New Ulm review., 1916-09-20

! from town carried a six-shooter and {
Winchester. Any minute one might
meet bunch of bandits.
| The people in Mexico are starving
The farmers can't raise any crops.
The country is over-run with bandits.
As fast as the farmer raises crop the
soldiers come along and say they need
it, and give some worthless paper for it.
They have to come over here to get their
money exchanged for our money before
they can buy provisions. A dollar in
Mexican money is worth from cent
and quarter to three cents in our
money.
The Texan told us that we could get
on the train at the border and ride to
Mexico City for eighty-seven and half
cents gold. He said Diaz was the man
for Mexico. When the rangers were
ordered out he said they surely threw a
scare into the Mexicans.
They would ride upon band of
Mexicans and kill them first and ask
questions afterwards. When the SOL
diers first came down here and up to the
time of this last trouble they had orders
not to carry loaded guns. The bandits
would ride in upon them and kill three
or four. At San Bonito when the ban
dts shot up bunch of U. S. Cavalry,
the soldiers were riding along when they
were surprised by the bandits and four or
five of their number killed. The officer
in command ordered them to dismount
and get behind their horses and load.
Before they could do anything the
bandits had escaped. The bandits
came over here, killed cattle and foraged
the country for food, perhaps killed
four of five Americans and escaped
across the river. They are starving
and have to come over here to get food.
They can't come now because there are
too many soldiers here but as soon as
the soldiers are taken out it will be the
same old story.
The Texan says the only solution
of the Mexican situation is for Uncle
Sam to 60 in and rid and the country of
the bandits and put the country un-
der military control. He said: "If
yo'all 60 in there, a lot of yo will never
come back" He says there are noun
tain passes up in the mountains that no
white man could find.
Villa has been chased by five presi-
dents and the whole Mexican army and
General Pershing is hunting him and he
still is free, and according to the Texan
will remain so for some time
All the way down to the river, we
saw deserted mud huts that had been
raided by bandits and riddled with holes.
We arrived at Progreso, small town
where Co. C, First Minnesota infantry,
are stationed, about eleven-thirty and
ate our lunch. Wewere told that the river
was about mile and a half south.
Wetook narrow path and soon arrived
the banks of the Rio Grande.
We saw a number of the trenches
where the American soldiers were in
trenched, among them the one where
the captain and corporal were killed
by Mexicans firing across the river.
We met the other party from Com
pany E, ten in number. The river was
muddy and there was about 80 or 40 feet
OF quick sand between us and the river.
Barney Hurt had been down the day
before and said he knew where there
was good swimming hole. We started
out to find it and encountered some of
the worst jungles 1 have ever heard of
or seen. Those around camp are moth
ing compared to what these are. If
Mexico is anything like these jungles
|, for one, want to stay out. The river
curved in and out and we couldn't get
near enough on account of the mud to
follow it and so started through the
woods.
Before proceeding very far we were
hopelessly lost. 1t was cloudy and we
couldn't see the sun so we were at a
loss to tell in which direction to 90.
We had two compasses with us, but
they pointed in opposite directions, so
they we're worthless. We walked for
three hours in the woods. At every step
you would step on what looked to be
solid ground only to sink foot or two.
Farther on we encountered thick
brush and vines grown in between the
trees, so thick that it took some little
time to cut our way through In other
places there would be tall, slender
willow trees growing about two or three
inches apart. At every turn we found
new trails and when we came to retrace
our steps we would follow these different
trails, only to find we were on the wrong
one.
We climbed trees and attempted to
rf IL.