The Journal of Fletcher Ames Hatch

Being an account of my experience while at work for the Philippine R.R. Co. After you have read these pages, don't talk to me about all engineers having a snap.

If anything happens to me this book is to be sent to my brother Israel Hatch, RD#1, Rockland, Massachusetts, USA.

[transcribed from the original diary by Wynona B. and Jon-Richard Little, 2007]

Tues. Nov 20th


Transit party went out and started lumbering location back of town here. Hill and I worked on estimate of last section all day. Wrote to Charlotte Perkins. Developing machine came from Manila. Farnham and Cooper started on a reconnaissance trip from Cabancalan over the mountains to Dumaguete. Fair all day.

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Wed.Nov.21 st


Hill and I stayed in camp and finished up the estimates. Transit party running ___ line. Watkins of Iloilo called in A.M. Fair all day.

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Tues. Feb. 19th



Went over to Victorias and took topog. Back this way. Party running an alternate location near town. Two Bureau of Lands men in over night. Move back to Silay to-morrow. Fair in day, thunder shower at night.

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Mon. Feb. 18th



Ran the locations into Victorias, put in a Y and mapped the town. Saw the 1st sergeant of the constabulary with four soldiers from Bacolod. They had a bunch of caribaos, horses and prisoners. Caribao thieves that they had captured up in Caduau. They killed two and got the rest. He said that one native corporal and several privates were killed at Cabaulau. Fine day.

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Sun. Feb. 17th



Laid round all day, wrote to Herb, Berry, David and the Madam. Fine day.

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Sat. Feb. 16th



Ran locations nearly to Victorias. Barber settled his difficulties and came back to work. Brought news that the Pulajanes buried Cabancalau and Suay Wed. or Thurs. after noon. Not many details known. Eight constabulary reported killed. Fine day all day.

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Fri. Feb. 15th


Ran only a few stations as far as the further bank of the Malugo River. Patsy almost laid out a kid firing stones at a dog on the way into camp. Fine day.

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Thur. Feb. 14th


Ran about 2 ½ miles to near the Malugo River. Fine day but rained at night. Didn’t get any valentines.

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Wed. Feb. 13th


Taking topog. in A.M. level rodding in P.M. Made a ____cha ulpiter high dive into a ditch. Mr. Farnham came up and brought a whole lot of papers and magazines. Weston at work again. It rained.

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Tues. Feb. 12th



Ran about 2 mi. of location and got in early. Reading the Virginian. Fine book. This is the worst town for dogs we have struck yet. The place is alive with them. Fine day but rained about all night.

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Mon. Feb. 11th


Barber got sore and went into Bacolod. I rodded for Patsy all day. Running locations. Fine day for a wonder. Got mail, two letters from Ma and one from Berry.

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Sun. Feb. 10th


Laid round and read all day. Wrote to Ma and to Washington. Rained hard about all day.

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Sat. Feb. 9th


Running preliminary lines in morning, mapping town in P.M. Weston laid up. Rained hard in A.M. Sent to New York for book on concrete. Capt. Powers up from Barolod.

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Fri. Feb. 8th


Running preliminary from town here across Malugo Riv. Weston came in at night sick with cold. Only rained a little to-day. Great town for dogs.

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Thurs. Feb. 7th


Moved to Saravia. Running preliminary to put line in near town here. Living with Powers the teacher. Rained all the morning.

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Wed. Feb. 6th


Took Barber and went over and meandered the Malugo River. Came back through Saraira and took a celas in from there. Got a letter from “Pop”. Rained in A.M. Move to Saraira to-morrow.

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Tues. Feb. 5th


Working on line. In A.M. meandered Eubang River. Rained most of the day. Bum town, rains all the time here.

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Mon. Feb. 4th


Worked on line back of town all day. Rainy, disagreeable day. This dry season is a snare and a delusion. I don’t believe there is any dry season. Here in Silay it has a record of raining 360 days in a year. It didn’t do a thing but pour in this night.

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Sun. Feb. 3rd


Laid round and read all day. Wrote to June, Ab & Ma and sent for two pairs of Putman boots. Mr. Farnham went back to Bacolod. Showers.

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Sat. Feb. 2nd


Worked on line all day. In for dinner. Showers.

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Fri. Feb. 1st


Moved to Silay. I went down to Mandalagan River and started the boring outfit and came back to Silay in P.M. Showers.

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Thurs. Jan. 31st


Worked all day on line. Mr. Franham came up from Bacolod and brought some more mail including pictures of the kids for me. Move to Silay to-morrow. Fair all day but rained at night.

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Wed. Jan. 30th


Worked on line back of Talisay. Came in about 2P.M Got mail from Helen, June & C.W. David. Fine day.

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Tues. Jan. 29th


Worked in the forenoon but didn’t have much to do so Patsy and I didn’t go out in P.M. Fair and hot all day.

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Mon. Jan. 28th


Didn’t do much to-day. Re-running tangent from Matavang River. Fine day.

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Sun. Jan. 27th


Lou Schuelling and I got up early and met Mrs. Brush who came in on the “Gil Lopez”. Went out and boarded the steamer. Patsy came down from camp and we hung round all day and drove back to camp in one of the company rigs. Hot all day.

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Sat. Jan 26th


Worked near town in morning. In the P.M. went back to Barolod. Took supper with Mr. & Mrs. Farnham. Went to a big baile at Yulo’s in the evening and had a good time. Stayed with Party E over night.

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Friday, Jan 25th


Moved to Talisay. Living with the Presedente here. Wrote to Helen, sent home 15 dollars. Didn’t go out on line. Fine day but hot.

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Thurs. Jan. 24th


Working on line, not much doing. Move to Talisay to-morrow.

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Wed. Jan. 23rd


Didn’t do much to-day. Got mail and I got letters from Ma and Abbie. Got paid for December. Fine day.

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Tues. Jan. 22nd


Worked on estimates all day. Rest of party locating back of town. Tried to get a star observation in evening but too cloudy. Fine day.

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Mon. Jan 21st


Worked on estimates all day. Transit party hubbing line back of town. Worthington left on a lorcha. Hill gets draftsman, Patsy level, and Gard chain. Fine day.

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Sun. Jan. 20th


Big time in town at the fiesta. Place crowded. Answered the three letters I got yesterday and sent pictures to Ma and June. Sent ten pesos to S&B for film.

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Sat. Jan. 19th


Worked on estimates all day. Party E came over on a lovalia and we had a good time talking things over. This is the feast day of San Sebastian the patron saint of the pueblo and there are big doings here, three bands, cannons, fireworks and everything. Shorty and Johnson and I fired off firecrackers all the evening. Heard that Ferris was drowned crossing the Wauapla River last night about seven o’clock. Got mail from home, letters from Ma, Jerry and Carrie. Fine day.

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Fri. Jan. 18th


Cooper, Patsy, Gard and Barber went out on a two days luke looking for rock. Rest of us on estimates. Weston and I went to Forshee’s farewell reception in evening. Fine day all day.

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Thurs. Jan 17th


Running more preliminary. E.J. came in and brought Brush and Von Schuelling and the outfit of Nash’s party which will be along Saturday. They start locating south from here and we start north. Fine day.

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Wed. Jan. 16th


Took one range on soundings and then Hill and I came in to camp and worked on estimates. Fine day all day.

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Tues. Jan. 15th


Ran line from Talisay about 1 ½ mi. toward Bac. And in P.M. meandered small creek. Showers in P.M.

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Mon. Jan. 14th


Took three ranges of soundings and got in early. Rained in P.M. Got cablegram saying that Party # would be here Wed. morning.

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Sun. Jan. 13th


Not much doing. Four of us went over and got photographed in morning. Wrote to Ma. Fine day all day.

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Sat. Jan. 12th


Taking soundings off Talisay. Had a fine sail coming back. Worthington sent in his resignation and leaves a week from to-day. Fine day.

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Fri. Jan. 11th


Running preliminary lines up near Talisay. Fine day.

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Thurs. Jan. 10th


Running prelines. Lines near coast above town. Very hard rain in P.M. and all night.

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Wed. Jan. 9th


Taking soundings for docks. Cloudy with showers.

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ues. Jan. 8th

T
Party sounding for dock. I went about eleven miles back into the mountains looking for some stone. Walked all morning and rode all afternoon. Played billiards with Patsy in evening.

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Mon. Jan. 7th


Meandered beach between here and Talisay. Got through early. Start sounding to-morrow.

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Sun. Jan. 6th


Laid round mostly. Wrote to Ma and June. Patsy, Gard and I had a fine sail in morning.

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Sat. Jan. 5th


Didn’t do much to-day. We packed boring outfit and new commissaries. Hill, Weston, Gard and I took dinner with Mr. and Mrs. Farnham in evening. Cooper got back from Iloilo.

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Fri. Jan. 4th


Moved from Bago into Bacolod. Seemed good to get here. Have a fine big house. Cold and rainy.

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Thurs. Jan. 3rd


Walked about 22 mi. to Bago where we met the camp outfit. Got letters from June, Roy, Ab. And Herb. Rainy.

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Wed. Jan. 2nd


Camp outfit left LaCastellan for Bacolod, got as far as Carlota. Gard and I went from Soledad to Hinigaran. Woke up this morning and found Soledad full of constabulary expecting an attack from the pulajanes. We took dinner with Townsend in Binalbagan and went to Himigiran where we stayed in our old camp.

*pulajanes- peasant followers of a messianistic cult who fought the US Army from 1902-1911

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Tues. Jan. 1st 1907


Gard and I left La Castellana going down Binalbagan valley. Got to Soledad at night and slept on the floor of the school house. Cold and cloudy.

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Mon. Dec. 31st 1906


Finished preliminary, ran in the last line up in the ridge and got in about four o’clock. To-morrow Gardand I start back to Bacolod via Isabella and Binalbagan to locate haciendas. Cold and rainy all day. Wrote to Abbie.

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Sat. Dec. 29th


Ran about 4 ½ miles up in the hills. Getting this country around here pretty well covered with lines. Coleman and Fallon in during the evening. Got a little mail, one letter from Ma and one from Bobs, also from Ed. Gilbert.

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Fri. Dec. 28th


Working up in the hills. Transit party ran 225 stations and finished at one o’clock. Coleman a cinemetograph operator came in for dinner and stayed over night. Fair all day but rained at night.

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Thurs. Dec. 27th


Moved to La Castellano. Ran some line to show up country back of town. Lots of cogon fires all around us. Fine day all day.

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Wed. Dec. 26th


Moved to antipolo. Ran a little line around there and got into camp early. Only stay here one night.

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Tues. Christmas Day


Mr. Beard and Mr. Farnham left early in P.M. Patsy and I played billiards in morning. Laid round and read in P.M. Fine day. Move back to antipolo to-morrow.

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Mon. Dec. 24th


Ran line from La Carlota to Antipolo straight. Wrote to Herb and sent $14.75. Great doing in the evening. Fine day all day.

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Sun. Dec. 23rd


Laid round camp all day. Had four men and two ladies, teachers from Iloilo in for dinner. Mr. Beard and Dr. Carson same about five P.M. Domingo, the head camp boy got married and they had a big baile in the next house. Wrote to Ma.

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Sat. Dec. 22nd


Moved to La Carlota. Hill and I had about five miles to do to tie in the D-line so we worked until just about sun down and then walked six miles into La Carlota. Got a bunch of papers but no letters. Mr. Beard coming in to-morrow.

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Fri. Dec. 21st


Gard and I walked back to the ridge on the D-line and took about 2 ½ mi. of rough country. Mr. Farnham left for Bacolod at noon to meet Mr. Beard. La Carlota manana.

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Thurs. Dec. 20th


Moved to La Granja. Gard and I took a short line in the A.M. and came in with the outfit. Living in a true shack, dirty and full of bugs. Got mail in evening and I got a letter from “Bobs” and one from Carrie.

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Wed. Dec. 19th


Ran on two or three short lines near the tie in. Whole crowd got in early. Rained about all day. Move to La Granja to-morrow.

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Tues. Dec. 18th


Worked on C and E lines down to Carmencita hacienda. Got in early and found a big bunch of mail. Letters from Roy, Helen, June, Abbie, Art Ward and Conley. Wrote to Roy. Rained all night.

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Mon. Dec. 17th


Moved to Antipolo. I worked until noon and came into camp. Small shower at noon.

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Sun. Dec. 16th


Developed a lot of pictures in the morning and printed them in the afternoon. Wrote to Helen and to Bertha. Won two pesos on the manocs. Night made hideous by fights, dogs, music boxes and a band. Move to Antipolo to-morrow.

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Sat. Dec. 15th


Ran D-line towards La Granja and reached an elevation of 510 the highest so far. Got in early, hot all day.

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Fri. Dec. 14th


Back on C-2 line and C-3 line in afternoon. Had a fine swim in the river. Hot all day.

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Thurs. Dec.13th


Gard and I out alone on a line up in the hills. Rough cogon grass country and hot all day. Got mail in evening and I got letters from Helen and Bertha.

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Wed. Dec. 12th


Started into the hills with the line. Gard and I got way behind and came in at noon and made a map of the town. Hot all day. Fine country up in these parts. High and hilly.

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Tues. Dec. 11th


La Castellana. Ran about three miles and moved in La Castellana. Have a fine house here all furnished and lots of chairs. Hot and sultry to-day.

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Mon. Dec. 10th


Worked about an hour in the A.M. mapping the town then came in. Wrote to June and to the office having $100 gold a month sent to June. Fine day all day.

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Sun. Dec. 9th


Patsy, Gard and I went up to Camp Clark with Lieut. Mohler and spent the day. Had a fine time and a good ride going and coming. Wrote to Herb in evening. Fine day.

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Sat. Dec. 8th


Gard and I meandered the Biulbagan River from the C-line and came in about noon. Mr. Farnham went down to Binalbagan to meet Mr. Beard but he didn’t show up. Transit party ran about five miles making a total weeks run of 22.5 mi. the record. Fine day. Lieut. Mohler in for supper.

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Fri. Dec. 7th

Fri. Dec. 7th
Went out alone and meandered Biualbagan Riv. Gard with party. Had dinner with a Filipino. Got in early. Cauloau smoking in A.M. Fine day.

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Thurs. Dec. 6th

Thurs. Dec. 6th
Ran about four miles toward La Castellana. Rev. Agent Spirley in for supper. Fine day.

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Wed. Dec. 5th


Isabella. Ran over four miles got into Isabella at noon and ran by in P.M. Fine day all day.

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Tues. Dec. 4th


Ran almost three miles mostly through rice about six feet high. Ground level as a billiard table for miles. Beautiful country. Move to Isabella to-morrow.

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Mon. Dec. 3rd


In camp in Soledad in the school house. Left Hineamaylan and started La Castellana line North from a couple of mi. south of Biualbagan. Ran 3 ½ miles through solid rice fields, beautiful country. Mr. Farnham back from Bacolod. Hot in A.M. thunder showers in P.M.

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Sun. Dec. 2 nd


Hot as time in A.M. Rained late in P.M. Laid round camp all day. Developed two rolls of film in morning, wrote to Roy and to Helen. Had a fine swim in river off a lorcha. Move to-morrow.

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Sat. Dec. 1 st


Ran about a mile and a half. Came in and found a big bunch of mail. I got letters from Ma, Ab, Herb, Helen, & Roy and a big bunch of papers. Cooper back from Iloilo. Telegram came from E.J.B. to start at once on a preliminary from Binalbagan through Castellana and Isabelloa so we move Monday. Got paid for October. Hot all day.

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Fri. Nov. 30 th


Ran about a mile and a half. Hot in A.M. and thunder storm and rain in P.M.

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Thurs. Nov. 29 th Thanksgiving


Holiday to-day. Hot as sin and we all laid around camp and bought stuff of the soldiers who are here. In the evening we had a big turkey dinner, present beside ourselves, Mr. Watkins of Iloilo, Ise and Bosold from Cabancalan and Lieuts. Norton and Robinson of the 8th Inf. We had a good dinner and a good time. Everybody well stocked with shoes, leggings, socks, pants, etc.

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Wed. Nov. 28 th


Ran about 1 ½ mi. of location. Gard moving camp back from Cabancalan. When we came into camp we found Mr. Watkins here also two lieutenants and twenty soldiers of the inf. Who are making a map of the island. The two officers came over after supper and the 2nd lieut. Robinson is from Boston. Fine day all day and hot to-morrow no travalio. Cholera in Vallodolid, 20 mi. above here.

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Tues. Nov. 27 th


Fair and hot all day. Transit party finished hub line at noon and after dinner we started actual location. I had Gard and Rosario getting property lines etc. Got a paper from Roy with account of first foot ball games. Fine moonlight night and we laid round on Ise’s piazza until ten thirty.

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Monday Nov. 26 th


Got up and went to Cabancalan. Took section on Beuequal River. ___ had a lot of Manila Times and we got a lot of news, including election returns, a few football scores, the baseball pennants, and some other. A rumor reached us that Germany has declared war on Russia. Fair and very hot all day. Rec’d telegram from Fanham saying probably no line.

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Sun. Nov. 25 th


In A.M. Patsy and I went up to barrio of Gison five mi. above here on coast. Hired a boat and had a great sail back. Bought some pina cloth and sent it to Ma. Wrote to Ma and Jr. Fair day. Start canned salmon trip to Cabancalan to-morrow.

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Sat. Nov. 24 th


Hill and I went out and took sections on Caradion and Suay Rivers. Came in early. Capt. Bowers stopped in P.M. He had just come over the mountains from Dumeguete. Rained a little in P.M.

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Fri. Nov. 23 rd


Hill and I went up the Diot Riv. in A.M. and took ravine section. Laid round camp in P.M. Wrote to Carrie. Fine day all day.

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Thurs. Nov. 22 nd


Hill and I stayed in camp with Worthington. Didn’t do much but adjust the second transit. I gave a native boy two pesos for a pup, he is a savage little brute. Got mail, a letter from Carrie and my films came down from Manila. Fair all day. Sent twenty pesos, two spools of film and ordered 4 sp. Of film from S.B.&Co., Manila.

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Wed.Nov.21 st


Hill and I stayed in camp and finished up the estimates. Transit party running ___ line. Watkins of Iloilo called in A.M. Fair all day.

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Tues. Nov 20 th


Transit party went out and started lumbering location back of town here. Hill and Iworked on estimate of last section all day. Wrote to Charlotte Perkins. Developing machine came from Manila. Farnham and Cooper started on a reconnaissance trip from Cabancalan over the mountains to Dumaguete. Fair all day.

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Mon. Nov. 19 th


Went out in the forenoon and ran about a mile the last end of preliminary on this end. Came in and worked on estimates in afternoon. Start locations to-morrow. Fine dall but rained at night.

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Sun. Nov. 18 th


Laid round camp as usual. Dr. Hagen here. Had a great time photographing some kids in the morning. Wrote to Ma, June and Ed Gilbert. Fine day all day.

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Sat. Nov. 17 th


Finished yesterdays line and then started back to Himamaylan. Got nearly there at noon and in P.M. worked on a short piece of line below town. Came into camp early. Pretty glad to get home again. Dr. Hagen in camp and everybody was lined up for medical inspection. I was about the only one that didn’t have sore feet. Got telegram from E.J. saying start at Cabancalan and locate northward so we will probably go on location some time next week. Had a big time in Iloilo the 14 th starting construction. Fine weather all the week and roads are pretty well dried up. Got a letter from Abbie and Ma to-night.

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Fri. Nov. 16 th


Went back almost to Suay and ran another line into Cabancalan. Fine day.

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Thurs. Nov.15 th


Ran yesterdays line on further and meandered the river for a ways and set two permanent hubs at the end of the line as Cabancalan will probably be the end of the line. Fine day all day; sure having fine weather these days. Nights almost as cool as September nights at home.

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