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Monday, June 12th 1899

Manila, Luzon Island – Entry made in parlor of No. 2 Calle Santa Elena, Tondo

Sky is overcast with clouds almost every day. At night clears up some & sheet lightning plays around the horizon. Wealth hat. No rain. Up about 6.30 a.m. Read one chapter in Deuteronomy. Prayed. In the afternoon feeling a desire to commune with my God prayed again.

Cooked breakfast of oatmeal mush, coffee & fried ham, dinner made of soda crackers & lemonade, supper cocoa, fried ham & oatmeal mush.

Went down town this forenoon with Rev. C. Owens & mailed my War Cry copy to Lt.-Col. Wm Evans but rec’d no mail out of the office. Owens & I parted company down on th eh Escolta & I returned back to end of the street car live (Calle Jolo) then walked out to Tondo church vicinity. The street car conductor had no change so charged me no fare. A peculiar state of affairs.

Called at the house of B. Caramanzana, photographer, & paid him $4.64 for development of 2 films & printing of 24 pictures. Good work. Fell encouraged. Left him 2 more films to develop. A Montana man who looked thro’ my pictures left a note that he would like to exchange with me. Left ward for him to call & see me. Rev. Owens ordered 6 or 8 at 20 cts. each Mex.

Returned home & passed remainder of day at home. Wrote place, date etc. on back of pictures old & new; had to hunt thro’ diaries for necessary information – tedious work.

Also catalogued some books lately added to my collection. The war on the Philippines like war elsewhere, break up homes & scatter libraries, curios & collections of various sorts. Books & collections of shells are offered for sale through the public prints. This is the collector’s harvest time.

One battalion of the 2Oregon embarked today; that is, they (the men) went aboard the steamer  ________, The Oregon after all are the first of the volunteers to start homeward.

An orderly just in from Morong accosted me on the Escolta. Knew me in California. Belongs to the 1st Washington vol. Inf. Had to run the gauntlet of bullets fired by Filipino amigos when making his 25 miles horseback ride. Said Bro. Jensen of Co. L. 1st Washington Inf. is a true Christian. A party of soldiers was singing lewd songs; tried to shame Jensen. He sang & Salvation Army sang for them and they listened to him with respect. I urged the orderly to give his heart to the Lord Jesus and serve Him the same way – faithfully and fearlessly, & then whether amigos hurried him into eternity or he be permitted to live long he would be ready to meet his Lord. I am thankful to hear of Jensen’s courage for Jesus.