El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-03-24


I ficers, both civil and military. ready TO
accord hearty cooperation i'm the task
OF hunting down Villa and his bandit
| band
American colonists nea- the old town
( OF Casas Grandes, southwesI or the
army camp, declared the feeling among
the MeXicans there was tense. but there
has been no evidence or it.
The American troops brought in the
| first silver money some OF ne MeXl-
paid double tie prices that prevail at
the international boundary for food,
/ and the rough, dirty and strong native
tobacco. There was, in fact. so little
metal money among either the MeKl-
cans and the small band OF American
| Mormons who have braved dangers Of
! repeated Villa raids. that many were
unable TO provide change for a silver
dollar. one Chinese storekeeper In
Neuvo Casas Grandes was asked what
he would give for an American 50 Dill.
/ He o. ened his cash driver and, with
an expressive motion Of the arms and
/ hands, indicated that he was willing to
exchange for il the bale OF Carranza
| and Villa paper money II contained.
Cross mt Night.
On the way south into Mexico the in
| tantry, cavalry and artillery column
I from Columbus was accompanied by
Gen. Pershing over the line, on we'd
nesday afternoon, March Is. then the
general returned by automobile to Co
lumbus and then went to join the Dodd
cavalry column, which crossed the
boundary at 3:11 o'clock Thursday /
morning. It was a brilliant. moonlight |
night and freezing cold, but brisk cav
airy trot kept the men warm.
The sun, rising over the mountains
gave the men their first view of the
country, a drearv desolatc stretch OF B
sun sCorched mesquite and bunch grass I
dOtting a level valley floored with dull !
red material eroded from eminence /
thrown up by volcanic explosions in /.
prehistoric ages.
Commands Join.
At $50 the flying column made Car |
rizO. The negro cavelrymen, and sol :
dies Of the artillery. hospital units and I
neld radio outfits that had preceded the !
escort were encamped on the sides Of a {
granite butte fronting the canyon in :
which Geronimo. the notorious Apache /
warrior. made his final stand and sur
rendered to American troops more than /
80 years ago.
Here encamped on the hillside were |
observed for the first time the other
units Of the flying column, the artillery.
negro cavalry and other organizations. 7
Some Of them had previously marched {
from Fort Huachuca, Arizona. and other
distant points and such was the Sc
crecy thrown about their movements
that even the officers o. lesser rank
did not know of their coming.
Nobody knew.
IN TACT. Lne Officers OF the OfEaulZa-
tons themselves moved more or less in
the dark. Their orders directed them
10 proceed to certain points where other
oruers would be found. They proceeded !
thus by stages, not knowing where the
next would take them, and the appear |
ance of Gen. Pershing first at Co.
luhbus. then at Hachita. and then at
Cul5ersons, plainly surprised the SOL
diers and some OF their officers.
At Carrizo the first meat in Mexico !
part OF the five days rations issued to
the men, hard tack, which tastes some
what like the motzos Of Jewish relie
lous feasts, and unsweetened coffee Of
ucers and men Jared alike.
Gen. Pershing allowed the command
to rest until noon. The order was TO
make all speed to reach the big Ojitos
ranch.
Eat Mexican Food.
Ojitos is 60 miles from the border.
But at o'clock that night camp was
being made by the American troops be-
side irrigation bitches. through which
flowed the first running water they had
seen in Mexico. Here, also, were seen
the first MeXicans, other than two who
were observed few miles north Of Oil
los, silhouetted against the sky on
mountain top. These Two were believed
TO be spies. but scouts reported them
to be ranchers living in hte valley.
The Ojitos MeXicans reaped a golden
harvest among the hungry soldiers. |
r i4JOlcSt lpIllllAb ana emil sauce were
in great demand. and in contrast to the
Casas Grandes MeXicans, who doubled
and trebled prices on Dread and every
other edible, their prices were what
you like to give" The senoras of the
ranch households cooked half the night.
their daughters delivered or served the
food. and the husbands and fathers
gathered the money.
Nobody at PalOmas.
The column that went in from Column
bus found. when it camped the first
night at palomas. Just two human be-
ing, a crippled Mexican, described by
the American guides as the most cum
ming horsethief along the border. and
his wife. The only other living things
were a few stray dogs, which nightly
fought the coyotes for the remains OF
the cattle slaughtered by the Carranza
garrison and the Villa troops.
Infantry were posted all along the
route from the border to ColOnia Dub
Ian to guard the line of communica-
tions.
Engineers maintained roads FOR wa
gon trains and motor trucks.
The orders were for every man 10
travel light" Officers and men were
not permitted to carry much more than
the clothing and equipment worn upon
their persons.
The trains. nevertheless. were long