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                    An Ohio Woman in the Philippines

              Giving Personal Experiences and Descriptions
                    Including Incidents of Honolulu,
                        Ports in Japan and China



                       Mrs. Emily Bronson Conger

                      Published with illustrations




                                  1904
                      Press of Richard H. Leighton
                              Akron, Ohio




TO HIS DEAR MEMORY.


    To my beloved husband,
        ARTHUR LATHAM CONGER,
    whose love was--Is my sweetest incentive;
    whose approval was--Is my richest reward.
            Mizpah,
                EMILY BRONSON CONGER.






INDEX



                                           PAGES

    Out of the Golden Gate                    7-14
    First Glimpses of Japan                  15-20
    From Yokohama to Tokio                   21-25
    Tokio                                    26-33
    Japan in General                         34-41
    In Shanghai                              42-49
    Hong Kong to Manila                      50-55
    Iloilo and Jaro                          56-66
    The Natives                              67-77
    Wooings and Weddings                     78-82
    My First Fourth in the Philippines       83-88
    Flowers, Fruits and Berries              89-92
    The Markets                              93-95
    Philippine Agriculture                  96-100
    Minerals                               101-103
    Animals                                104-106
    Amusements and Street Parades          107-110
    Festivals of the Church                111-114
    Osteopathy                             115-122
    The McKinley Campaign                  123-125
    Governor Taft at Jaro                  126-132
    Shipwreck                              133-138
    Filipino Domestic Life                 139-151
    Islands Cebu and Romblom               152-154
    Literature                             155-159
    The Gordon Scouts                      160-162
    Trials of Getting Home                 163-166






OUT OF THE GOLDEN GATE.

CHAPTER ONE.


With the words ringing out over the clear waters of San Francisco
Bay as the Steamer Morgan City pulled from the dock, "Now, mother,
do be sure and take the very next boat and come to me," I waved a yes
as best I could, and, turning to my friends, said: "I am going to the
Philippines; but do not, I beg of you, come to the dock to see me off."

I did not then realize what it meant to start alone. I vowed to
stay in my cabin during the entire trip, but, as we steamed out of
the Golden Gate, there was an invitation to come forth, a prophesy
of good, a promise to return, in the glory of the last rays of the
setting sun as they traced upon the portals, "We shall be back in the
morning." And so I set out with something of cheer and hope, in spite
of all the remonstrances, all the woeful prognostications of friends.

If I could not find something useful to do for my boy and for other
boys, I could accept the appointment of nurse from the Secretary
of War, General Russell A. Alger. But, if it proved practicable,
I preferred to be under no obligations to render service, for my
health was poor, my strength uncertain.

The sail from San Francisco to Honolulu was almost without incident;
few of the two thousand souls on board were ill at all. They divided
up into various cliques and parties, such as are usually made up on
ocean voyages. When we arrived at Honolulu, I did not expect to land,
but I was fortunate in having friends of my son's, Hon. J. Mott Smith,
Secretary of State, and family meet me, and was taken to his more
than delightful home and very generously, royally entertained.

My impressions were, as we entered the bay, that the entire population
of Honolulu was in the water. There seemed to be hundreds of little
brown bodies afloat just like ducks.

The passengers threw small coins into the bay, and those aquatic,
human bodies would gather them before they could reach the bottom.

The city seemed like one vast tropical garden, with its waving palms,
gorgeous foliage and flowers, gaily  birds and spicy odors,
but mingled with the floral fragrance were other odors that betokened
a foreign population.

It was my first experience in seeing all sorts and conditions of
people mingling together--Chinese, Japanese, Hawaiians, English,
Germans and Americans. Then the manner of dress seemed so strange,
especially for the women; they wore a garment they call halicoes like
the Mother Hubbard that we so much deride.

We visited the palace