The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-14
RICH AND FERTILE LAND
Sections of Luzon Fairly Flowing
With Milk and Honey.
NOTHING LIKE 1T HOME
Major Byron Il. Cook Writes an Inter-
esting Letter From Apelit-He Des-
cribes the Movements of the
Army Up to April 90.

Major Byron H. Cook Of the 1st Mon
tana writes the following interesting
letter to Mrs. Cook from Apelit, P. l.,
under date of April 30:
"Our regiment is running this town
now. Nearly all the inha bitants fled
upon our approach. I wish you could
look out of my window this morning.
You would see cultivated fields, 1uxur-
liant foliage, a beautiful river with a
depth of from 10 to Is feet and about
200 feet wide; houses of rich planters
nesting among the trees, sugar ware
houses, and a complete line of insur-
gent trenches along the river front.
The town has an appearance and char
acter altogether different from any
thing We have seen before. When we
were at Caloocan we thought that a
fine country, and it was, compared
with what we saw about Manila, but
as we proceed northwest it improves,
and no one can deny the. great posi-
bilities of so fertile a region after Wis
iting this portion. There is no portion
of the United States in America that
can compare with this part of the ISL
ands, 1 am satisfied and Honolulu
isn't mark to it. 1t has been agreed
in our command that so far we have
not seen a foot of barren land
This town was the home of num-
Der of rich men who own the surround
ing plantations. and as a rule they OPP
pose the insurrection. All but one left
their homes as the American army ap
preached, for which they will be sorry
when he tells them of his experience.
He sent his family away and remained
to look after his property. 1t is need
less to say that his loss amounts to
nothing, except perhaps a few chick
ems. He is half Spanish and, I guess,
highly educated, speaking a, little En-
glish of the very best kind. He was
member of Aguinaldos council, but
when he opposed the insurrection
against our nation they dropped him.
THE main street is along the river
bank about 10 feet above the high wat
err mark. Our house here gives evil
dence of great aff1uence the china and
glassware is all marked with the name
of the province. In the house are two
upright pianos and expensive furniture.
1t is like small hotel.
Just now we are awaiting develop
ments. Thursday afternoon we chased
the thoroughly demoralized insurgents
through here and the next morning
General Luna, the fire-eater, sent two
of his officers in with a flag of truce
and proposed a cessation of hostilities
until he could meet our commission
with view to making terms with
them. Thursday afternoon we could
see the officers vainly trying to hole
their men, but we had punished them
so severely that day it was useless
and we all said they were in the last
ditch. We had driven them from en-.
trenched positions that they considered
impregnable and against which the
Crn roto dc 11o6 ln f,,til Of,
forts.
"Just after we had captured Malolos
our regiment was sent up the track to
see if We could capture Calumpit We
found the insurgents waiting for us
on the opposite bank of the Bagbas
river and we were unable to cross over
The whole line moved up there or
Tuesday and drove them back after an
assault with artillery. The armorec
car had a rapid fire gun in front anC
three machine guns besides. The 9Th
and Utah artillery had nine cannons
When they all turned loose, and the
infantry, too, it was grand and more
than the niggers could stand. They fel
back then to Calumpit. The infantry
Kansas and Northumberland and
found the, insurgents in their trenches
on the opposite side of the river here
The Bagbag bridge had been damaged
so that the artillery had not been able
TO keep with us, but on Thursday II
came up and we went at them again
and soon had them on the run. A
Calumpit they fired on us with can
mons quite a number of times, an6
when they retreated we got their an.
tiqua ted peces-muzzle leaders, good
to make a noise with on the Fourth OF
July. On the way up here we had
three men killed and one drowned, and
quite a number wounded, including