The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-05-22

Quaint Half-Breed Town which
Is Not u Half Bad Town to Sum-
mer or Winter In-DOdging of
the Customs Said to- BE Done
i'm a Perfectly Open and Legal
Way.
Down on the border line between tha
United States of America and Los Esta-
dos Unldos de Mexico, straddling the in
ternational boundary like a huge taran-
tula, Is a quaint frontier town. The bit
ils emu ar the bug Is on the northern
side, while the fuzzy back and hind legs
!stretch over into the land of the Monte
Zemas-or- as much thereof as the Yauuis
permit This is the town of Nogales. In
pam English It is Walnut Grove, al
though no act of the territorial legisla-.
ture has anglicized the Spanish name.
II presents one of those anomalies found
only in the far Southwest. On the north
OF the border one sees the stately stone
and brick buildings of modern architec-
turaf shape. Modern conveniences and
accessories are there in profusion. for
NogaIes is America and is up to date.
as much so as any city in the Middle
west. Across the narrow street which
marks the line one is reminded of the
Coronado expedition. Shacks of yellow
timber, adobe huts and ancient buildings
speaking of the domination of the Anda-
lusian in Neueva Espanya, show where
American git up and git" trenches on
the plac1dity of the muleteer. with his
eternal manyana as his business motto.
IF
Undertaking with the swiftness and GER
tainty of Chicago board of trade man
There Is no backing out when the terms
are once agreed up. 1t takes a power of
courage and skill in warfare to recede
from an undertaking on this side of In
ternational street On the other side
thereof the standard motto of business
may be expressed thus: Never do any,
thing today that you can put off till to-
morrow" Not much of a difference one
might say who has been subjected to a
mahogany finish under the sun and wind
Of that region, but like Mercutio's wound.
1T is enough.
HALF-BREED TOWN.
This quaint half-breed town-it is such
l1terally-is not half bad place to sum-
mer In, or winter either for that matter.
1t nestles snugly in a narrow valley
among the Sierra de los Pajaritos 1ittle
Bird mountains), is peopled by the cosmo-
po1tan people who congregate In that
far-aWay country and actually covers
considerable area directly over the d.
V1dfng line of the sister republics. Some
$500 persons inhabi the duplex CITY, and
they are all of the varied hues, customs
and costumes which range from the lirid
colors of the true son Of Southern Spain
through the gamut to the Pima Indian
| IN his east-of army clothes On one side
OF International street.-the avenue which
is wholly in Mexico, coming even to the
street doors of the American houses-is
thrift, INDUSTRY and hustle; on the other
is hstlessness, piacidity and shiftlessness.
The contrasts are something to be dream
T ed Of, but rarely to be encountered else
where. 80 = .,c5i s-.
But Nogales is we'll placed to become a
city OF Importance. 1t is the southern
terminus of the Southern Pacific rail-
read and the northern end Of the Sonora
line. 1t taps the Gulf of California at
Guaymas, the principal port of entry on
that coast of Mexico. It. drives a con-
siderable trade locally and internation-
ally, so that now when but comparative
ly young it has taken its place among
the promising cities of the frontier. But
the queerest feature of queer situation
Is that same International street.
This avenue runs slightly, north of
west along the border line. Just beyond
the north side of the street lies the ter
titory of the United States, Arizona, Its
buildings reaching right up to the line,
with not a foot to spare. The street itself,
however, which is fifty feet wide, is en-
tirely in the state of Sonora, Mexico,
and all of the town south of the street
is consequently Mexican. 1t may readily
be imagined how constant are the eva
sions of the customs duties resulting from
the location of International street The
flourishing trade which goes on under
the superintendent of able border
financiers makes the task-of both the
Mexican and United States custom
houses anything but an easy one The
American officials are really at consd-
cradle disadvantage, owing to the fact
that the street itself is entirely in Mex
leo. Were it not for the kindness and
courtesy of the Mexican officials In grant
ing them permission to do so, neither the
United. States customs nor police officers
| would be able to patrol this important
| highway at all.
LEGAL CUSTOMS DODGING.
The most interesting point about the
lodging of the customs In Nogales is that
much of it is done in perfectly open
and Ia wfIIl "a iJa