Birmingham state herald., 1896-02-16
UNEXPECTEDLY UNDERSTOOD.
A Telegraph Operator Tries to Hire a
 Horse In Mexico.

Horne Tn Mexico.
 Its strange how contrary things go sometimes, said n telegraph operator who has travelled and seen many things "Some years back, when was roaming around in the southwest, went down to old Mexico with a man named Clements We didn't have any particular business down there, but 1t was not difficult to get job at telegraphing in those days, and WIG worked around from one place to an- other to see the country.
 We found the climate agreeable and everything lovely except the eatables. Tho fact is the eatablcs were all right, too, but VIC couldn't get them. Tamales' was tho only thing VIC could say in grcaser lan- guage when we wanted something to cat, and tamales was all we could get. These tamalcs that the Mcxicans make, you know, arc ono-eighth corn husk, one eighth meat and cornmcal and the re- maindcr red pepper that tastes like con centrated extract of future damnation. Now, tamales are good things by way of relish in small quantities, but as steady diet they pail on n persons appetite, moro or less. But as l remarked, tho only thing we could call for was 'tamales. That's just to show that we couldn't be
 
 Well, ono day we proposed taking ride and went to a stable to engage some horses. There were horses in plenty, but the fool people couldn't understand that VIC wanted to hire them. Clements had a little rcd book with some common expres- sions in the greaser language for ready reference, but it either wasn't printed cor reotly or Clements didn't have the correct pronunciation, for the stable folks didn't sabe his talk worth cent. Clements then tried a sort of sign language, and they be- came suspicious that he was crazy, and when he attempted to saddle n horse they threatened to shoot him.
 While Clements was in the midst of these demonstrations Q man dressed in the height of Mexican style rodo in. His sombrero and saddle carried enough silver to buy a mine. He entered the courtyard said few words in Spanish to an attend ant, and, seating himself near us, began rolling cigarette. It vexod Clements to see how readily this greaser could com municate with the people, while he couldn't make himself understood.
 Look at that yellow faced rustleri See how.easy it is for him to talk said Clem- ents. His experience had shown him that there was no danger of being understood by any ono but me, and he spoke freely. "Perhaps that blamed bow legged horse thief can understand me, ho added. Thon turning to the stranger and lowing defer entially, Clements pulled out his little red book, and following the text with his fin- ger, began to read in Spanish that he wanted horse He had only begun when tho man who looked like greaser said in good English:
 "'I gather from what you have been saying to your friend that you desire to hiro two horses Am correctp'
 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 Mcxicanized American, who owned Q mino down there.
 That was an instance where we were understood when we didn't expect it. "- Washington Star