Judsonia weekly advance., 1915-11-03
4 cocohZy GeonE oW mz SzHND

in it. is proved ny the ruined church an. burial ground one sees a couple of miles to the north Of San Migrel, the principal town. Close by the church ruins is the site of ancient village. now traceable only by it's stone foundations.
 Whatever the cause may have been, it came about in the course of time that the island of Cozumel was abandoned place of residence. It must have remained unoccupied for several generations. for when Stevens touched there with the object of exploring it's ruined temples of which many are known to exist, the entire sur face, with the exception of two clearngs. was covered with dense growth of dwarf but thick timber. Stevens satisfied himself that this forest covered the whole
 One of the open spaces referred to above a clearing made by man named Moas, mo- torious character, half political refugee, half pirate, who had been exiled from Yucatan. Molas lived for many years in Cozume and doubtless would have "died in his bed"-the end most de- sired by all freebooters, we are told-had he never returned to the mainland, for his enemies afraid to attack him in his stronghold. One fatal day. however he sailed his schooner across the channel and landed near to where the Vala- dolid trail comes down to thu beach, Molas' two sons-who had voluntarily shared their fa- ther's exile-accompaned him on this trip. hay ing in vain tried to dissuade him from making it. Molas insisted that his sons should remain aboard the schooner until he gave the signal that all was clear. The signal never came. Wait
 
 well. the lads went ashore at last to investigate The ever-vigant foe had Molas' boat mak- ing for the mainland. short distance from the beach, yet hidden by the jungle they found their fathers mutilated body.
 The boys returned to the island only to remove their personal belongings and what they could carry away of the family effects, and then went to live in remote part of Yucatan, as far re- moved from Cozumel and it's sad associations as they could get Thus 1t came about that the Isle of Swallows" was again without human h. habtants.
 The other clearing mentioned was the deserted ranch of certain Don Albino" as Stevens calls him without revealing his surname Stevens met Don Albno in Valladolid. and heard from the ranchman's own lips why he left Cozumel. In valladoid cotton mill-famous in the annals of the town as the first to be erected in Mexico had started operations. and the owner. an enter prising Spaniard, paying high prices for the raw material and offering enticing premiums to encourage more extensive cultivation of the plant. Now, Don Albno possessed no land. nor had he the means wherewth to buy some; nevertheless he yearned to profit by the mill owners bounty. So he conceived the idea of going over to Cozu- mel which by that time was regarded as sort of No Mans Land" to raise cotton. He could easily convey the lint across the channel in ca noes, and although from the coast to the mill was a tourney of several days for pack mules there would be sufficient margin in the price to justify the expense of transportation. Full of enthusiasm, Don Albino gathered around him as many of the more destitute natives as he could induce by the lavish use of glowing promises to accompany him and set sail for Cozumel.
 But the motley band soon tired of the monoto- nous life on the lonely island They were restless spirits, who had lived by what was really little short of brfgandage. tilling the land only to the extent of being sure of their staple food maize and "frijoles" (beans). Sullen under the crav- ings for the comparative excitement obtainable in their native pueblos. they before long picked a quarrel with their patron" and. seizing the only canoe, returned to Yucatan.