Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1912-05-18

of war so rich in speculation and
promise if not in actual performance
we must talk about Ell Paso because
4 every one, almost, who visits here has
a different version. 1t is more diff
cult of last analysis, much more than
was the elephant found by the blind
men. When we awoke that first
morning we looked out upon a green
and peaceful plaza held down on each
of its four sides by some hundreds of
Mexicans who were talking politics
or laZily watching the sleepy gator
summing himself on the grass, or wait
/ ing patiently for the dawning of job
upon their economic horizon. And
I it is wonderful how gracefully these
people wait. 1t seems as if they
were born to wait or blush unseen
for the job they are to bashful to over
I take and rackle. That somehow
sounds like mixed metaphor, but
never mind.
/ FL Paso just now is s95 there and
back from New York City. But why
go? You will find just as good styles
in the .sWhite House" the big new
store round the corner, as on Fifth
Avenue, and you will find just as
much dirt and filth down toward the
river as you encountered on Avenue
A. and B. and around the Battery,
and you will see no more cheap
I jewelry or spurious gems among the
/ Mexicans than you will see on the be-
! decked denizenS of New York City.
/ By the way, some one said Ell PaSo
was the inland New York of the west.
Maybe SO. The possibilities of Ell
Paso-but then they are some of the
war talk too.
OF course we priced alIo the Mex
lean wares in the curio stores, such
as pottery, laces, drawn work, Panama
hats ct cetera, but you know you can
do just about as we'll at Mills or Cros-
by's in Topeka with the added indul-
gence of having them charged on the
family bill
OF course we went over to Fort
Bliss, which is located beyond the
city behind the mountains so that
! the civilians will be taken first and
flower of the army, his excellency,
Taft's soldiers might have a chance
to get away in case of hostilitieS.
That is not official on location, it is
/ merely the observation of a woman
who has never had any experience in
war except mild little case of Suffra
getting.
Heels together, fingers touching
the right side of the visor of a cap,
a swinging rightangled triangle and
hand to the side, aimed at soldier in
peaceful operation of watering his cap
tain's lawn, then,'' How many soldiers
have you now, sir, in FIT. Bliss?"
salute not returned, but: 1.-TWO thou
sand infantry, and four troops. -
1.-The infantry l understand then
are not here permanently but only
for emergency? In case etc. etc. -
For emergency And he said it
with so much finality that one passed
on and pondered on the loquacity of
the unwilling witness.
Paul failed again, for when we had
passed out of hearing so should not
show my ignorance l asked him.
"How many men in troop?" '.You
didn't marry an army man. Consult
your cyclopedia." Well, Webster
has since said 60, but he didn't COM
mand at FIT. Bliss and / understand
the unit is variable / still do not
know how many integers it the cayal-
ry there. But we found one soldier
seemed to understand the language
of civilians and he told US many in
teresting things, but l wasn't going
to ask him about the troops and
show off my mans ignorance. In
speaking of the furry down town
over the arrest of gang of smugglers
of arms and amunitions, / remarked
that perhaps Uncle Sans patrollers
rather winked at the smuggling and
: let the culprits off easy9 H' No indeed
remarked the soldier, 1--WE don't
know but what those same bullets
. might be fired back at US some OF
these days We are taking no chances
in that direction"
To the peaceful shoppers of short
time ago the situation now as we
cross the river into old Mexico would
look rather forbidding. The cars
stop a soldier and a Mexican in
terpreter board the train and men
and woman are most carefully inspect
; ed, bundles shook and prodded
and all precautions taken against
: smuggling of the munitions of war
If man looks suspiciously portly OF
knobby he is stood up and the
soldiers hand goes carefully over