Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1916-06-23
BY MERTON e. BURKE.

BY MERTON e. BURKE
columbus. N. M-Columbus sleeps
with Its boots on and carries Is guns
on the hair trigger. Columbus is in
state OF war. One approaches the
scene Of Villas murderous raid, which
occasioned the invasion of Mexico by
United States troops, with feeling
that thrilling scenes are to be wit
messed.
The visitor is not disappointed.
1t would require the pen of Lew
Wallace or Kipling, and the brush Of
Remington adequately to portray the
picture presented.
Aged but stalwart Indian chiefs who
fought against Geronimo, stolidly view
the scene. Tall, bronzed cowboys stalk
about. aviators mingle with broncho
busters, chauffeurs wrangle with mule
drivers and pioneer settlers sell ham
and eggs TO the influx OF eastern
tradesmen.
Instantly the train pulls out of Ell
Paso the hills Of Mexico are revealed
seemingly but stones throw distant,
30 clear is the ARA great range Of
treeless crumbling mountains that
slope ruggedly to the very edge OF the
Rio Grande river.
The mighty Rio Grande. you dis
cover, is but an apology for river. Its
bed is wide and deep. but alas, the
water is not there. You could dangle
q piece Of plotting paper on a string,
sop 1t all up and take the river along
with you.
A pyramid Of stones on the river
bank marks the dividing line of Texas,
New Mexico and Chihuahua The train
swings across q high trestle over the
stream" and plunges into the noun
tains. United States troopers, with
guns slung on shoulders or dragging
along by their sides. alertly pace the
trestle and track.
A short tunnel is encountered, and
troopers are noted at the entrance,
with a cache of supplies just inside.
The cars speed along. For a while
white pyramids a few miles apart mark
the federal boundary. Finally you note
their absence.
"Oh, the land is so useless no one
gives q hurrah where the line H." q
fellow-passenger remarks.
A table land-mesa they call 1t out
here-extends in unbroken barren
ness as far as the eye can reach. with
ruined mountains stuck here and there
around the edge.
The rocks are lava. the soil pow
dered lava, the bushes sage and cac-
tus.
Busy Scenes at Columbus.
Columbus is reached. The railroad
track is the main street. At the north
lies the village of scattered frame,
brick or adobe houses. stores and huts.
At the south extends a square mile
or more of the main base of supplies
for General Pershing's punitive expedi-
ton against Villa.
A thousand or more soldiers line
the track.
Picture postal card men storm the
tourists.
Half a thousand army mules bray
A glance at the town indicates that
there is but one building big enough to
be a hotel, and that looks to have
about six or eight rooms.
II you are wise you jump from the
observation platform, circle the water
tank and rush Tor the hotel"
,"Quiet enough in Columbus" ] ven
tured to the clerk.
Wasn't very quiet In this very room
two nights ago." he said.
Fellow from Ell Paso said he knew
villa.
"Cattleman from outside here a
piece who'd been loading up on booze
brought in by some bootlegger pulled
a gun and turned on him.
"'Stand up he said.
eel Paso chap knew his game,
looked him in the eye and said: 'Pard-
ner what you doing with that gun?
I'm going to shoot everybody that
ever knew villa he replied
"'Pardner,' said the Ell Paso Teller.
Let me tell you something. Round
here when we pull gun we shoot
first and talk about 1t afterwards.
"Just then a couple Of soldiers who
had slipped in grabbed him. gun and
all. and the show was over
Civilian Feels Out Of Place.
An eastern civilian in Columbus feels
as out of place as would lady in a
bathing suit on Broadway.
He is a foreigner in strange land.
Soldiers scrutinize him. Tall lean
westerners gaze down upon him from
their varying heights.
He feels he Is a tenderfoot.
Alert young men In varying styles OF
national guard uniform pursue and in
ouire the business of all the arrivals.
They are the war correspondents at
the supply base.
A hasty trip around the village
shows half a dozen frame buildings Of
various sizes, twenty or more 'dobe
huts-Mexican bungalows someone
called them-several corrugated iron
sbacks. a smattering Of tents hastily
nut up to provide eating places for the
influx of population and the moving
picture house.
Evervbody in town is engaged in