The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-11-22

Yes I did promise to tell you how
cot This wound" replied Captain Dick
son when I recalled his mention, in {
forr,er reminiscence, of the ugly scar or
the back Of his neck.
I'll happened when I was young ir
the service. and il was due TO my ambi-
ION and fOOlhardinesS, a combination
MAT IS dangerous in anyOne's system
,rLa adventure came near costing me
nv life. 7 have always connected thai
sffair with a Panama hat. A Panama
Eat cot me into trouble and got me out
aqain. in the end saving my life.
..Tbe chinese exclusion act has giYer
, LOT of trouble 10 the government in
,re vav and another, but the conse-
o,,arra [ am most familiar with is the
y-Duggliur OF coolies into this country
tbroupb Mexico and Canada. Coolie
labor is cheap, and it is a profitable job
m sir bevy of them across the from
tier.
There is a vast stretch of territory
down on the Texas line that is almost
i'm state of nature. II Is a country
where YOU may travel for week and
never. meet soul. except II be a bandit
srnueeler cattle-thief herder or a Tex
As ranger. The territory extends gen.
rally from the Gulf coast TO FL Paso.
1t is much the same except where the
railroads cross the Rio Grande and
where small dirty villages have sprung
up.
.sTbis is a fertile field for the coolie
sgnuggIers. and thousands of them have
bpen brought into the United States
through this wild section and farther TO
the west through Arizona. The govern
Tpent generally keeps a few secret serV-
ice men down on the border. and I was
assigned 10 this duty soon after l en-
tered the service
The assignment was not a desirable
one but new men were generally tried
out on it, and I had to serve my ap-
premiership. l imagined that there
would be little 10 do but to loll about a
StufTy custom house under a burning
sun. This latter idea was correct in
part. for the custom house was an
abominable frame shack, and the sun
was as hot as a furnace. I found plen-
~ TO do besides lolling about the house
however.
Things began to take a lively turn
as soon as 1 reached Preside, my head
quarters, village Of mud huts and
rambling shanties on the Rio Grande. ]
i y AIlC
rode many weary miles across country
over the river. in Mexico. was the dirty
village OF Preside del NOrte. 1t is i'm
possible 20 imagine a more forsaker
looking place. The Rio Conchos. a. riv.
or OF uncertain habits, flowed into the
Rio Grandehere. 1t was by means OF
this river that coolies were brought Ii
Preside del Norte
They were brought to Chihuahua by
q route we never discovered. and here
they took the {. &, p railroad 10 Nogal.
where they left the railroad and Jour-
neyed across the mountains TO a little
village on the Rio Conchos. Boats
brought them down TO Presidio del
NOrte, and they were then slipped
across the border at night TO scatter
Ike a covey of quail through the
chaparral
II was next TO impossible to track
them down, once they had entered the
brush They would make their way to
the railroad at various points. travel
ing in twos and threes and all armed
with the naturalization papers of Celes-
uals who had long been residents of our
great republic. which is so free with its
citizenship.
The Conchos river was at a stage of
water which permitted boating. when /
reached Preside. and this indicated
mat we might make preparations to re-
ttlNe large consignment of coolies
We had information that hundreds of
Them were at NOgal and chihuahua
awaiting the rising of the river. So we
put everything in readiness for their ar
rival
had arrived in Preside wearing
NedFy Scotch hat. 1t had been cool
"nen 1 left Washington, and this was
NY nrst trip 10 the Texas border. I
sd" at once that my hat was a back
NUMBER Jarral, the customs officer.
Sussesleu tEdt / get Panama. telling
".' 'lat could secure a smuggled one
az reasonable price from a dealer in
the village
ne said he knew they were snug
Sleu. bur that there was no remedy for
IT, rs me government didn't think IL az
Sulu,lent importance TO nut its AGENTS
on INC case. and he was powerless Tvitb-
oLI lhem- I took his advice and boueb+
. Z aldiila' the largest and whftest and
80 NuHSplcuous one I could find The
tlo'.I Hdd TWO Of them. and he 6idn,t
"ohl 10 sell me one. He said tba,- bad
rrg' oTuefed for special customers
10 No" that / was the Customer for
iI 'iIe maj was ordered before he
'UlI iet me have it. He then told me
, So'-letiinS I'M Spanish. but as 7 didn't
,,..l., the language. and feared he
YOU'D ma out that 7 was not the man
ma ,., naa ordered the hat for, if let him
G S..o" lhis, | kept wise and nodded NV
~ go ga; as il l was taking in every word
la oaIia an mad a good laugh at my ex-
49,. .l Mneh / returned TO the custom
r.s+ WI. WIN the hat 1t was fully three
f.,,,,1.osS. ana had crown that was
-t1ilS ana wonderfully made Jar-