The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1916-05-25
FL Paso. Texas,
May II. 1916.

who will probably see hotter place.
IL they do not more nearly follow the
example and teachings of The Record
but not for me. ! will never go to
a warmer place My visit to Column
bus has fully decided INC as to that
matter. know when | have had
enough heat And Columbus will
satisfy the most avaracious in that
direction.
You have read of Columbus. You
have probably never heard of the
town or know OF its existence before
you read OF it in The Daily Record
on March 9Th this year. The occur
renee mentioned in The Record ana
in every other daily paper in the U. S.
A. of that date put Columbus on the
map. In the future children will read
of Columbus in the histories as they
now read OF the Maine.
On the morning of March 9th. Villa
and his band. 800 or 1000 men rode
into the little town. They shot the
sentry, and made for the stores.
Whatever may have been the object
of the raid II soon developed into a
looting proposition. You have read
the story. You know how they burn
ed the hotel. and other buildings. mur
dered eight men. women and children
, killed nine soldiers. plundered the
stores and were in turn attacked and
routed by the little army on guard
The L. 5. army guarding Columbus
has been much criticized for permit
ting itself TO be surprised by villa.
Perhaps Major slocum win be asked
TO make some explanations about the
matter when he returns from the
chase OF Villa he is now on. But the
fact is evident that the little army
OF about $50 in all. did some good
work after they woke up. They XIII
ed about $50 of the Mexican army in
the city limits and the pathway villa
followed in HIS getaway was strcwn
with dead MexicBns and dead horses
for several miles out into the eoun-
try.
villa had machine gun. II jam
bed" early in the ight--which acci-
dent no doubt saved the lives of
many Americans. The u. s. army had
three machine guns Two OF these
''jammed" carly in the fight which no
doubt helped some Mexicans TO get
away alive But one machine gun did
good service.
The fight began at s:@0 q. m. and
lasted about forty minutes. and the
chase little longer. Americans dead
: soldiers. citizens and f5o to 200
Mexicans. Prisoners taken eleven.
seven OF whom are condemned to be
aforementioned in a former letter.
And thus the history of Columbus
began. Today II looks like a boom
town in a new mining section.
These are busy days at Columbus
Gen. Pershing and his army went In
20 Mexico from this point. Seven.
teen thousand soldiers have been
equipped and started TO the front
from Columbus. Here the supplies
Sre kept and forwarded to the front.
An army guards the supplies and the
town. Great warehouses have been
built. Supplies by the car load ar
rive every day. Motor truck trains
loaded with supplies for the army
leave for the front every day.
Columbus before the raid was a lit.
tie prairie town OF 500 or zoo people.
Cattle interests and a custom house
chief causes for the town.
Today the town is booming. You
hear the clash OF the hammer on cor
rugated iron in every direction. IL
is growing up to be n real corrugated
iron town, town OF SO many iron
bake ovens. The army is building
many great store houses to protect
supplies. Already 100000 feet OF
lumber have been shipped in and iron
enough TO cover II all.
The little boom town is full OF many
light refreshmcnt joints. lunch conn
ters, hot tamale vendors. shooting gal
leries and the business enterprises
that follow circus.
1t is pay day and business is thriv-
ing. The town is full of soldiers with
evidence of spent money. ON to one
side a crap game under big tent
is running. The open-side tent is
crowded with soldiers. This is a
common occurrence on pay days. A
few days will see re-adjustment of
financial matters. On the morning OF
pav dav nil are ma ~ ,r.a,.,,, sra. a,,a