subject Of our sketch got to be
.lusty boy of sixteen summer, and be-
ing of good size he very soon was on
the way to Fort Crook, Nebraska, and
he was mustered into the 22nd Infan-
try. He looks hearty and healthy and
weighs about 200 pounds. He served
three years in the regular arms and at
the end of the term remained in Man
lila. Since 1908 he has been on the
police force and relates that when Pres.
Taft was governor of the Philippines,
he was palace guard. Will delights
to show his credentials one of which is
from the chief of the secret service bu-
reau of Manila.
For several years he has been Pa
trolman with a salary at $500 per
month with two months vacation each
year allowed. BY conserving this ov-
ertime he had gain leave of absence
of seven months on full pay. He is al.
so entitled to Steamship and Rail
transportation. On his return he pays
back this transportation in installments
in two years, when at the end of that
time all is returned to him. He is also
allowed one month to come home and
one month to return on half pay.
Will says the government does this
with their men as an inducement to re-
turn to their work. He is at the head
of the list for promotion, which may
come anyday. Manila is city well
governed and is as cleanly as an Amer
lean City. 1t has population of about
225, 900 with electric lights and electric
Street Railway. The city receives its
water from the mountains many miles
away. 1t has good sewerage system
but the city has very low altitude.
They ship nuts, rice, sugar, hemp, co
Goa, tobacco and, by the way, he gave
us two cigars to see the difference in
tobacco grown here and there. The
quality was excellent. The caribou is
the principal beast of burden, but in
| Manila there are over 500 automobiles
in use. Will has no desire to return
here to live, preferring the islands. He
says there are over hundred different
dialects in the islands and all the ma
tions are antagonistic to each other
Help in Manila is plentiful; he has
three servants in his household, he
pays them altogether, eight dollars a
month (not each), and their board, he
says is not to exceed ten cents day
each, as they live on rice and fish
This is the diet of the natives, but not
so ofthe Americans, they live as we dc
but the living is not so costly as here
Will is well informed on matters in the
islands, but our question box gave Out
as he wished to catch the train and toe
it was our press day. He expects to
be here again in 1915 and we welcome
him. While getting ready to leave he
remarked that it never freezes in Man
lila and never gets as hot as it does
here. They have five ice plants il
Manila that supply the city with
crystal ice.
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