Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1896-02-27
UNEXPECTEDLY UNDERSTOOD.

- Telegraph Operator Tries to Hire q
Horse In Mexico.
Its arrange low contrary things GO
scmetir1es,' said a telegraph operator
who has Travelled and seen many things.
Some years back, when was roaming
around in the southwest, I went down
to old Mexico with man named Glenn
ents. We didn't have any particular
business down there, but it was not
difficult to get job at telegraphing in
those days and we worked around from
~one place to another to see the coun-
try.
I'VE 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
Gresser language when we wanted
something to eat, and tamal.s was all
We could get. These tamakcs that the
Mexicans make, you know, are one
eighth corn husk, one-eighth meat and
.cornmeal and the remainder red pepper
that tastes like concentrated extract OF
future punishment. Now, tamales 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 VIC
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 a
ride and went to stable to engage some
horses. There were horses in plenty,
Lut the fool people couldn't understand
that we wanted to hire them. Clements
had little red book with some common
expressions in the greaser language for
ready reference, but it either wasn't
printd correctly or Clements didn't
have the correct pronunciation, for the
stable folks didn't sabe his talk worth a
cent. Clements then tried a sort of
sign language and they became suspi-
-clous that he was crazy, and when he
attempted to saddle a horse they threat
ened to shoot him.
"While Clements was in the midst of
these demonstration a man dressed in
tie height of Mexican style rode in.
His sOmbrero and saddle carried enough
silver to buy a mine. He entered the
courtyard, said few words in Spanish
to an attendant, and, seating himself
near us, began rolling a cigarette. It
vexed Clements to sec 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 danger of being
understood by anyone but me, and he
spoke freely. Perhaps that blamed
bow-legged horsethief can understand
me-. he added. Then, turning to the
stranger and bowling deferentially,
Clements pulled out his little red book,
and, following the text with his finger, be-
gan 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:
gather from what you have been
saying to your friend that you desire tc
hire two horses. Am correct?
He was correct, but Clements was sc
frightened that some time elapsed be-
fore he could answer and make a few
necessary explanations to the hidalgo
who proved to be a MeXicanized Ameri-
can who owned a mine down there
THAT was an instance where we were
understood when we didn't expect St
WASHINGTON Star.