A LETTER FROM GENERAL BELL. 



"5 



Recreation s photography department 

 is improving with each number; I take 

 great interest in every article under this 

 heading, being one of the fiends myself. 

 H. W. Howling, 

 Taxidermist, Minneapolis, Minn. 



I may print Mr. Howling s photo in a 

 later issue. It shows, apparently, the same 

 2 fish as above. And now it is up to the 

 Minnesota State game warden to look 

 after Mr. J. E. Rogers, who claims to 

 have taken these fish in Lake Minnetonka 

 in close season. — Editor. 



A LETTER FROM GENERAL BELL. 



Headquarters Southern District Luzon, 

 Neuene Cotheres, P. I., April 3, 1900. 



My dear Mr. Shields : — Many thanks for 

 your kind congratulations, which I am sure 

 you know I appreciate most deeply. I re- 

 ceived notice of my promotion February 5 

 while with my regiment at San Mateo, 

 where Gen. Lawton met his much lamented 

 death. The promotion was a great sur- 

 prise. I was thoroughly contented and 

 happy with my regiment, which proved a 

 fine one. The leave-taking quite overcame 

 me. I felt as if I were giving up my own 

 family. I was assigned to the command 

 of Bell's Expeditionary Brigade and we 

 left Manila on board 6 transports, escorted 

 by the gunboat Marietta, on the night of 

 February 14; arrived in San Miguel bay, 

 on the Pacific side of the Island of Luzon, 

 on the morning of February 20, and at 

 once began to disembark. As soon as the 

 troops reached the shore fighting began 

 and on the 22d we entered this town, hav- 

 ing cleared the country of rebels for 15 

 miles. Neuene Cotheres is on the Bical 

 river, 15 miles from the bay, into which 

 it flows. The river is navigable at high 

 tide to this point, for boats drawing 8 feet 

 of water. 



The first day's fighting caused a loss to 

 us of one officer and one man killed and 

 11 men wounded. Our troops were con- 



fronted by several thousand men armed 

 with bolos, spears and crossbows, and they 

 had been led to believe they could whip 

 the Americans with these primitive arms. 

 All the Tagals, about 500 in number, were 

 armed with Mauser and Remington rifles. 

 They learned a sad lesson that day, for 

 they left 78 dead and a lot of wounded in 

 our hands. Since then we have had 8 en- 

 gagements, each time resulting in good- 

 sized killings. We have captured in all 81 

 rifles and 24 cannon'. 



A few days ago I was appointed Mili- 

 tary Governor of the Southeastern District 

 of Luzon, consisting of the Province of 

 North and South Camarines, Albay and 

 Sorsogon, the Island of Catanduane and 

 all small adjacent islands. 



This is a beautiful country and rich be- 

 yond description. The Volcan of Albay 

 gets up an entertainment for us occasion- 

 ally. 



With best wishes, and the hope that I 

 may see you again before long, thanking 

 you for the great service you did me in 

 securing my promotion, and with kind re- 

 gards to my friends in the Camp Fire 

 Club, I am, 



Sincerely yours, 



J. M. Bell, 

 Brig.-Gen. U. S. Vols. 



A PANACEA. 



The politician, ever bland, 



Ere long will take you by the hand 



And seek to give a true reply 



To all your questions as they fly. 



When explanations you demand 



Of how to regulate the land 



To 'make it bloom from sea to sea, 



This is his answer, "Vote for me." 



If you would know a way \o stop 

 All kinds of damage to a crop ; 

 If some protection you desire 

 Against tornadoes, floods and fire; 

 If you, in short, would banish all 

 The ills man met at Adam's fall, 

 And live in sweet, unchanging glee, 

 This is the answer, "Vote for me." 

 "'Ashington Star 



