Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1908-01-18
THE MEXICAN BORDER
How Both Sides of the Line Are
Watched and Guarded.
UNCLE SANS BRAVE RIDERS.

UNCLE SANS BRAVE RIDERS.
The Work That 10 Performed by 'ne's
Well Mounted, Well Armed and Cour-
aosous PatroIs-The Mexican Rurs'ss
and Their Methods.
II business or recreation snoulo 'ahe
ron down TO that long line which forms
the boundary between the United States
md Mexico, you may by chance meet
o we'll mounted rider, armed with rine
and pistols, pacing observantly along
some bypath or canyon. tie Is one VI
tho limited States boundary riders ap-
pointed by the treasury department 10
patrol the border on the lookout ior
smugclers. cattle runners and other
persons whose presence on the Amer-
lean side is generally undesirable
For this position the man selected
must possess courage, Judgment anu
no little physical endurance tor MS
duties NAV call him forth at all hours
and seasons, and he may oe RESPONSE
hle for a stretch Of border land many
miles in length.
For example, between San Diego on
the Pacific coast Of CALIFORNIA, anu
Yuma In Arizona, there Is but one
boundary rider to patrol line OF over
40 miles. and this Is In part oVel
sparsely settled mountainous region
and partly through the waste OF the
Colorado desert.
"a onnosite him. on the other side OF
the line. the Mexican government mail
ta,ns from fifteen to twenty rurales
for the same work, 1t is goou Illus
+ration of the trust reposed In single
American citizen by his government
II &c nrobable there is no other man
IN the United States whom II "ouiu
no harde. to find at a given moment
than the boundary rider OF the San
Diego-Yuma district.
He may be down on the Coloraoo
desert watching near some water
holes for ventureSome Dand Oh ca'ue
runners. or in some canyon Of the noun
toins ON the lookout for a wagon loao
Of prohibited immigrant Cinnamon
hut wherever he is. one may be lairil
sure 1t Is not where the transsressor o.
the customs laws expect him TO De-
THAT he must possess both judgmen
and courage the following incident
which took place during the career .
the former boundary rider in this ois
trict. will aptly illustrate:
For some time band Of cattle ruI
rers had been working successfuii
hack and forth over the line Tn spite q
the boundary riders vigilance 1he
seemed 70 be able to divine his move
ments 50 that while he was watchln
g. trail through the mountains tne
wore rushing a bunch Of cattle owe
the desert.
But at last he managed TO surpriS
the hand and. rife in hand, drove I"
Of them into Campo
Then. however. arose the questlon
to the method Of taking them down
the coast He hired a double seat'
vehicle. the only one in the place
Rut at once another question pr
sented itself. How was he to seat D
prisoners. for either they must
placed together on the front or I
hack seat or separated, both seeming
hazardous choice?
He finally decided to separate tne
and so. with one on the front seat WI
him and the other behind, ne start
for the coast.
The two cattle runners managed
communicate with each other by sig
and at a rough part OF the ROAD na
the boundary rider, In turn, IN
prisoner. Needless to say, they ID
made the best Of their opportunity
escape over the border, but as they
into the hands Of the unsympathe
rurales they would have been Det
off if they had submitted to the Ia"
their own country.
This brings one of the somewhat
ferent methods pursued by the Me
can government in guarding their S
of the border From a cursory 1nsp
ton Of the line one might suppose u
the Mexican side is not guarded at
You may cross the line ten times
different places and never set eyes
q rurale. but it is well known that
have done so nevertheless, and on
eleventh excursion you are likely
find yourself surrounded by a pict
esque group, who will carry you on
fail If your explanation Is not sa
factory.
AS a rule, the rurales patrol b
and forth In detachments at dista
Of from ten to fifteen miles from
actual border Many headlong d
for the American side has been m
by perfectly law abiding citizens,
the rurales at their heels, because [
have been needless In obtaining
mission to cross the border.
True. an American citizen may G.
the border at will, as far as he him
Is concerned, but as he Is almost
tain to carry some article liable to c
II is upon that charge that he may
arrested. Michael White in You
Companion.
RuraI CIairna