Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-03-27

maj SA1ilS was lIIOUSH ueep SdnQ, DIS
tering hot. there were cases of bad feet
The wagon train mules also suffered. Blu,
now. near the Mormons, we are In .
comparatively fertile country with ample
water, and instead of an oppressive sur
overhead we are in the grip of a north.
err The wind is so high and the Tapping
OF tents and accoutrements to loud tina,
the field wireless operators complain tina,
they cannot hear Columbus
The high wind and the high altitude
nave made the aerOrlane work diff
cult and hazardous. The machines here
are Curtiss tractors of only S5-horse-
power We are more than 5000 feet
ABOVE the sea level to begin with, and
going higher in the rarified atmo-
sphere in loW-powered machines is
taxing the army aviators to the ut
most. Because Of the presence of
mountains the air is full of pockets,
and this together with the high alti
tudes, makes reconnaissance extremely
never encountered anywhere such con-
ditions. What they need. if they are
to do their work properly. are high
powered machines.
Many have no tents and are sleep
ing under the stars. Most of .the cor
respondents likewise have been pitch =
Ing their hunks wherever they happen
to get off their horses. Mess kits ar.
scarce, and many Of us have been eat
ing with our fingers or waiting our
turn for plate, cup and spoons.
Gen. Pershing makes his headuuar-
tiers in an transformations wall tent in
the lee of a big cottonwood tree.
Thanking him are his staff. AS a rule
the general messes in the open, as is
the way Of the camp. Up until today
the troops were bathing in the Rio
Casas Grandes, but with the coming
of the 'norther" outdoor toilet became
unpopular. Only a few of the COM
mand washed for breakfast. Any and
everybody is covered with sand and
grit. The food is full Of it, Yet every
body is happy The only complaints
l have heard came from the troops
with which ] came in Friday. They
are afraid Col. Dodd's men will kill
or capture Villa before they have a
go at him.
Throughout the long march from
Columbus we passed not more than
so persons not connected with the
army. Most of them were Mexicans,
farmers or ranchmen of Chihuahua.
apparently welcoming the coming of
United States troops as the end of
: outlawry in this region. They bowed
civilly as we passed, or stood silently
by the roadside. What the demeanor
of the people will be after we get fur
Their south and after there has been
fighting none of the officers care to
predict. But the treatment by the
troops of such few Mexicans as we
have met has been distinctly cour-
teous.
saw whole troop of black cavalry
rein to the roadside so that an aged
Mexican with rattly spring wagon
might pass with a load of corn. He
grinned his appreciation and said.
"Gracias, senores."
Ranges Stripped Clean
That part of Chihuahua lying betwee 4
here and the border is essentially cattle
country, and in normal times one finds
habitations only at widely separated in
tervals. On our journey hither we passed
not more than 10 adobe structures. From
each the jewellers had fed. Once covered
with cattle, the ranges have been stripped
clean. Either the Villistas have stolen
them or their owners have driven them
to ranges elsewhere.
Villa left his landmark in this region
at the Corralitos ranch, about 20 miles
to the north. The property embraces u
million acres, and is owned by Commo-
wore E. D. Morgan and his associates
of New York. Its headquarters embrace.
a group of adobe and stucco houses so
arranged as to remind one of a feudal
estate.
There are 300 rooms in all, and bath
tubs and other conveniences not to be
found elsewhere in northern Mexico. VIZ
la found the ranch deserted by the man
ager and his family when he fed this
way. and in some of these coo rooms he
quartered and fed his wounded.
Stopping at the ranch yesterday | saw
blood-stained bandages on the adobe floor
and l saw where Villa or some Of his
men had gone through the ranch papers.
picdhiiiS open Il ueSh ana nlnSlnS the
contents on the floor. There was such
confusion everywhere that it seemed as
though troop of monkeys had entered
the place. misplacing or destroying every
thing within reach.
An old Mexican ranch employee led me
into a courtyard and showed me where
Villa had shot the five plano brothers.
ranch hands who, Villa said. were too
damned American to live" In the adobe
wall against which he stood them 1 saw
bullet holes and on the ground l saw
stains of blood where they had fallen
He shot them singly. trying to exact in
formation as to the Whereabouts Of horses
which he believed to be near AS mat
ter of fact there were no horses on the
place. Before shooting them he hanged
them by the neck in front Of the ranch
chapel and whipped them with a wet rope
till blood spurted from them and stained
the cross piece on which the chapel bells
hung.
Half strangled. they would not tell
where the horses were. because there
were no horses, and then they were put
to death.
II buried them ALL" said the old Next
can. and he showed mo five shallow
graves.