The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1896-01-19
UNEXPEcTEDLv UNpgRsToop.
Telegraph Operator In Merlco TRIES
to Hire = Morse.

es'AP" OperatOr IN MeNico Tries
TO Hire Horse.
Its strange how contrary things &c
sometimes says telegraph operator
who has travelled and seen many things
to a representative OF the washington
star. Some years back, when ! was
roaming around in the southwest, l
went down to Old Mexico With a man
named Clements. We didn't have any
particular business down there. but 1t
was not dificplt 20 get A lob at tele-
graphing in those days, and We worked
our way around from one place to an
other to see the country. We found
the climate agreeable and everything
lovely except the eatsbles The fact is.
the eatables were all right, too. but we
couldn't get them. 'Tamales was the
only thing we could say In gresser
language when 81 ~anted something
to eat and tamales VAS AL we could
get These tamales that tht MeEicsns
make, YOU know, are one. Eighth corn
hus'' one-eigbth meat aud corn-mesl
ant the remainder red pepper that
tastes like concentrated extract OF flu
ture damnation. Now, tamsles are
good things by way of relish in small
quantities, but as steady diet they
pail on 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 under
stood when It was desirable. Well
one day we proposed taking = ride, and
went to stable to engage some horses
There were horses in plenty. but the
fool people couldn't understand that we
wanted to hire them. Clements had 4
little red book with some common ext
pressions in the Ereaser language foe
ready reference, but IL either wasn't
printed correctly or Clements didn't
have the correct pronunciation, for the
stable folks didn't sabe his talk worth a
cent Clements then tried q sort OF
sign language, and they became sus-
picious that he was crazy, and when he
attempted to saddle a horse they
threatened TO shoot him.
While Clements was in the midst
OF these demonstrations man dressed
in the height OF Mexican style rode in.
His sombrerO and saddle carried enough
silver to buy mine. He entered the
court yard, said few words in Spanish
30 an attendant, and seating himself
near us, began rolling a cigarette. il
veXed Clements to see how readily this
greaser could communicate 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 Clements. His experience
had shown him that there was no dan.
ger OF being understood by any one but
me, and he spoke freely. Perhaps that
blamed bow-legged horse thief can un-
derstand me- he said Then turning
to the stranger and bowing differently,
Clements pulled out his little red book,
and, following the text with his finger.
began to read in Spanish that he wanted
: horse. He had only begun when the
man who looked like a greaser said ia
good English:
" / gather from what you have been
saying to your friend that you desire
to hire two horses. Am correct?'
"He was correct, but Clements was so
frightened that some time elapsed be-
fore he could answer and make 4 few
necessary explanations TO the hidalgo,
who proved to be a Mexicanized Ameri-
aan, who owned a mine down there.
That was an instance where we
were understood when we didn't expect
it,"