The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-07-22
'1HE MEXICAN BORDER FOR REATR

wear just enough to keep the skin
from being burned.
The most serious discomfort will be
felt by the eyes and feet. The glare
is overpowering; it may even perma-
nently injure the eyes. The typical
denizen Of the Southwest is pictured
standing erect. with head held high,
and his eyes looking forward with
level gaze. 1t is correct picture,
and the reason for the type lies in the
habitat. The glare that hurts is not
from the distant landscape, nor yet
from the middle distance; it is the re-
fection from the ground close about
his feet, and also from the cheek bones,
supra-Orbital arch and pose Of the
face. BY holding the head erect he
cuts out much of the glare from the
ground nearby, and from his cheek
bones as we'll. Colored spectacles of
fer almost no relief, and interfere
greatly with the vision, a matter Of
'supfenaed Importance to a. soldier on
duty. Fhe glare finds it's way between
the glasses and, the cheek. The only
real relief comes from goggles, black
ened on the inner walls, made to fit
close around the eyes, and projecting
far enough to miss the reflections from
the face. Such goggles, destitute Of
glasses, will enable one to look un-
fiinchingly and without pain at the
burning desert.
The hot sands and rocks are a tor
ment to the feet. The man of the
desert walks little; in fact, he never
walks any distance, as men are accus-
toned to do in other parts of the
world. He is horseman, or was so
until the automobile came. The SOL
der cannot follow the custom of the
country In this respect. He must
march, and whose accuses him, in the
face of his pitiful and unavoidable
blisters, Of being tenderfoot is
cruelty unjust. Neither could the sea-
soned rancher Of Arizona and Texas
start out and march as an army is
made to march without having blist-
ers on his feet, and a man with blist-
ers simply cannot go on. The Mexican
uses sandals (guarachas), which are
better because the air passes between
the foot and the leather sole at each
step. In the south Of Mexico a still
more rational footwear is common.
This is the alpargata, shoe made of
canvas with thick, tightly-woven
,hllemnen sole. IL the United states
Rrnay wero To admit the aIpargata into
its list Of equipment the soldier would
torset the sorrows OF a summer march
In Texas. It protects the foot COM
pletely from the heat; it is plant and
durable. A well-woven hempen sole
such as are factory-made in Seville
and other Spanish cities, will wear as
well as leather. There is no reason
why these soles should not be made of
cotton in the United States. They af-
ford a firm grip upon the sand with
out digging in as does the modern
shoe, while they never slip on the
rocks, enabling one to climb with Sc
curity what were otherwise nearly i'm
practicable slopes. A good substitute
Tor alparagatas may be made by buy
Ing pieces Of six-ply canvas betting.
such as that used for power transmits
sion in shops, and having a shoe
maker stitch them on, completely re-
soling the shoes, and then adding
leather taps for heels. Any shoemaker
will do this for $3.50, and the result
will be relief from discomfort on the
march that will be amazing.
The chief peril to health in desert
countries, peril that is always exag-
gerated in camp life, is dysentery. one
of the most insidious and unneces-
sary Of diseases. Too much meat and
beans. too little fruit and a shortage
of green vegetables. coupled with the
.grease-encrusted skillet, are apt to
provoke an attack. Even though,
fresh fruits, lettuce, string beans and
cabbage may not be available, stewed
dried peaches and apples. onions and
potatoes. literally consumed, will
prove a safeguard against this NAL
ady. 1t is also good practice never to
eat meat for breakfast, reserving this
for the noon and evening meals.
The evils Of insanitary water may be
overcome by boiling it, and the soldier
who drinks weak tea preferably
(OOlOng and English breakfast), and
who fills his canteen with this bever-
age will have taken ort a pOo6 inc,:..