El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-01-06
By ALBERTA CLAIRE.

HE other day, as sat in a COM
Portable uptodate moving pic
4 ture theater, a film Of the week
lies came on the screen. showing the
current events Of recent date from all
Dver the world and my thoughts flew
not to the people and places por-
traved. but to the least thought of and
vet most important person connected
with the film, the man behind the
camera" who, in many instances, must
risk his life to make the pictures.
That evening about o'clock word
was received that the rebels were
about to attack Ojinaga.
Then began the hasty preparations
for departure. First the man in charge
Of the cameras was called on the
phone; in very few minutes he ar
rived and, hurrying into the dark
room, loaded all his extra magazines
with film, preparing for all emergen-
cies. and the man who must take
charge of the office talking over his
duties with Charles A. Pryor, the head
of the concern. who gave orders to
his driver to quickly overhaul the au-
tOmObile and get new shoes and tires
in order to make the trip without loss
of time.
Of the station Mr.. Pryor and one of
his camera men started for Maria,
from where they went to Preside in
an automobile which had already been
hired by wire
Before the first streak Of day
lighted up the sky in the east the
Film company's automobile was also
on its way, carrying a whole camp
outfit from coffee pot and frying pan
to sleeping bags and blankets, and Of
course. plentv of supplies, but the most
ir,Dortant items were the extra camera
and the films in charge OF the man
who rode with the driver, and get
there" was the order Of the trip, they
had no time to even think of the
rake Motorcycle Along.
Roped across the back seat on TOP
Of the outfit, was a motorcycle, car
rfed so that in case of a DreakuOWn
occurring to the car the men mlght
hurry on. with some of the most
needed of the many things thought OF
and collected at the 18th hour, TO the
scene of action at Preside
Go 197 Miles in II Hours.
The 1877 miles to Maria was covered
in IL hours. luckily without mlshap'
making practically record trip From
there on to Preside was through b
miles Of bad going. mostly heavy SAND,
but they arrived safely, to und thelr
leader in the thick Of the fight
ETexfcans Raise Objection.
All the Mexican federals have OBJ
1ected to their battles being mined.
and have forbidden all Americans TO
violent dislike for both newspaper ana
camera men, blaming them for the fed
eraI defeats so heretofore no moving
pictures of the revolution nave Deen
made. Tt was a case where the only
man to win was he who knew no rear,
who was willing to dodge bullets, and
disobey orders; taking all risks IN
order to accomplish his purpose.
Pryor Takes Chances.
So. against all commands and the
hi fri nn
waters of the Rio Grande from Presi-
dio. with his precious camera went
Charlie Pryor, the "zIng' OF the bullets
and bursting shells in his ears, and all
around him the refugees and the
wounded not to mention the towards /
who feared to face the music" and
who fled to the American side Of the
river for protection Many men ana
women waded the river, which is waist
deep and ice cold, rather than risk
their lives in Oinaga.
But that Camera fiend" had just
one idea in mind-to register it all on
the film. He forgot the danger. forgot Z
that he had no passport and that at |
any minute he might be killed by some 1
Mexican who feared the camera
Camera is Fired Upon.
MANY of the MeXicans who are I'M 4
educated and illiterate thought the (
camera must be some new kind Of gun, I
and fired on IT, breaking it to pieces [
and completely spelling many feet OF /
film, but Pryor was not to be daunted .
the man who knows defeat is never I
a successful maker Of the movies"
and particularly is this so where dan
ger turks, so out came another camera
and again the work went on.
Is Arrested by SalazaF.
Just when this American was fiat
tering himself on his luck, along came
some Mexican soldiers from general
Salazar, with orders to arrest him and
put him in Jail
Then began even more excitement
and the need for a good American
bluff with the nerve to back it up,
for get out of that all he must, but
how ?" was the question.
Here was the battle raging fast and I
furious, a nations life blood being
poured out to settle that nations diff
ferences, brave men were fighting like
dogs, deeds that will go down in his
tory were happening every minute,
and that most wonderful invention
the motion picture camera-must be /
turned on it. So said Pryor to himself
Then he must get out Of that Mexican
jail There was no "resigning himself l
TO fate, his brain was cudgeling ways
and means, he could not scare them
into it. there was no chance of escape;
ne must jolly and buy his aWy out
that seemed to be the only loop hole.
Pryor had known general Castro [
some time ago, in Juarez, so he talked
ana talked, and finally persuaded the
soldiers to take him to the general
and then he talked" some more, till
general Castro was persuaded, and
gave MIN not only his freedom, but a
passport and permission to make all
the moving pictures he wished to
make, which all goes to prove that to