The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1916-11-14

Herald, from Captain Claude " Biggs,
and published in the Bull Herald Cap
tain Biggs tells of the daily routine, of
the relief of the guard, of the attitude
of the Mexicans and other matters of
interest, while thanking the people of
the west end city for their contrlbu-
ton of magazines. The letter follows:
Camp Stephen Little,
Nogales, Arizona,
Oct 2S, 1916.
Mr.. H. w Barry, Bull, Idaho
My dear Barry Through the col
umns of your paper, permit me to
thank the Bull people for the nice big
box of magazines we have received
from them.
The reading matter came at a time
when it was needed and will be appre-
ciated most-our duty has been cut
down to only one hours drill daily,
and guard duty; the latter is very
heavy, much more so than l ever knew |
it to be in the regular army. We get |
a tour every secenod or third day. 1t |
will be lightened, however, as soon as
the Alabama troops, now arriving, get
settled in their camps. But to return |
to the subject of the reading matter
and guard duty perhaps an explana-
/
would be appreciated by those who are
not familiar with things military.
We go on guard at noon and are re-
lieved at the same hour the following
day The guard is divided into three
divisions or "reliefs." Each relief goes
on post two hours and then is off four
Thus, in the "a hours tour, each man
gets eight hours on post and sixteen
off. During the sixteen hours off post
he must remain at the guard house or
headquarters of the guard. He can,
however, sleep, read or write, and this
is the time where your magazines are
very welcome.
l might go further and paint you
word picture of a night of sentry duty
on the border but l have done very
little writing of late and might not be
able to portray it as l have seen it.
International avenue, which is pa
trolled by guards from both armies,
runs east and west, dividing the Am
erican city of Nogales from the Mexi-
can. city of the same name. The city
proper is about four blocks wide, fill
ing in a deep canyon running north
and south but International avenue
runs west up a narrow intersecting
canyon about one block wide In this
canyon all the houses are on the Mexi-
lean side, including the barracks for
their troops, which is about half a
block from the line. On their side of
the line their sentries have plenty OF
| protection in the adobe buildings and
on the side of the canyon or hill back
e of the buildings they have a series of
rifle pits overlooking our side Our
sentries have no protection or rather
l no cover and they must walk back and
forth along the street, which is lighted,
, and in plain view and range of the
; Mexicans OF course there is but lit
{, tie danger, it is regarded as nothing
J. yet it is possible that some Mexican
may get little too much liquor and
take a pot shot at the gringO sentry
anyway such things have happened.
i, But the sentry PAGES back and forth
as though unconcerned. The sun is
t just going down. A bugle call breaks
: forth from the Mexican barracks with
n it's long-drawn-out weird notes. 1t Is
IS time for the Mexican guard mounting
IS Ten drummers file out of the barracks
T each beating like mad and forming &
a circle. Then two bugles chime into
/, the unearthly noise with some sort Of
It a march. The sharp command of an
IS officer is heard, followed by foul
l. squads of soldiers filing out of the bar
racks. They are armed with long Mau
sers and step with a fair degree O
military precision. One squad heads
for their outposts to the east of tn,
;. town on high hill; another marches
{ down International avenue Ton theil
i. side of the street. of course) and takes
+ oats along the principal cross streets
&fa frd fn q ri rif
!. apostle sue of the canyon, while the
: fourth occupy large abode building
/. just across the street.
! A couple of mounted men drive {
/ steer down the hill to the barracks
/. where one of them knocks it in the
+ head with an axe, and there it is Gu
4 up and distributed to the soldiers while
!. the numerous dogs lick up the blood
+ spilled in the street.
!. Darkness comes hurriedly dowr
+ here, none of the long twilights like
3 we had in Idaho. And just as it is get
! ting dusk the sentry sees the field of
! ficer of the day and his orderly ap
& preaching up the street. The majo
+ asks for the orders and then stops 70
4 a minute to watch the Mexican sentr.
4 across the street who is amusing him
+ sely by transferring his pistol from
& one pocket to the other, and then roll
4 up his sleeve and calmly takes "spo
/ in the arm" with a needle Perhaps h
Z feels that he is in need of something L
+ quiet his nerves but our sentry max
4 a mental note of the failings of thi
Z fellow who requires "snow" to kee
+ him cool. The major passes on. 1t
+ now dark, and he must challenge al
Z persons approaching his post.
+ Up the avenue he sees anothe
Z horseman approaching. He thinks
\ is his captain who is officer of tn
:! guard but me must make care so h
Z sings out, and with his Springfield 9
ready"
4 Halt Dismount, who's there?'
y "Officer of the guard"
; advance officer of the guard to b
{ recognized"
- The officer dismounts and advances