The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1900-12-03
IS 7
Il

~ even a nlullcu ol tue bc1l
horses of Las Deliciasl Come
my friend, let US instantly depart. o.
truth, n is the work of the Evil One him
self, and to remain longer would be to en-
danger the welfare of our souls. Let US
never have railroads in our Mexicol"
Don Enrique was a provincial Mexican
gentleman who had journeyed in that
good, old-fashoned conveyance a rattle
ira pof a diigencia. from his far-away
rancho to the frontier town of Paso del
Norte, where he had been persuaded, not
little against his will, to accompany a
friend to FL Paso. on the Texas side Of
the Rio Grande, there to view the won
ders being wrought by the Americans.
The first railroad to enter El Paso had
just been completed, and he saw for the
first time In his life that wonderful ma
chine, a steam locomotive It's strange
noises filled him with alarm; the foul
smoke pouring from its stack almost
strangled him, and, awestricken by its
miraculous strength, he finally gave ex-
preston TO his emotions, as shown above
He turned deaf ear TO the laughing re-
monstrances Of his friend, meanwhile pi-
ously crossing himself and insisted upon
immediately returning TO the Mexican
side of the river; there, he felt. they
would be safe from the malignant influ-
ence Of the diabolical machine. And.
upon arriving in Paso del Norte, he lost
no time in starting back home, but it was
with heavy heart; he was oppressed
with the fear that he had committed a
heinous sin.
A few months later he was Informed
that concession for the construction Of
a railroad in Mexico had been granted
to an American company whereupon he
held up his hands In sDeechless horror
Regainlng use Of his tongue, he denounced
the impious government of his country
in terms both vigorous and picturesque
but that accomplished nothing; and when
the engineers who located the line of the
road entered the bounds of Las Delicias
he used all the diplomacy at his com
mand to turn them aside. but to no effect.
for the road was surveyed to pass within
a mile of his house.
In due time the graders came. motley
crowd of rude, rough men who laughed
in his face. ana with many an outburst
of impotent rage he saw them tear an
ugly trench across the breadth of Las
Delicas. Then came the trackayers, and
he raved and stormed like one beside him
self as the lines of glittering rails crept
up to and past his home; and he crossed
himself in pious horror at the sight of
the telegraph wires He was not in the
least Modified when the railroad company
paid him a good round sum for its right
of way across his prol erty, and rejected
win superb gesture Of scorn the annual
pass that was also rendered him.
No, no, senorl" he exclaimed indig-
nantly; Il was powerless to prevent this
dissertation of my beloved country, but
did what l could. AS yet the Infamous
government has not enacted laws com
pelling me to patronize your railroad, and
until that be done neither i nor my fam
ily, nor yet my servants, shall imperil |
their souls by going near your trains.
Take back the pass to those who sent 1t,
and tell them that I, Enrique del Toro,
do execrate it and them"
Don hnriques opposition gave the Off |
cials of the road but little concern; his |
was only one of many cases. Neverthe- |
less 1t was decided to propitiate him by |
establishing a station convenient to his |
use and neat frame building was erect |
ed not far from his house When the |
time arrived to select a man to have
charge of this station, bob" Evans. a
man who was thorough rairoader and
With a reputation for coolness and nerve.
out who was utterly lacking in respect for
Mexicans, was chosen. He was not the
nan to make overtures of friendship to
Don Enrique, most decidedly not-and |
Enrique would have repelled such over
ures had they been made. Weeks passed
With each seeming to be insensible to the
'thers existence; but there were agen-
cies at work that were destined soon 10
freak down the barriers between them.
One morning a vaquero galloped madly
o the hacienda, bringing Don Enrique
he terrifying news that large party of
Apache Indians had swept down from the
Ieighboring mountains, killing and burn
ng, and were making for the hacienda.
dany years had passed since the Indians
lad raided that country, and so Don En-
ique was utterly unprepared for them.
God Of my soul, what am | to do?"
e groaned. I'VE are too few to resist
hem. We must fly. but where? Oh.
ly wife, my daughter Truly it is an
vii day that has come upon us We must
y from Las Delicias, but where can we
nd safety2 There are no soldiers near
r than chihuahua, and Of truth the In
ians would overtake US before we could
0 so far" And the poor man wrung mis-
ands in despair
You forget the railroad Don Enrique
le vaquero answered. Let us hurry to
le station; a train may come at any mo-
lent and all the Apaches Of the Sierra [
Iadre could not overtake that, It moves I
18th such great swiftness."
The railway is a device Of satan for
ltrapping our souls, Don Enrique stern !
replied c
And are not the. Apaches satan's own j.
npsg the vaquero rejoined, with respect 1
Il insistence s
Don Enrique was loath to surrender his s
lerished policy Of non-interference with L
lie railroad, but his wife and daughter !
'omptly championed the vaquero's sug- c
astion, and when two women beset one
'or man that man has but one course to
low. He yielded and Immediately his a
'usehold began its flight Pellmell. n
lrieking and gesticulating. they poured s.
to the station. surprising Evans into {.
eechlessness. ana Don Enrique. his sim q
e mind agitated no less by his fear OF 81
e clicking telegraph instruments than
: his apprehension Of the bl0od-curdling Il
lrrors of an Apache raid attempted 70 q