The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-08-19
GROSS LONE STAR State.
CAROLINA TROOPS HOW.
EVER, FIND MANY THINGS TO
ENLIST THEIR INTEREST,
Meet Many Pretty Girls-Ncvcr a Dull
Moment When Trains of 1st Regi-
mcnt Stop in Towns of Texas.


En- Route to Border, Aug. H.
There have been many interesting
things for the South Carolina soldiers
to see on the trip from Camp Moore,
below Columbia, to Ell Paso, Texas, but
no part Of the journey has furnished as
many surprises as the long ride Of
$40 miles across the great Lone Star
State.
The 1st regiment entered Texas at
Texarkana, a splendid city about the
size of Anderson, which lies half in
Texas and half in Arkansas. There
the farming country IS good and the
girls pretty. Dallas ami Fort Worth
are big towns, modern anL progress
sive and each has over 10000 ilha3i-
tants. From Fort Worth on through
the State over the Texas and Pacific
Railway. the country is rolling and
near Ell PasO, mountainous. Mesquite,
sage brush and stubble make up the
vegetation and the principal industry
is cattle. Great herds were seen and
one railroad man said that the Here
ford was the best beef cattle. At sew
eral places fine herds of Hereford
were passed.
The prairie dogs, Jack rabbits and
old familiar South Carolina rabbits
were, seen insIarge numbers near the
western part of the State.
The Mexicans live in large numbers
all along the way and increase as the
border is reached. All of the laborers
are Mexicans and they are very much
like the pictures of them shown in
the movies. This (Friday) morning
we passed typical Western town,
with it's frame dwellings and old time
saloon pictured in all stories of West
ern life. We have seen cowboys,
ranchmen, and all the characters of
the West.
Just beyond Van Horn, about 13O
miles from the border, we saw on the
left Of the railroad xas Ranger
with MS outfit. TArse intrepid
watchmen are the terrors of Mexicans
and have done fine duty in guarding
the border.
At Sweetwater, which is on the
edge of the long monotonous alka!i
district, the men detrained for a few
minutes exercise and the band sere-
naded the inhabitants, who had gath
cred at the station. The people all
along the route have been very friend
ly and the young ladies appear to be
struck" on the Palmetto privates
They won't have much to do with the
officers, but make up" at once with
the men, and there has been much
exchanging Of addresses and promises
of correspondence.
Like the men of the sea, the South
Carolina boys find a sweetheart in
every town and especially in every
Texas town. And they are we'll
worth knowing, good looking and at
| tTdCtlEc In every way.
The elevation towards the border
gradually increased until at Allamore
We were 4.555 feet above sea level
One interesting sight at this poin.
was the little Mexicans. Several fam
lilies live in houses very much like
negro tenements and the inmates evil
IDENTIFY do not have much use for wa
ter.
From Allamore the road descends
southwest. At Cerro Gordon we
switched over to the Southern Pacific
and followed that line into Ell Paso.
I For some distance out of FL Paso
the train ran close by the Rio Grande,
close enough to hurl a rock into
Mexico.
We passed through several en-
campments of soldiers, who are
guarding the border The most of
them were National Guardsmen from
Northern States.
Alkali dust covered and colored
everything and everybody long be-
fore the border was reached.
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