El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-24

fort lacking in the houses occupied by
the urban as well as the suburban
population Of Namiquipa. Very few
OF the houses. even of the so called
palaclos Of the wealthy haciendadOs,
have wooden or even tile floors. The
floors, like the walls, are Of adobe and
nave been packed to a flint like hard
ness by the trampling Of the feet OF
many generations Of inhabitants The
broom s is known in the United States.
does not exist in Namiquipa nor in
many other of the inland cities Of the
Mexican republic. A bit Of fine brush
tied into a small bundle is used by
the housewife inclined to be tidy, to
brush the accumulations of debris into
small piles to be carried to the fire.
places or, in too many cases, thrown
out the door to be blown by the ever
prevalent winds into a neighbours
casa"
Transportation Problems.
Namiquipa is far from the main trav-
eled roads of Mexico. For that reason
il has its transportation problems which
TO an American would be perplexing
1t is a long. long way either to Nuevd
Casas Grandes or to San Antonio. the
former TO the northward and the latter
to the southwark, the respectively near
est railway points affording markets
for the great crops of corn and beans
which are grown on the many and
very fretile farms which flourish the
full length Of the river. The prevail
ing means Of conveyance is the two
wheeled cart drawn by oxen. A few,
a very few, American wagons drawn
by horses may be found. For the OK
drawn carts of the two wheeled variety
500 to 700 pounds would be a capacity
load and ten miles full days journey.
On the four wheeled wagon, drawn by
from four to twelve of the small horses
or mules typical Of this country. 1000
to 1900 pounds might possibly consti-
tute the load but the distance Travelled
toward market each day would not
greatly exceed the mileage Of the OK
drawn carts.
soldiers Good Buyers.
Since the establishment of this camp,
the quartermaster of the division has
bought all the corn and beans which
the native farmers could be induced to
bring to him. This has been the policy
OF the commander OF the expedition
since the international line was crossed
a month ago. It puts good American
gold coin in circulation and that has
a tendency. it is believed in many quar-
ters. TO make the native feel better
toward the otherwise not especially
liked "GringO."
Be that as it may. IL would make
the American farmer Of the very poor
est type laugh, or cry as it suited his
fancy, to see the makeshifts some of
the Mexican farmers have to resort to
in order TO get their grain from their
httle farms 10 the Quartermaster's
tents in the center OF the camp. OF
the hundreds Of packages received
since the camp has been located here.
il is doubtful if more than a dozen OF
them have come in what an American
farmer would call a grain sack" Cot
ton or Jute bags are an unknown
quantity but there are plenty Of raw
hide bags built like Bryan O'Lynu's
hreeches with the hairy side out and
the skinny side in" and shaped to fit
and hold two centals Of wheat These
rawhide sacks are as carefully guard
cd as the ordinary man would guard
the apple Of his eye, whatever that may
be, for the reason that they are hard
TO make and otherwise expensive and
often are heirlOoms in the family, hand
ed down from father to son or given
as marriage dowers By the same tol1-