A Soldier in the Philippines

ll service in Manila. I missed this detail in all probability by being out in the town when the detail was being made out. I tried to get on when I

service. They were only paid once during the five months; a few of them, however, were not paid until discharged, if I was cor

parts of the service who were not paid f

. This was twenty miles from Manila. The object of the dredging was to make a channel in the shallow water at the river's mouth sufficient to enable gun boats to enter the river, which was deeper after leaving its mouth. This was very slow w

n on shore, and passing up and down the river. I

wds could be seen, each one in a boat, and carrying a big torch. They would be near the beach, going out but a little way from the edge of the water; they wou

d gone into the net, or trap, they were left in it until next day,

gig and move the boat slowly, and when a fish was near enou

on the seventeenth day of May. I had been in the old walled city of Manila a little more than six months; part of my regiment had been there ten months. We had had very

ere always guarded until no soldier could go outside without exhibiting a pass to the guards signed by the comp

imb it to get out, although I have seen this done by means of a rope; men

tary stores. On top of the wall on the sea-side were three hundred large cannon when the city was surrendered to the Americans. Around the old Spanish arsenal about two acres were covered with cannon balls, guns, b

peace all these we

. They have some very peculiar customs. One that came to my noti

ands on the outside and makes love to her though the iron bars of a w

o anything to harass and endanger the lives of Americans that they could think of without exposing themselves too much. Starvation was staring them in the face when the city was surrendered. They had been reduced to rice almost wholly for

sposition out of harmony with that of the American. However, this opinion may be modified somewhat with those able to spe

uld be taking his life in his hands to go out into the country and try to engage in anything. As conditions existed when I was there, bands of hostile Filipinos were scouring the whole interior, and freque

know of soils and crops. It seems to make little difference what season they plant in. The climate is always warm, most of the year extremely hot; too

of it exported. A cigar factory in Manil

, and is the principa

the rough rice in, and chunks of wood are taken in the hands, and the rice is pounded with

ed. No less than fifteen sugar mills could be count

that country would be a wonderful on

untains of Luzon, some of which I saw myself. Several pieces of stone on which gold was easily seen, were picked up by the men of my regiment. I saw rocks with both gold and silve

cations of rich minerals. He appeared to make a confidant of me. At one time he showed me a lot of gold and some silver that he had found out on his prospecting tours, but would not tell me where they came from. He told me th

in the Philippines will attract more people than the Klondike ever did. There are advantages in the Philippines which are not found in the Klon

ions are rich in

oal has been mined ever sin

ica are never seen there. All the native houses and small towns are built of bamboo, and covered with grass. The bamboo grows very large, the joints are two and three feet long, and some of the larger bamboos are as large as a common tree. They are the same thing that people in this country know as canes, the difference being in their size only. Houses are built of bamboo without the use of nails. Nothing for flooring but the naked earth. Split bamboo is worked into the hous

; the buildings look ver

ion then most important to us. I had an army pistol, and with that in my hand I directed my friend to play the part of a prisoner and march before me. We proceeded in that way only a short distance when a guard halted us. I explained that I had a prisoner carrying him to headquarters. The guards were to see orders for a pass or whatever orders I might have, but this one allowed me to pass on with my prisoner without showing any orders. We passed in by all the guards and patrols on the streets, and were halted and som

o risk so much just for a little fun. We were very careful about keeping our little scheme