Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1909-05-20


former remlniscpnce 81 the ugly scar
on the hack OF his neck.
1T happened when ! was young in
the service. and u vas due to my am
clifton and foolhaTdin"ss. n combina'
Sion that IL dangerous IN any ones
system The adventure came near
costing me my HE have always
connected tina, AFFAIR with n Panama
hat. 4 Panama hat 20 me into trouble
and got me ont again. In the end
saving my life
"The Chinese exclusion act has CIV
en- n lot of trouble TO the government
fn one way and another. but the con
sequence am most familiar with is
che smuggling Of coolies into this
country through Mexico and Canada.
Coolle labor Is cheap and Il is profit
able job TO slip bryy of them across
The frontier
Things began 90 take "A lively turn
an soon az I reached Preside. my
headquartcrs. village Of mud huts
and rambling shal'irs on the Rio
Grande. ! left The Southern Pacific at
Nopal and rode many weary miles
across country over the river. In
Mexico. WIS the dirty village Of Presl.
do del Nor,c II Is impossible to
Imagine a more forsaken looking place.
The Rio COnohos. a river OF uncertain
habits. flowed into the Rio Grande
here II was by means Of this river
that coolies were brought to Preside
del Norte.
= had arrived In Preside wearing
. heavy Scotch hat u had been cool
when left Washington and this was
my FIRST trip 10 the Texas border. I
saw al once that my hat was a back.
number. Jarrall. the customs officer.
suggested that ] get a Panama. telling
mo that ! could secure q Struggled one
al a reasonable price from a dealer In
the village.
''He said he knew they were Snug
Gied but that there was no remedy
Tor II as the government didn't think
d. OF sufficient importance TO put It's
agents on the case. and he vas pow.
crlcss without them took his ad.
vice and h1ught q Panama. the largest
and whltest and most conspicuous one
The next morning after my arrival
I crossed over 10 the Mexican village.
90 look around q bit and see IL I
couldn't pick up some valuable infor.
nation. l was wandering about. star.
fng at the crude hats and the naked
babies. when | encountered an Ameri.
can wearing a hat that was dupli.
cate OF my own, only his showed
marks OF hard usage
Hello he said. when did you get
dn?'
Il was on the point OF telling him
that he had made a mistake. but
something prompted me 10 play him
along and see what he was up TO.
merely replied:
Yesterday
Where Is Munson? he querled.
looking me over carefully.
He will be here later replied at
a venture.
Now let's get down to business.
he began.
IAN right replied.
We have 800 coming down To-
night he said. and 200 more IN three
days The boats are ready and Man.
uel Is in charge at Huataz so there
isn't a chance for anything TO go
wrong At that end Of the line.
lie paused a moment 10 mix an.
other highball which he swallowed at
q gulp.
You know where to meet us TO.
pightg he queried
The instructions haven't been too
plain. replied.
Blame that mutton headed Indian
he swore. I might have known TINT
he couldn't get anything straight
Well. viii have 10 tell you all over
again. You and Munson be at the cot.
Stonwood towhead two miles above
town at 1850 tonight to check up the
cattle and pay over the money. Take
the north trail from Preside and turn
90 the left at the giant cactus. You
ean't miss the way. Il Is about two
miles. The cattlepath at the cactus
viii lead you out 10 the landing al the
10Whead. Andrews and I will come
over with the first boat and We can
check up az they land. / suppose you
haye the papers. he concluded.
No. Munson has them. ventured.
Gsellns sure that II Munson didn't
have them did not know where they
were.
well. be sure than Munson brings
them along. be admonished.
''riiis concluded the interview and
q Lost no time In getting back across
elle river 10 tell Jarrall OF my adven-
1uFe. he was delighted at my luck.
AT ave minutes after ten heard
horses hoofB pounding the sand 10
flle soRth ] could almost have shout,
"a. ~ was sure that II Was Davis
nnd hie fangers- Il was only the mes
aruNbx whom We had dispatched In
4he morning He was coyered with
gray dupf and his thrcat was 80