New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-12-01
PHILIPPINE INCIDENTS
Interesting Glimpses of Life in Our
Eastern Dependency.

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: Here are few of many interest
ing incidents told by recent visitors to
the Philippine Islands. \ tourist hap
pened, a few months ago. soon after
reaching Manila. 10 be introduced TO
Mrs Sleeper. the wife Of c. II. Sleeper
Director OF Lands. The newcomer re-
marked: "All this seems like a dream
this lovely city. when 1t is so short time
since we people at home were plying
Americans on these desert islands, ana
sending things TO the soldier boys out
here The Women's Society Of our church
sent barrels by the transport boats filled
with picture papers and magazines, and
paJamas that we made, and song books
and Testaments, and needle books ana
shoestrings. and writing paper and PEN
ellis, and games, and ! don't know what
all. IL was like getting messages from
Mars TO hear that our things had actu-
ally got here and were useful.
What was the name of your church!
Mrs. Sleeper asked with interest. and
when told. she exclaimed why, it was
| who acknowledged your things. Mr..
Sleeper and | have been in the is!ahdS
for years, you know, and during the war
helped as a secretary
And as she told how the things from
home were welcomed by the homesick
soldiers and how the reading matter went
TO the camps and then To poor chaps In
the military prisons. and then to the hos
pitfalls, the strangers were strangers no
longer.
Il remember getting one boxful OF pa
jamas," Mrs. Sleeper said, 'and how
welcome pajamas always were. That
had to go right to the wash because some
good soul had put candy in all the poch-
cts as a surprise TO the boys. The Voy-
age and the climate had reduced the
candy to syrup"
A laugh was relief to that acne III
the throat that always comes with tank
OF camps and battle.
Through the years of peace Mrs Sleep
err has continued her usefulness, WORKING
with the Manila Presbyterian Church
whose Aid Society is one OF the beneii-
cent agencies of the city. Her home mas
been one of the centres OF soclal ENJOY
ment which have kept the character and
charm given them by the earlier resi-
dents and preserved with no abatement
by later corners.
Mr. Sleeper's splendid work in the Blu
reau OF Lands is known and appreciated
Manila's well-wishers, wherever they may
be, can but hope that such citizens may
find il possible TO stay where they have
helped TO create such surprisingly live
able conditions.
Flowers abound in Manila There is
one garden there from which flowers go
TO the hospitals, the old Spanish as well
as the newest American, to church or
prison, To the sick in villas or nipa
shacks; to welcome coming and to speed
parting guests. It seems as II those flow-
ers knew why they bloom and so keep
on blooming.
Pleasant scenes in Bilibid prison are
described-a strange place to go to for
pleasant scene. 1t is school time for a
group of men convicts. They sit docile
and interested, slate in hand, copying
sentences written for them on the black
board by their teacher, himself a convict
At the same hour, in another room, wom-
en- prisoners were having an embroidery
lesson, and took pride in showing their
work. And upstairs. on the hospital roof
the consumptives were having their be-
tween-meals milk and egg luncheon
Workshops, kitchen. laundry and drill
courts all looked pleasant-for a prison.