Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-11-02
UNEXPECTEDLY UNDERSTOOD.
A Telegraph Operator i'm Mexico Trlea
to Hire u Horse Mt a Livery Stable.


to Hire u Horse mt a Livery Stable.
ITS strange how contrary things go
sometimes" said a telegraph operator who
has Travelled and seen many things. to a
representative of The Star. "Some years
back, when I was roaming around in the
southwest, I went down to Old Mexico
with a man named Clements. We didn't
have any particular business down there.
but it was not difficult to get a job at tel
egraphing in those days, and we worked
our way around from one place to another
to see the country.
1--WE found the climate agreeable. and
everything lovely except the eatables. The
fact is, the eatables were all right, too.
but We couldn't get them. "Tamales" was
the only thing We could say in greaser Ian
guage when We wanted something 20 eat.
and tamales was all We could get. These
tamales that the Mexicans make, you
know, are one-eighth corn husk, one-eighth
meat and cornm nj. and the remainder red
pepper that tastes like concentrated sx-
tract Of future damnation. Now, tamalas
are good things by way Of relish in small
quantities, but as a steady diet they pail
on a persons appetite, more or less. But,
as remarked. the only thing We could call
for was 'tamales.' That's Just to show
that we couldn't be understood when it
was desirable.
"well. one day we proposed taking a ride.
and went to stable to engage some
nOTSeS. mere were horses IN out
the fool people couldn't understand that
we wanted to hire them. Clements had a
little red book with some common express
sions in the greas,r language for ready
reference but ii either wasn't printed cor
rectly or Clements didn't have the cor
rect pronunciation, for the stable folks
didn't sabe his talk worth cent. Glenn
ents then tried sort of sign language.
and they became suspicious that he was
crazy, and when he attempted to saddle
horse they threatened to shoot him.
while Clements was in the midst CT
these demonstrations man dressed in the
height of Mexican style rode in. His
sombrero and saddle carried enough silver
to buy a mine. He entered the court yard,
said few words in Spanish to an attend
ant, and, seating himself near us. began
rolling a cigarette. 1t vexed Clements to
see how readily this greaser could commu-
nicate with the people, while he couldn't
make himself understood.
Look at that yellow-faced rustler! See
how easy it is for him to talk! said Glen
ents. His experience had shown him that
there was no danger of being understood
by any one but me, and he spoke freely.
Perhaps that blamed bow-legged horse
thief can understand me- he added Then
turning to the stranger and bowling defer
entfally. Clements pulled out his little red
book, and, following the text with his
finger, began to read in Spanish that he
wanted a horse. He had only begun when
the man who looked like a greaser said in
good English:
81 gather from what you have been say
ing to your friend that you desire to hire
two horses. Am ! correctT
He was correct but Clements was so
frightened that some time elapsed before
he could answer and make few necessary
explanations to the hidalgo, who proved to
be a McxicaniZed American, who owned a
mine down there.
THAT was an instance where we were
understood when We didn't expect II.