carry their parcels, but they seldom walk, however, for they ride even
when the distance is short. The grand dames affect a great deal of
modesty and delicacy of feeling. On a certain occasion they sent word
to the commanding general that it would be a serious shock to their
feelings to have the execution of a criminal take place in the center
of the town. The gallows were erected in the suburbs. Immediately
all the natives were set to work to make hiding places where these
sensitive ladies, unseen, could witness the execution. From early
dawn until 9 A. M. carriages were carrying these delicate creatures
to their secret stations. Not one of them in the whole village of
Jaro but was on the watch. They supposed, of course, that I would
be so interested that I would take a prominent part; that executions
were common festivals in the United States.
The criminal himself had no idea that his sentence would be enforced,
even up to the last moment he took it as a huge joke, and when he was
taken to the general said he would like to be excused, and offered
to implicate others who were more guilty than himself.
Many questions were asked me concerning our methods of execution,
and great was the surprise when I confessed that I had never seen one
myself, nor did I ever expect to see one; that my countrywomen would
be horrified to witness such a sight; and that on the present occasion
I had gone to the adjoining town six miles away to escape it all. I
was shown several pictures of the victim taken by a Chinese artist.
A man buys at a booth one penny's worth of what is known as "sow-sow"
for himself and family. I have often looked into the sow-sow pots,
but was never able to make out what was contained therein. The
children buy little rice cakes, thin, hard, and indigestible as bits
of slate. The children's stomachs are abnormally large; due, perhaps,
to the half-cooked rice and other poorly prepared food. When it comes
to the choice of caring for the child or the fighting cock, the cock
has the preference. The bird is carried as fondly and as carefully as
if it were a superior creature. It was strange to see how they would
carry these birds on their palms; nor did they attempt to fly away,
but would sit there and crow contentedly.
We had at one time five or six carpenters to do some bamboo work. They
brought their fighting cocks along with them for amusement when they
were not at work, which was every moment our backs were turned. They
are so used to being driven that it never occurs to them to go on
with their work unless someone is overseeing them. They began by
putting the bamboo at the top of the room and working down, braiding,
plaiting and splitting, putting in a bit here and there in a very
deft way without a nail. They did all the cutting sitting down on
the floor and holding the smooth bamboo pieces with their feet,
while they sawed the various lengths with a bolo.
When they had completed the partition, I said to the foreman,
"How much for the day's work for all." The head man very politely
informed me that he did not propose to pay these other men anything;
if I wanted to pay them all right, but he would not. The defrauded ones
got down on their knees to beg for their pay. I called in a priest who
could talk some English, and explained the situation to him. He told
me frankly that I would have to pay these other men just the same,
notwithstanding that I had paid the foreman the full amount. He
said I had better do it, because if I did not the men would bring
vengeance upon me. They have no idea of justice or honor. What is
true of business is true of every act of theirs, as far as I know.
An American woman told me that her husband could not attend to his
military duties because he had to watch the nine natives who came
to his house to do work. He had to keep account of their irregular
comings and goings, to examine each one that he did not steal, to
investigate his work that it was not half done. Men and women are
alike--they must be watched every moment, because they have been
so long watched and driven. If women who are hired and paid by the
month break or destroy the least thing, its value is taken out of
their wages and they are beaten. It was very astonishing to me to see,
notwithstanding this serfdom, that they remain submissive to the same
masters and mistresses.
A man was condemned to die by one of the secret societies. His most
faithful servant, a member of the order, was chosen to execute the
sentence. He calmly met his master at the door, made a thrust at him
and wounded him slightly, struck again, and again; the third blow
was fatal. The servant was never punished for the crime. It happened
just a few doors from where I was living. There was a large funeral
procession and a huge black cross was placed at the door, and that
ended the matter, so far as I know. They place little value upon life;
they seem to think death is but the gate to great happiness, no matter
what its manner may be. I used to see many persons, men and women,
with crosses on their throats and bodies. I asked ever so many what
it meant, but was never able to find out. It was never seen upon the
so-called better class. Much that I learned of the various tribes and
various castes was told me by a converted Filipino, Rev. Manakin. He
expected any time to be placed under the ban of the secret societies
and killed.
WOOINGS AND WEDDINGS.
CHAPTER TEN.
The manner of wooing is rather peculiar. The man who wishes to pay his
addresses to a woman gets the consent of her father and mother. He is
received by the entire family when he calls, but is never allowed,
in any way, to show her any special favor or attention; he must
devote himself to the entire family. If he wishes to take her to a
theatre, or concert, or dance, he must take the entire family. For
about a week before the marriage the bride elect is carried about in
a sort of wicker bamboo hammock borne on the shoulders of two young
men and she goes about paying visits to her intimate friends; she is
not allowed to put foot to the ground or do any sort of menial labor.
Mothers brought their young daughters to me daily to importune me to
choose a sweetheart for my son or for any other officer who happened
to be at our headquarters. I know that one young officer was offered
$100,000 to marry the daughter of one of the richest men in the town
of Molo, and it was a great wonder to the father that the young man
could refuse so brilliant a match socially, to say nothing of it
financially. There happened to be a young Englishman in the regular
service whose time expired while he was at Jaro. He had been cook and
valet for an officer's mess and was really a very fine fellow. He was
immediately chosen by a wealthy Filipino to marry his daughter. The
young man not only got a wife but a very handsome plantation of sugar
and rice; perhaps not the only foreign husband secured by a good dowry.
The trousseau of a rich Filipino girl consists of dozens and dozens
of rich dresses; no other article is of interest. They do not need the
lingerie. Among the common people it is simply an arrangement between
the mother and the groom or it can all be arranged with the priest. I
have seen as many as fifteen young girls sitting in the market place
while their mothers told of their various good qualities. Marriage is
not a question of affection, seemingly. The only thing necessary is
money enough to pay the priest. Very often all rites are set aside;
the man chooses his companion, the two live together and probably
rear a large family.
I was told that there are two sets of commandments in use--one for
the rich, the other for the poor.
I was glad to accept the kind invitation of a rich and influential
family to their daughter's wedding. At the proper hour, I presented
myself at the church door and was politely escorted to a seat. There
was music. The natives came dressed in their best, and squatted
upon the floor of the cathedral. After a long time the bride elect
sauntered in with three or four of her attendants not especially
attired, nor did they march in to music but visited along the way as
they came straggling in. Soon the groom shuffled in, I say shuffled
because they have so recently begun to wear shoes. The bridal group
gathered before the altar and listened to the ritual. Finally the
groom took the bride's hand for one brief moment. A few more words
by the priest and the ceremony was ended. To my surprise the bride
came up and greeted me. I did not understand what I was expected to do
but I shook hands and said I hoped she would be very happy. The groom
now came up and bowing low presented his "felicitations." I returned
the bow but could not muster a word. The women straggled out on one
side of the cathedral and the men on the other. This was considered
a first class "matrimony." There was a very large reception at the
house with a grand ball in the evening; indeed, there were two or
three days of festivities.
In contrast to this was the wholesale matrimonial bureau which was
conducted every Saturday morning. I have seen as many as ten couples
married all at once. I never knew which man was married to which woman,
as the men stood grouped on one side of the priest and the women on the
other. I asked one groom, "Which is your wife?" He scanned the crowd of
brides a moment then said comfortably, "Oh, she is around somewhere."
I used to go to the cathedral on Saturdays to see the various
ceremonies. The most interesting of all the cheap baptisms at
which all the little babies born during the week were baptized for
ten cents. These pitiable little creatures, deformed and shrunken,
were too weak to wail, or, perhaps they were too stupified with
narcotics. A large candle was put into each little bird-claw, the
nurse or mother holding it in place above the passive body covered
only with a scrap of gauze but decked out with paper flowers, huge
pieces of jewelry, odd trinkets, anything they had--all dirty, mother,
child, ornaments; the onlookers still more dirty. The priest whom
I knew very well, since he lived just across the way, told me that
few of these cheap babies live long. I am sure they could not; not
one of them would weigh five pounds. They were all emaciated; death
would be a mercy. There was a little fellow next door to whom I was
very much attached. The dear little naked child would stay with me
by the day if I would have him; he was four years old but no larger
than an American baby of four months. I used to long for a rocking
chair that I might sing him to sleep but he had no idea of sleeping
when he was with me. His great brown eyes would look into my face
with an intensity of love; he would gaze at me till I feared that he
was something uncanny. If I gave him a lump of sugar, he would hold it
reverently a long time before he would presume to eat it. Every day he
and other little devoted natives would bring me bouquets of flowers,
stuck on the spikes of a palm or on tooth picks. No well regulated
house but has bundles of tooth picks arranged in fancy shapes such as
fans and flowers. All their sideboards and tables have huge bouquets
of these wonderfully wrought and gayly ornamental tooth picks.
They carve with skill; out of a bit of wood or bamboo they will
whittle a book, so pretty as to be worth four or five dollars.
One day I made a woman understand by signs that I should like to weave;
she nodded approval and in a little while a loom was brought to the
house; we went over to the market, purchased our fiber and began. I
found it a difficult task, as I had to sit in a cramped position;
and the slippery treadles of round bamboo polished by use were hard
to manage. I did better without shoes. The weaving was a diversion;
it occupied my time when the soldiers were out of the quarters. I will
not deny that yards of the fabric were watered with my tears. There
was dangerous and exhausting work for our troops; and there were bad
reports that many were mutilated and killed.
MY FIRST FOURTH IN THE PHILIPPINES.
CHAPTER ELEVEN.
I can not tell what joy it was to me to see my son and the members
of the troop come riding into town alive and well after a hard
campaign. They looked as if they had seen service, and what huge
appetites they brought with them. On the third of July, 1900, I heard
that the boys were coming back on the Fourth. Learning that there
was nothing for their next day's rations I decided to prepare a good
old-fashioned dinner myself. All night long I baked and boiled and
prepared that meal; eighty-three pumpkin pies, fifty-two chickens,
three hams, forty cakes, ginger-bread, 'lasses candy, pickles,
cheese, coffee, and cigars. Having purchased from a Chinese some fire
crackers--as soon as there was a streak of dawn--I went to my window
and lighted those crackers. It was such a surprise to the entire town;
they came to see what could be the matter, as no firing was permitted
in the city. We began our first Fourth in true American style, as the
"Old Glory" was being raised we sang "Star Spangled Banner." Many
joined in the chorus and in the Hip! Hip! Hurrah! I keep in a small
frame the grateful acknowledgment of the entire Company that was
given to me from the Gordon Scouts:
Jaro, Panay, P. I., July 4th, 1900.
To Mrs. A. L. Conger:
We, the undersigned, members of Gordon's Detachment, of Mounted
Eighteenth Infantry Scouts, desire, in behalf of the entire troop,
to express our thanks for and appreciation of the excellent dinner
prepared and furnished us by Mrs. A. L. Conger, July 4th, 1900. It
was especially acceptable coming as it did immediately after return
from arduous field service against Filipino insurrectos and, being
prepared and tendered us by one of our own brave and kind American
women, it was doubly so.
It is the earnest wish of the detachment that Mrs. Conger may never
know less pleasure than was afforded us by such a noble example of
patriotic American womanhood.
Respectfully,
[Signed]
I prepared other dinners at various times, but this first spread was
to them and to myself a very great pleasure.
Letters from home were full of surprise that we still stayed though
the war was over--the newspapers said it was. For us the anxiety and
struggle still went on. To be sure there were no pitched battles but
the skirmishing was constant; new outbreaks of violence and cruelty
were daily occurring, entailing upon our men harassing watch and
chase. The insurrectos were butchers to their own people. Captain
N. told me that he hired seven native men to do some work around the
barracks up in the country and paid them in American money, good
generous wages. They carried the money to their leader who was so
indignant that they had worked for the Americans that he ordered them
to dig their graves and, with his own hands, cut, mutilated, and killed
six of them. The seventh survived. Bleeding and almost lifeless, he
crawled back to the American quarters and told his story. The captain
took a guide and a detail, found the place described, exhumed the
bodies and verified every detail of the inhuman deed.
They committed many bloody deeds, then swiftly drew back to the
swamps and thickets impenetrable to our men. The very day, the hour,
that the Peace Commissioner, Governor Taft, Judge Wright and others
to the number of thirty were enjoying an elegantly prepared repast
at Jaro there was, within six miles, a spirited conflict going on,
our boys trying to capture the most blood-thirsty villains of the
islands. This gang had hitherto escaped by keeping near the shore and
the impenetrable swamps of the manglares. No foot but a Filipino's
can tread these jungles. When driven into the very closest quarters,
they take to their boats, and slip away to some nearby island.
I hope that my son and his men will pardon me for telling that they
rushed into some fortifications that they saw on one of their perilous
marches and with a sudden fusillade captured the stronghold. The
Filipinos had a company of cavalry, one of infantry, one of bolo men,
and reserves. The insurrecto captain told me himself that he never was
so surprised, mortified, and grieved that such a thing could have been
done. They thought there was a large army back of this handful of men,
eleven in all. General R. P. Hughes sent the following telegram to
my son, and his brave scouts: "To Lieutenant Conger, June 14, 1900,
Iloilo. I congratulate you and your scouts on your great success. No
action of equal dash and gallantry has come under my notice in the
Philippines." (Signed) R. P. Hughes.
All this time there were negotiations going on to secure surrender and
the oath of allegiance. Those who vowed submission did not consider
it at all binding.
General Del Gardo surrendered with protestations of loyalty and has
honored his word ever since; he is now Governor of the Island of Panay
(pan-i). He is very gentlemanly in appearance and bearing and has
assumed the duties of his new office with much dignity. Just recently
I learn, to my surprise, that he does not recognize the authority
of the "Presidente" of the town of Oton, who was appointed before
the surrender of General Del Gardo, and that therefore the very fine
flag raising we had on the Fourth of July, 1900, is not considered
legal. We had a famous day of it at the time. All the soldiers who
could be spared marched to Oton. There was a company of artillery,
some cavalry, and the scouts. From other islands, Americans and our
sick soldiers were brought by steamer as near as possible and then
landed in small boats. We were somewhat delayed in arriving but
were greeted in a most friendly manner by the whole town. We were
escorted up to the house of the Presidente and were immediately
served with refreshments that were most lavish in quantity, color,
shape and kind; too numerous in variety to taste, and too impossible
of taste to partake. After the parade, came the running up of the
flag, made by the women of the town. The shouting and the cheering
vied with the band playing "America," "Hail Columbia," and the
"Star Spangled Banner." It was indeed an American day celebrated
in loyal fashion--certainly by the Americans. It was the very first
flag raising in the Islands by the Filipinos themselves. It is with
regret that I hear that General Del Gardo has refused officially to
recognize this historic occasion. After these ceremonies we had the
banquet. I do not recall any dish that was at all like our food except
small quail, the size of our robins. Where and how they captured all
the birds that were served to that immense crowd and how they ever
prepared the innumerable kinds of refreshments no one will ever know
but themselves. We were all objects of curiosity. The natives for
miles around flocked in to gaze upon the Americans. At this place
there is one of the finest cathedrals on the Island of Panay, large
enough for a whole regiment of soldiers to quarter in, as once happened
during a very severe storm. The reredos was especially fine. It was
in the center of the cathedral and was almost wholly constructed of
hammered silver of very intricate pattern and design. Nave, choir,
and transepts were ornamented with exquisite carving in stone and wood.
FLOWERS, FRUITS AND BERRIES.
CHAPTER TWELVE.
Fruits are of many varieties; the most luscious are the mangoes. There
is only one crop a year; the season lasts from April to July. It is
a long, kidney-shaped fruit. It seems to me most delicious, but some
do not like it at all. The flavor has the richness and sweetness of
every fruit that one can think of. They disagree with some persons
and give rise to a heat rash. For their sweet sake, I took chances and
ended by making a business of eating and taking the consequences. The
mango tree has fine green satin leaves; the fruit is not allowed to
ripen on the tree. The natives pick mangoes as we pick choice pears
and let them ripen before eating. They handle them just as carefully,
and place them in baskets that hold just one layer. The best mangoes
are sometimes fifty cents a piece. The fruit that stands next in favor
is the chico. It looks not unlike a russet apple on the outside, but
the inside has, when ripe, a brown meat and four or five black seeds
quite like watermelon seeds. It is rich and can be eaten with impunity.
The banana grows everywhere, and its varieties are as numerous as
those of our apple; its colors, its sizes, manifold. Some about
the size of one's finger are deliciously sweet and juicy. They grow
seemingly without any cultivation whatever, by the road as freely
as in the gardens. Guavas are plentiful, oranges abundant but poor
in quality. The pomelo is like our "grape fruit," but larger, less
bitter and less juicy. Cut into squares or sections and served with a
sauce of white of egg and sugar beaten together it is a delicious dish.
There are no strawberries or raspberries, but many kinds of small
fruits, none of which I considered at all palatable, although some
of them looked delicious hanging upon the trees or bushes. There is a
small green kind of cherry full of tiny seeds that the natives prize
and enjoy. The fruits of one island are common to all.
The flora of the country was not seen at its best; many of the natives
told me. Trees, shrubs, gardens and plantations had been trampled by
both armies and left to perish. Our government took up the work of
restoration as soon as possible. The few roses that I saw were not of a
particularly good quality, nor did they have any fragrance. No one can
ever know what joy thrilled me when one day I found some old fashioned
four o'clocks growing in the church yard. The natives do not care to
use the natural flowers in the graceful sprays or luxuriant clusters in
which they grow. They usually stick them on the sharp spikes of some
small palm or wind them on a little stick to make a cone or set the
spikelets side by side in a flat block. They much prefer artificial
stiffness to natural grace. In the hundreds of funeral ceremonies
that I saw I never noticed the use of a single natural blossom. The
flowers were all artificial, of silk, paper, or tissue. One reason,
perhaps, of this choice is that all vegetation is infested with ants;
they can scarcely be seen, but, oh, they can be felt! The first time
I was out driving I begged the guard to gather me huge bunches of
most exquisite blooms but I was soon eager to throw them all out;
the ants swarmed upon me and drove me nearly frantic. I learned to
shun my own garden paths and to content myself with looking out of
the window on the plants below. There are many birds but no songsters.
The betel nut is about the size of a walnut. The kernel is white
like the cocoanut. They wrap a bit of this kernel with a pinch of
air-slacked lime in a pepper leaf, then chew, chew, all day, and
in intervals of chewing they spray the vividly colored saliva on
door-step, pavement and church floor.
I often watched the natives climb the tall cocoanut trees, about
eighty feet high, with only the fine fern-like leaves at the extreme
top. These trees yield twenty to fifty cocoanuts per month and live to
a great age. No one can have any idea of the delicious milk until he
has drunk it fresh from the recently gathered nuts. A young native will
climb as nimbly and as swiftly as a monkey, and will be as unfettered
by dress as his Darwinian brother. The fruit is severed from the tree
by the useful bolo.
The flowers in the parks when I saw them had all been trampled into the
mud by the soldiers of both armies, but I was told that they had been
very beautiful. There were also large trees, bearing huge clusters of
blooms; one bunch had seventy-five blossoms, each as large as a fair
sized nasturtium. These are called Fire or Fever Trees, since they
have the appearance of being on fire and bloom in the hot season when
fever is most prevalent. Other trees whose name I do not recall bear
equally large clusters of purple flowers. The palms are large and grow
in great luxuriance, and the double hibiscus look like large pinks.
THE MARKETS.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN.