Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1913-07-19

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49, live by that perpetual
EETVT$&, admiration to environ
AR L 7R nent which Mr.. Spen-
w W Ger tells us is the law
W. q NJ life. When we say
"gentlemanly aoVen
.,. ve Immediately think OF
pa,n,n, .rd Morgan and Ponce de
Leon and such gentlemen Oh 'ne o
.chool but they have their SUCCESSORS
TODAY and will have till the love Vi
adventure is dead In the human heai-
have met several Of these ao'eh,
utrers in the course Of my PERSONA
wanderings. Here is one OF them.
After many days OF traVeiihs w
muleback, through jungles ana o'e,
mountains. in Spanish HONDURAS
found myself at a little Inn IN SANTA
Barbara. a town situated In the inter
Tor. Here, one evening. l was inouie
ing a cigarette and after-dinner Gomez
with my landlord and his lady, wnen
in upon this peaceful scene waikeo
John Drummond. :,
had heard of him, and he was gooo
enough to say that he had neard oi
me, and that he had come into SANTA
Barbara to take me out on MS rahcn'
II | would accompany him.
was Obliged to refuse his invita-
ton, but we remained together TOT
that night and part of the next day.
at Santa Barbara.
Aside from displaying himself IN
the altogether and showing me pooy
fairly perforated with bullet-holes, the
visible "reminiscences Of many battles,
he was reticent concerning his life and
adventures, as such men usually are.
What record about him ! have learn
mainly through a friend OF mine VINO
has been much in Central America and
who knows John Drummond well.
John Drummond, have learned, was
born In Mobile, Ala, but just when
do not know, nor can tell anything OF
his early days, and 1t suffices to say
that he really became interesting
when the spirit Of adventure led hin
into the unsettled country OF Hon
duras. Here he became a soldier o
fortune, and rose to the position O
commander-in-chief OF the army
Honduras under the former Presiden
vasquez, whom he helped into power
for the presidency Of Honduras Ia VOL
not by votes but by bullets.
Vasuuez remarked to my friend tina
John Drummond was always absolute
" loyal to whatever cause he happen
D ed to be enlisted In.
+ At the end of his enlistment n
b would fight just as well and loyal
K under the flag Of former opponen
g Well, vasquez had gone out OF pow
r er and was anxious for another tern
8 In Honduras this Is a matter not
conventions and elections. but OF a.
q risings. So Vasque9 rose. and engage
l. Drummond to help him. Drummon
was first sent to capture quarteii
. or small fort.
He stole upon 1t during the nigl
and darkness. He armed his men on
with daggers, and made them str
2 of every article of clothing. Mud
they stole into the quartelle, and II
mediately extinguished all lights.
& the confusion and darkness, Drul
mond's men knew each other by Il
feel of the bare skin In the hand-t
hand combat that ensued, and In tn
way the garrison was quickly
terminated.
m Drummond. with a small body
"a troops. then made a rapid march
r. the Atlantic coast and captured t
of principal port, Puerto Cortez +
ee force consisted of eight Texans a
ed a few hundred native soldiers.
II An army of government troops We
by stationed at San Pedro, town at
lis end of a line of 40 miles of railro
,st which starts at Puerto Cortez and r
of resents the entire railway system
es, Honduras.
One day 1t was reported to DIT
90 mond that the government troops w
ow on their way from San Pedro on
nd banana train He Immediately II
,do possession Of an engine and tenc
"a placing the latter in front OF the
CINE. Then he barricaded 1t. noun
81, a small piece of ordnance and
=, eight lusty Texans upon 1t. and
nc. went serenely forth to meet the
arv envy.
-, AS soon as the banana train hove
80 sight, he let fly at 1t with artill
'-.. and rifles, and stampeded the invad
10 army, who took to the woods In
,ec. ror.
~ Drummond and his men returned
o. triumph to Puerto Cortez. Then
80 alleged understanding but