The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-08-07
Captain Frank Issron Tells About
Life In 6ro~nsviiie, just Across
the River From Shipping
Mexieans.
CAMP rs NEAR THE RIVER
Mexican Population in City 10 Large
and Majority y People Seen
on ths streets IL
Mexican.

IrOLu tu0 xtxV VII AO0 1lVCI, hAu OVu
wards across the river is Mexico with
it's snipers ready to take a chance
shot any time. The troops are for
hidden to battle In the river for fear
Of Shippers. and the guards around the
camp carry loaded guns and are
given plenty OF ammunition. At least
half Of the population of Brownsville
is Mexican, Captain Frank LeBron
writes in letter to his wife, part of
which is given here. Captain Lee
Bron's description OF the camp and
Of the country IL interesting and will
give a good idea Of just where the
Keokuk troops are at home these
days. He writes under date of
July 81:
1--WE arrived in camp about one
o'clock yesterday and today are fairly
well settled. The camp grounds is
quite level, but pretty well drained
and In the original state was a dense
underground Of cactus. bushes Of vari-
GUS kinds and mesquite trees. The
latter are trees about twenty to
thirty feet high with from two to ten
small trunks growing out Of single
large stump A day anil half OF
work has transformed 1t into clear
ground with few trees left, but all
the bushes and cactus taken out and
hardly spear OF grass or other
vegetation in sight.
1.-THE soil is about six inch forma-
ton OF decomposed vegetable matter
and seems very fertile. but evidently
is not as nothing seems to grow ex-
cept weeds. The ground gets muddy
quickly, but soon dries out. It rain
ed both yesterday and today at in
tervals, with sunshine between show
ers. / imagine 1t would be terribly
dusty here when dry. 1t is hot, but
SO far feels no worse than Des
Moines.
Interesting Experiences Due.
my first impression is that we VIII
have an interesting and pleasant ex-
perience here il one is interested in
military affairs 70 enjoy It. There are
ten thousand troops here and abso-
lutely no visitors at camp and no
prospect of any social life at all. The
first Illinois cavalry are here and I
expect to look Wyman Williams up
as soon as find time. There are
also some Virginia troops, number
OF regulars and detachments from
Texas and New Mexico
Our particular location in the
camp is at the extreme end near the
river. 1t is about three hundred
yards to the Rio Grande and about
three hundred more across to Mexico.
The guards around camp are all SUP
Piled with ammunition and carry
loaded guns. The soldiers are not
allowed to go to the river bank on
account Of bn;pers on the Mexican
side who are ready to take chance
shot most any time.
Many Msxicans There.
Brownsville has about 10000 in
habitants of which fully one-half are
Mexicans. They are dirty, filthy
people that seem able to exist
amongst the worst accumulation OF
filth you ever saw. As you pass
through the poorer Mexican section.
1t actually smells bad. There seem,
however, to be number Of the bet
ter class here engaged in almost
every line of Business. Many are
proprietors Of good stores catering to
the Americans as well as Mexicans
and in every business including banks
You find them employed as clerks. l
was in town for a little while TODAY
meet are Mexicans and saw no real
ly nice looking Americans in the
street at all.
Insects and reptiles are here, but
not in the numbers one would sup
pose. In all our clean mp we have
found two tarantulas and one scor-
pion, one blue racer snake and two
turtles and one little chameleon
which has attached itself to dad"
Sunley and refuses to leave. Last
night he hung up his hat with the
chameleon In 1t and he was there
this morning. Later he rut him on
the tree and he jumped hack on his
shoulder. In town this afternoon we
called on "Rattlesnake Bill" and saw
there very large number OF rattlers |
which he handles without fear, but
with caution"