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]
Rained hard all day and we stayed in camp working on the estimate. I painted topog. rod. Got mail in the evening, papers from home but no letters. Cablegram came from Beard saying he will be down on the 6th to take us back to Silay. Got paid for July.
Laid round camp all day, wrote to Ma, Bertle, Couley, and Carrie. Patsy on the bum with a bilious turn. Cloudy all day.
Running lines at terminal for topography. Ran about three miles. Patsy's laid up. White ____ chaise. Hot all day. Labor day at home.
Finishing up around the terminal and guess we got finished up. Got into camp about three o'clock.
Went out alone in the morning and took some pictures with the company camera in the P.M. We went out and ran about a mile of line and got caught in the rain. Have got a big boil on my left leg sore as blazes.
In camp all day working on the estimate. Rained hard in morning and cloudy all day, getting into the rainy season in good shape. My leg pretty sore, a little afraid of blood poisoning. Due to leave here to-morrow.
Worked on estimates in the morning. About 1PM Mr. Beard came in on the "Samar" andwe moved our stuff out and slept on board the boat.
Silay: Left Escalante on the C.F.T. Samar at five a.m. Glad to say good-bye tothe place. Had a fine day and a beautiful sail around to Silay which we reachedabout 3p.m. Anchored about 3 mi. offshore and had to row in. "Patsy" andWorthington went on over to Soilo to the hospital. Patsy has a tropical ulcer on hisleg and it is ruptured. My leg is better. Dr. Carson the company doctor sliced itas soon as I got on board the boat and there was blood poisoning in it. Seems good toget back to Silay which seems like a big city. There is talk that we will run acrossthe island to Dumaguete through the mountains. Hope not.
Worked on estimates about all day as they have to be in at once. Wrote a note to Ma.Was going to send money home but found out this is not a money order office. Heardthat Bennett is no longer with the company, guess he must have rubbed the fur thewrong way.
Stayed in all day and worked with Mr. Faruham on the estimates. Transit party ranfour miles and didn't get in until after dark. Ended up near Talisay. No rain allday.
Stayed in camp and worked all day on estimates. Reis and a couple of missionaries upfrom Bacalod. Patsy and Worthington back. Roberts fired, Barber in his place. Cholera in Iloilo. Heard that a family up at Victorias was massacred by the taoslast week. Fine day all day.
Stayed in camp and worked on the estimates all day. Had quite a little earthquakeshock in the morning. Rained hard in p.m..
Out on line and took 150 sta. Transit party ran 4 1/4 mi. No rain at all. Haven'thad any mail for two weeks and a half.
Went out with the transit party and ran eleven sta. less than 5 mi. straight outacross country towards Granada. Quit about 4:45 and walked in all of seven miles,arriving at camp about six thirty. Quarantine declared on Iloilo and we are somewhatshut off from the world. Haven't had any mail for two weeks and a half and notelling when we will get any now. Rained in p.m.
Moved from Silay to the barrio of Eustaquio Lopez. Went back to Tausa hacienda andstarted D-line south, ran three miles. Are living in one end of the school househere with a tent fly between the school and us. Noisy place, first we were serenadedby the barrio band then seventeen dogs had a fight under our window. No rain allday.
Ran three miles on D-line and walked back to camp six miles in a pouring rain. Finelevel hacienda country all the way.
Moved from Eustaquero Lopez. Loaded up three carabao carts with our truck andstarted them off in charge of Worthington, Patsy and Barber. Walked six miles andstarted in work. Ran three miles and started or Conupcion where we were supposed tocamp. Finally we located the place away up in the mountains and what was supposed tobe a good tower turned out to be a little bit of a barrio. There was no chow andno baggage. We got a native house about 10'X10' and bought some rice. After darkWorthington, Patsy and old John came in about beat out. We made a supper of rice andturned in on the bamboo floor and got a little sleep. Felt kind of hungry though.
Got up from our bamboo bed about 5 o'clock and started out to look for our truck. Finally found Barber camping out side of the road. John and the boys rustled roundand got some breakfast which tasted pretty good. After breakfast we loaded up againand finally started out to look for a place to camp. We finally found a good placeand are living in a fine big house on Larson's hacienda. Went out in P.M. andstarted on end of C-line to connect it up with D-line. Rained so came in early. Mr.Farnham came in from Bacalod with some mail and I got two letters from Ab. one fromMa and one from "Babs". First time I have had any mail for three weeks.
Rainy and cold all day. Went out in morning but came in about ten. Transit party worked all day. Wrote a long letter to Ab. in P.M. Wimpluries over to dinner. Says they have a warrant out for Mr. Farnham's arrest in Manila for cutting cane. Drive to Bacalod to-morrow.
Laid round and wrote letters. Wrote to Ma and sent her ten and sent Gilbert 5 forclass tax. Bacalod a fine place. No rain.
Rode a pack pony back to Silay and took topography on the way back. Didn't have anydinner and was about all in when I got into camp. Farnham and Cooper have gone to LaCarlota. Fine day all day.
Went out and ran on B-line back of town. Have got another sore on my leg. Fine day.
Ran A-line down a road and through town. Farnham and Cooper got back from Carlota. Cholera bad in Manila some suspicion that it may be here. Some hombres around townpreaching "down with the Americanos and the ferrocarril" Heavy rain and typhoon atnight.
Heavy rain and wind all day. Worked until noon and came in on account of sore on leglike the one I had at Escalante. Transit party ran about four miles on B-line. Wishwe could get some more mail.
Laid up in camp with sore leg. Lanced it in morning. Wrote to Roy. Fine day allday. Camp boy arrested for not having ceslula (ID Card required to be carried atall times) Natives in this town mean bunch. Don't see much good in this countryanyway. White had another one of his nightmares last night and we workedabout fifteen minutes before we could wake him up.
Staid in camp but went out and did a little work around town. Mail came in eveningand I got eleven letters and three postals. Got paid for August and I drew 210pesos, quite a wad for me to have. Company now has 100.28 gold of my money. Farnhamleft for Manila by lorcha (Chinese sailing vessel) in P.M.
Patsy, Gard, & I hired a boat and went out for a sail in the morning, got becalmed sowe went over the side and had a good swim. Went out again in p.m. and took Hillalong. About two miles out we got caught in a squall and started for shore with Hill& I in the outrigger and the boat just hitting the high places. About half way in theboon broke and Patsy who was steering fell overboard. Finally got him and themainsail aboard and drove in under a bare jib. Wrote to Ma, June and Carrie. Fineday. Move back to Manila to-morrow for a da yor two.