Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-07-30
A Little Trip to New Mexico

THIS is story Of how few drops of
paregoric-the medicine of babes and
sucklings-sent full-grown man to the
Federal penitentiary.
1t was back in the "Star Route" days
that Inspector Hare-that name will
answer the purpOse-made his first visit
to New Mexico, and it was at that time
he made the acquaintance of Pierce
Butler, who had the contract for carrying
the United States mails in that section
Of the Territory beyond Albuquerque.
IL may be necessary to recall the fact
that Congress passed an act for the estab-
lishment of postal lines over which the
mails could not be carried by railroad or
steamboat. AS the act of Congress pro-
viding for the institution of these new
lines did not specify the means of con-
veyance to be used, the entry of the
routes in the route register was uni
formly accompanied by three stars, and
in the course of time they came to be
popularity known as the Star Routes"
Butler operated one of these routes by
means of the pony express; and it was
while inspecting this unique method of
transporting the mails that Hare first
came to know Butler. The postmaster
for such he was called in that sparsely
settled country-was broad-shouldered,
six-foot specimen of mankind He had a
voice of thunder. and the rosy, chubby
cheeks of child. 1t was such curious
combination that, once seen, it was not
likely to be forgotten. He was such
good-natured, Gkabe sort of fellow
that Hare took to him from the start,
and during the inspectors stay in the
West they spent many pleasant days
together.
A few years later word came to the De-
partment that things were not going
right in the Star Route region. Letters
and packages containing drafts. checks.
money. and other valuables were being
stolen in certain sections of New Mexico.
AS they were watched, the thieves adopted
the tactics of opening the letters securing
the money or valuables. and then re-
sealing the envelops and sending them
along to their destination. The local in
spectors were at their wits end. The
letters passed through so many hands
that they could not even guess at what
part of the line the robberies took
place. Indeed, even while they were on
the lookout for the culprits, the rob-
berries continued.
1t was an annoying situation. and
one that called for prompt and drastic
treatment. The result of it all was
that Inspector Hare was sent out to
New Mexico to investigate and bring
the guilty man or men to justice.
"Get Them said the chief, as he
babe him good-by. Get them, if it
takes all summer
So Hare revisited his old haunts with
fixed determination to find the robbers
or know the reason why. The first
person he met was his old friend
Pierce Butler. Butler was somewhat
older; but he had the same babyish
face, the same dimples, and the same
sky-bue eyes. He greeted the in
spector with much fervor, and said
that if he could do anything to assist
him in his work it would only be neces-
sary to cali on him. Hare did not tell
him the actual object Of his trip, but
said that he was on tour of observation,
for the purpose of finding what sort of
mail service was being given to the
nnnpIa IF Naw Mayion