The copper era., 1904-03-03
THE ONLY NAC0.
A Realistic Description of Lively Bor-
 der Town

. hcdiISllI UCSlIlptIUn Ui LlfSi1 be , der Town
 am in NacO. I am neither il tn
 United States nor in Mexico, a: tn
 same time I am nowhere else. I ar
 standing diametrically across the inter
 national boundary with bottle Of bour
 bon in one hand and bottle of mesca
 in the other. With one eye I see th,
 stars and stripes waving gently ove
 mansions of masonry, with concret
 walks and sturdy business scenes; witt
 the other | behoid city Uf V~Il 'dobes, with open courts. and-e"-'ror [ lazy streets, while groups of dusky
 mujeros. with a listless languor that ] would challenge the envy of an Egyp-
 tan queen, sit comp plaisantly in the dust chattering and smoking the omni- present cigarette in ineffabe content
 ment
 With one ear l hear the hum and rustic Of American business enter prise. the snort of the iron horse, and
 the rattle Of commerce. while into the
 other drift the dclirious strains of
 "Sobre Las Ola5''. "Rosas Abrojas",
 La Golondriua'', and Zacatecas"
 gathered by dainty brown fingers in
 the meshes Of guitar strings. With
 one foot l press the soil that never
 boasted Of freedom, yet never tolerated a tyrant, while with the other smooth the rugged gravel upon which a flag was raised purporting to represent a republic. A republic without an cleo tive office, and which in truth never bore the first suggestion of personal liberty. And this is Naco.
 For a long time Naco bore as black and hard name as Blackstone him. self, but has grown milder and recently shows q tendency to he real churhi- fed'. The man with the fearing swagger whose capacity for the absorb tiOn Of tugawalla juice was never ac- curately computed is still in Naco, very still, the fact is while he has nothing on his mind, he has about four feet Of red gravel on his chest and it seems to depress him in q degree that interferes with his mingling in active society. They found cure for badness. One dose was necessary for each patient. It consists Of IS rusty buckshot ad- off Weiis- Fargo hE 1t is little bit hard to take but never fails to cure.
 AS illustrating the illimitable char ity of the average Naconian, l was in the "Cow-Ranck k'-don't mix this up with Hog Ranch" for I'm a married man-not long ago. an affable son of Montezuma was playing the wheel as tall as democratic majorities in Texas. He had all kinds ol "buz- zards'. 'dobe dollars, at his disposal and stacked them up in stacks of twenty in the window just back Of him as the perspiriug dealer measured them out. Just as he was pulling in enough Of circular bullion to start a mint, the corner of the wire screen in the window became noiselessly slit asunder, q rusty hand reach in and just one stack. The Mexican was told that some body was robbing him from the outside, to which he replied with most admirable impertubability, "Oh, let the poor devil go, guess he needs it to get his bed and bre akfast," then he proceeded coolv with the game. The Mexican went broke, but some poor fellow had a bed and breakfast. Nothing more was thought oft
 The people on either side Of the line are on the best of terms. Were it not for this, international complications would constantly arise, especially over the matter Of customs collections, for American chickens will persist in go- ing across the line, eating Mexican wheat and coming back to lay their eggs in Uncle Sam's lap.
 Parties will purchase diamonds on one side, swallow them, go over and cough them up on ths other, the GUS toms people not being provided with an NRay machine.
 Just the other day Mexican was found properly paralized sqarely across the line. His head, his breath and bis were in the United States, his legs and his bottle were in Mexico. A Mexican rurale was trying to arrest his legs and Naco constable was try ing to arrest his head and shoulders. l Assistance came to both parties and for time it seemed the poor tortilla man would be pulled in twain. It was about the most interesting international tug of war ever witnessed. At one time the Mexicans had him home till the line ran under his arms, then the Americans had his bottle of mescal across the line which they immediately appropriated, for under its influence the Mexicans got him back 10 the watch pocket, wh ere he stuck, both teams sitting down ex- hausted. Then they compromised by Straiu i, teniur him mn Uiviuo hin, g.