East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-07-28

(By a United Press Staff Cores
pondent)
MATAMOROS, Mex, July Is
There are three hundred constitution
alist soldiers in the barracks here,
under Major T. Orozco. and every man
Of them expects TO be the owner of
200 acres Of Mexican land when the
revolution is finished. Many, indeed.
have already tentatively picked out
the plots Of ground they expect to
farm.
Lieut.. Jose d'Antin Zuboaga of the
Ninth regiment, sucking his corn
husk cigarette on a plaza bench be-
fore the hotel Montezuma, surround
ed by dozen or so of his comrades,
/ privates, non CONS and commissioned
officers. so summed up the feeling
Of the men behind the guns Of the
! Carranza-Villa forces in relation to the
Mexican land problem.
I'VE will get the land" he said.
| He translated his statement into
Mexican for the benefit of the men
about him. They nodded emphati-
cally
But if you don't?"
Then the revolution won't be fin
! ished"
Jose Zuboaga fought with Madero
! through his revolution. With Ma
dero president he was given a positi-
on in the customs service at Laredo
| but when the news Of the assassina-
4 l. II
/ Joined Villa. He has been fighting
ever since. AS a lieutenant he draws
/ three pesos per day from the consti-
/ tutionalist paymaster, and provides
his own keep.
4 block off the Plaza Independica
on the Gale Manuel Gonzales are the
constitutionalist barracks. a half
dozen typical Mexican houses, two
stories high, built flush with the mar
row walk on the narrow street, iron
barred windows and rickety balcony,
provide quarters for the men and their
women. A blue shirted and khaki
/ trousered sentry slouches up and down
the shady side of the street. In an
open doorway a mixture Of soldiers
in khaki. women and flock Of babies
are gathered Out in the dust a young
toddler Of about eighteen months is
bitterly contesting with mangey dog
for the possession of what appears to
be a bowl of mush. 1t looks as
though it We're to be the dogs long
} deferred day, when an accurately
thrown watermelon rind hurtles out
J Of ha Inorvr-a.- I'D u+r ha
, in the ribs. whereupon he retreats
: snarling The bady buries its dirty
fist in the mess in the bowl and the
women laugh.
Life in the constitutionalist bar
: racks is far from strenuous. There
: are few if any drills. Four times a
day the three companies line up along
the street and answer to the roll call
OF these assemblages the one at noon
is most important, for it is at this
time that the men receive their daily
payment Of a peso and a half of con-
stitutionalist paper money In the or
ganization of the constitutionalist
army when a man enlists he is given
a uniform. generally consisting OF a
khaki jacket, riding trousers. leggings
or leather puttees. a cartridge belt
and a Mauser. \ private is paid a
peso and a half each day. non CONS
two pesos, second lieutenants three
and captains four. Out Of this they
provide their own food. With rest
aurant meals costing a peso and half
privates could not exist were il not
for the women. But with his woman
to prepare his meal over community
charcoal fire the soldier can get al
, ong-in greater luxury and with less
work than ever before in his lowly
existence.
Discipline is lax Nominally the
, city is under martial law. At five
o'clock a half dozen sentries at out
posts clatter in on ponies and the same
number go out to take their places.
Several loll about the end Of the in
ternational bridge. At the ferry sta
tion on the Rio Grande an energetic
young Mexican. armed with a feroci-
, Gus looking "gat' and a double OF
; cartridges lays in wait for YOU. COM
ing and going. and extracts head tax
of ten centavos, or five cents Ameri-
! can, for which he gives neatly
= printed receipt stating you have con-
; tributed this amount TO the constitu-
t'onalist war chest Very thrifty, the
military authorities. when they cap
tured Matamoras took over the pub
lie utilities. The civil officers on the
: mule power street cars also give a
p receipt when he collects another ten
: centavo piece
Three months OF barracks life has
worn on Zuboaga. A friend halls him
from the doorway OF the telegraph
office and whispers TO him eXcitedly
He comes back beaming. orders have
just come for the transfer Of NUM-
ber of officers to the south. He is OF
|, TO headquarters to put in his request
With him go two American boys. on,
twenty and the other twenty three
To see II they cannot get into actor
likewise
why did you enlist?" | asked one
Of them. He refused TO give his nam,
4 but said he came from Dayton. Ohio
4 ITS more fun than working in
q glass factory" he answered An!
= time want 10 leave can quit
j