The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1911-04-27

ness on the border continues we may
discover the whereabouts Of other
places, such as Nogales, Naco, Calexi-
co, Mexicali, Eagle Pass and Ciudad
Porfrio Diaz. We already have a
vague and general notion Of the spots
on the map occupied by Ell Paso and
Juarez. Nothing like a war to make
folks brighten up on their geography!
It is even possible that after a few
months or years we might learn to
pronounce the names Of these Mexican
places, although the Russo-Japanese
war gave US a large and congested
collection of consonants through which
our tongues never could find their
way. The safest rule in pronouncing
Mexican names is to remember that
they do not sound like they look. In
cold print they appear to be jawbreak-
ers, but in the mouths Of the natives
they roll off the tongue like honey.
We are simply bound to take an in
terest in this war whether we will or
not Whenever our attention flags
some Of the insurgents or regulars, or
both together, playfully shoot up the
border and kill or wound bunch of
American citizens. When peaceable
folk are plugged while measuring cali
co, laying down sewer pipe or count
ing money in a bank it is time to sit
up and take notice. Whatever our
opinion of Diaz, Of Madero or of the
Mexican republic generally, we can
not have neighbors shooting into our
back yards, breaking our windows and
pushing lead into our anatomies when
we are not looking.
Uncle Sam is a patient individual.
but when somebody goes to firing at
him he is liable to resent it. Whistling
bullets are not diplomatic. An inter-
national boundary may be an imagi-
nary line, but it is not a healthful occu-
patton to shoot it full of holes. Well.
II worse comes to worst, we can turn
the state of Texas loose, and it will
clean up the whole republic Of Mexico.
Shooting Up the Border.
1t seems that the insurrecto troops
at Aqua Prieta shoveled out their
trenches as near the boundary as pos
slble, with the result that the United
States of America became a backstop
Tor all the regular bullets that did not
lodge in some insurgent Not only
were our scenery and landscape plug
ged like sieve, but buildings and
store fronts were shot up and men
walking abroad with their families or
following their ordinary avocations
suddenly had to be taken to hospitals
TO nave Mexican bullets picked out of
them. Perhaps they could have ex-
pected nothing better for having To-
Gated so close to a Latin American re-
public, but Mexico had got over the
fashion of spring revolutions so long
ago that they felt SAFE
The boundary between the United
States and the republic to the south
IS trltle more than 1900 miles long
and bounds two states and two near
states. all Of which were amputated
from Mexico when General Scott, Tay-
Tor and some others took holiday trip
down there in the forties. At that
ume we managed to absorb something
nke tWo-fifths of Mexico's territory.
what would become Of the other three
hfths IT there should be like unpleas-
antness now?
At "San Antone," where General
Garter and his American army are en-
camped, still stand the ruins of the
Alamo. That is a reminder of another
instruction for liberty when the
boundary line was farther north. The
thing most of US remember about that
famous fight is the inscription. ether
mopylae had her messenger of defeat,
but the Alamo had none." Today the
United States troops are located at
Camp Davy Crockett, named for one
of the heroes Of that day.
Returning to the present boundary
line, it is almost as crooked through
out most of it's length as is the river
that flows through San Antonio, of
which it is said that an eel broke his
back trying to swim it. The rivers
down that way are certainly some
wavy in their general contour The
Rio Grande is not very ambitious
stream in other ways, but it certainly
does go long distance to get any,
where.
A Meandering Boundary.
The boundary line formed by the
Rio Grande between Texas and Mexi-
co Is something like 1,1cO miles long,
counting the twists and plain and fan
cy curves. Among these are all the
curves known to mathematics and sew
eral that no mathematician ever
thought Of. There are circles, ellipses,
arcs, parabolas, hyperbolas, spirals,
curlicues, bends, crooks, meanderings,
windings. doublings, kinks, weav-
ings, gyrations and ordinary wiggles.
The man that laid out the course Of
the Rio Grande river had q combina-
ton of plain drunk, st. Vitus' dance
and locomotor ataxia.
Along this part of the boundary the
American inhabitants are somewhat