Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1915-08-20
THE NEEDLE


Christopher Poe sat in Pullman
on his way to Mexico, reading about
the town of Catorce in his red, flexible
covered guide book. He had left New
Orleans after setting the Twirley
Twins on the right track, expecting to
spend two weeks In old Mexico before
returning to New York.
AS the train raced along through for
ests of cacti and acres of century
plants, Poe re-read the following in
formation with much interest:
Catorce, point of departure for
the mining town of the same name
in the adjacent hills. The sta
ton is about one mile from the
foothills, where the train begins.
Real de Catorce. about IA XII
Ions, from the railway station, is
poised on the slope of a precip-
itous mountain 9,043 feet above
sea level, in the center of one OF
the richest silver-producing re-
gions in the world.
No wheeled vehicle was ever seen
In the narrow, precipitous streets
of the town, and good hotels are
just as scarce. The only maison Is
that of Senior Rafael Saleido.
The region roundabout is fairly
bursting with mineral wealth, and
there are many mines. Catorce
(fourteen)) derives it's name from
IA infamous outlaws who once in
tested that region.
The puff-eyed conductor, an obsequi-
stopped beside the American traveller
and asked in English:
''Well, senior, have you made up
your mind to leave us at CatoIce?"
Il believe So" answered Poe. You
say you can recommend it because 1t
isn't touristridden?"
Yes. You will find few English
speaking people there. 1t is quite a
wild place You will sleep in a hole,
and have difficulty in getting anything
fit to eat!"
Sounds tempting! I've an old
friend, mining engineer; l believe
he's up here pulling silver out of the
earth somewhere. l think I'll stop of,
If you'll be good enough to wise this
ticket to Mexico City"
A minute later the dusty train camo
to stop at little adobe village con-
sisting of hollow square Of baked
mud houses glazing in the sun; a scat
tering of MANNED, ragged natives run
ming along beside the train, begging
piteously in high-pitched voices, "Un
centissime, senior, un centissime!"
and handful of native women with
large, shapely, small-necked water
bottles of pottery, catching scalding
water from the waste-pipe of the high
shouldered steam engine.
Poe stepped down and beckoned to
a twisty, frog-faced fellow standing
beside group of moth-eaten burros
on the caked earth station platform.
Cargador-Catorce?" cried the
guide messenger, taking the suit case
from the travellers hand, and pointing
to the trail twisting up the mountain
to Real de Catorce.
The tourist nodded his head, and
mounted scrubby little sand horse
which boy with a guitar and black
sun glasses brought from cool black
stable near by.
Half an hour later a gay little file Of
burros was winding through the foot
hills up the trail to the mining town,
headed by Poe on one horse, FIVE
foot Spanish sword jangling at the
side of his saddle; behind came the
black-spectacled boy astride patient
burro, his long legs dangling to the
ground at either side of the animal,
his guitar swung on a gay ribbon slid
ing across his thin high shoulders;
next a pleasant-faced old woman sit
ting sidewise on braided fiber pad
strapped to wabbly-legged bnrro;
the woman carried large natural lin
en- umbrella, and famed herself slow
ly with a palm leaf. Behind came a
dozen burros carrying casks, packages,
the travellers suit case and load of
sombreros; all being urged ahead by
the little guide walking along, frog
legged, shouting "Buhrrroooo!" and
"Stuuuuh!" at the stupid little sand
animals.
The dusty caravan mounted the
steep trail at monotonous pace,
stopping only once for a drink of wa
ter beside a wayside sepulcher mark
ing the resting place of weary trav-
eler who never reached Real de Ca
torce.
AS they scrambled over the pebbly
road, the burro boy pushed his black
glasses high on his forehead. and
leaning back on his little mount
strummed drowsy Spanish tune.
Poe dropped back beside the boy. and
watched him play. AS the boy fin
ished, the banker smiled his apprecia-
ton, and leaning over. touched ring
on the boys finger, asking in Span
ish:
Where did you get thatT
The boy glanced at it with con-
srious nrida and f1ashod fha whita