The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1916-05-11
nx MERroN e. eURKE.

on the mar lIlSSeIs COAuhh'"' -
state of war. Ono approaches the
scene Of Villas murderous raid, when
occasioned the invasion Of Mexico by
United States troops. with !eeiihg
that thrilling scenes are TO be wit
messed.
The visitor is not disappointed.
It would require the pen of Lew
Wallace or a Kipling, and the brush OF
a Remington adequately to portray the
picture presented.
Aged but stalwart Indian chiefs who
fought against Geronimo, sto!idly view
the scene. Tall, bronzed cowboys stalk
about, avlators mingle with broncho
busters, chauffeurs wrangle with mule
drivers and pioneer settlers sell nam
and eggs TO the influx or eastern
tradesmen.
Instantly the train pulls out OF Ell
Paso the hills of Mexico are revealed
seemingly but a stones throw distant
so clear is the air-a great range or
treeless crumbling mountains thar
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
a piece of blotting paper on string
sop it 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 a 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 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 a hurrah where the line is, a
fellow-passenger remarks.
A table land-mesa they call II 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 hotel, and that looks to have
about six or eight rooms.
IL you are wise you jump from the
ODSGINdLlOH D4dNiOl III NliNlN INC WNbCl
tank and rush for 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 FL Paso said he knew
Villa.
"Cattleman from outside here a
niece who'd been loading up on booze
brought in by some bootlegger pulled
gun and turned on him.
"'Stand up he said.
Gel Paso chap knew his game
looked him in the eye and said: 'Pard
ner what you doing with that gum
"T'm going to shoot everybody that
ever knew villa. he replied
"'Pardner,' said the FL Paso Teller
Let me tell you something. Round
here when we pull a gun we shoot
first and talk about it 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 a lady in a
bathing suit on Broadway.
He is a foreigner in q strange land.
Soldiers scrutinize him. Tall lean
westerners gaze down upon him from
their varying heights.
He feels he is tenderfoot.
Alert Young men I'm varying styles OF
national guard uniform pursue and in
ouire the business of all the arrivals
They are the war correspondents al
fhe supply base.
A hasty trip around the village
shows half dozen frame buildings OF
various sizes. twenty or more 'dobe
huts-Mexican bungalows someone
called them-several corrugated iron
shacks. a smattering OF tents hastily
put Up to provide eating places for the
influx OF population and the moving
picture house.
Everybody in town is engaged In
-sst..- ia ord ohoitor for fhnoo NJ