Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-04-04
FORT SAM HOUSTON
A QUIET SPOT
"Watchful Waiting" Practiced On
the Mexican Border-The Cor
respondents Detected.
A CASE OF NOTHING DOING.
Somewhere in Chihuahua As In
definite As Somewhere in France
IA Lull Along the Lines


Probably the qpietest spot in Texas
today is Fort Sam Houston in sharp
contrast 10 the wild excitement of
week ago when all was hustle ana
hurry to be up and away Now
there is Natchful waiting. and the
most watchful and least patient of the
walters are the detected correspon-
dents who were called in from TT Paso
in hope that where Funston would be
there news would be proCurable.
Thre times have the three msketeers
of the typewriter International Service
men crossed my tran since morning
each event found them more sorrowful.
for there is in classical language.
nothing doing" in the way of extract
ing news l do not believe there is
any in hand, and surely I know Gen
eral Funston is not giving il out. and
most emphaucaliy everyone believes
him to be right The lives OF Amer
icsn soldiers may pay the price of
scoop and newspaper men and the
newspaper proprietors are TOO honor
able TO wish to run this risk
There has been much guessing as 10
away from Fort Sam Houston. We had
a motor that ran out of gas late the
other night and one man had TO Sc
about a mile to the nearest point for
help. That CHANGED to be the United
States aviation hangers. and most ca
cidentally ne was told that seven ae-
roplanes got away. a great deal oil
hope is attached to the birdmen in this
chase, unless the great attitudes nee
osary to get over some of the moutains
spurs prove too difficult. Some news
has filtered back from the border
which indicated that the infantry is
becoming cavalry as rapidly as mounts
can be procured. But horses thanks,
it is said, to the free purchasing for the
Allies, are extremely scarce. Good
horses are rarely seen on the streets
here and the United States Army al
Fort Sam Houston has an "ad' I'm the
papers for six hundred horses for de
livery by Tuesday next.
Today the number OF horses in the
corral al the post seemed even at q
casual glance. to be pitifully small, and
was told yesterday that one firm sold
nine autos ut the Fort on Friday these
10 take the place of horses that were
sent away for service. IT seems to be
believed generally that Villa is partic-
. ularly clever as a judge of horse flesh.
and be left an the WORKOUT, tired
mounts behind him at the Columbus
( raid Rumor says he took OFF many
i horses in exchange. One Of the early
( duties OF the first detachment for relief
/ service was to put to speedy death the
5 suffering animals f0unl here.
; II may not be generally remembered
that Fort Sam Houston is the second
: largest post in the United States / is
exactly two miles frome the famous
Alamo" on a high elevation looking
/ down on the city. IL is said to be
equipped with one of the best wireless
stations of this side OF Maine, Fla.
! nUt for these two days the service was
greatly interfered with by the local
talent who had a beautiful time Inter
ferng' until the city is now under
martial law as far as the use Of wire
less apparatus is concerned by pri-
waite parties here.
The Army reservation in normal
f, times contains one regiment each of
infantry and cavalry, three fell bat
/ teries two squads OF The signal corps
/ and very well equipped aviation
( corps This totals 100 officers and
I 2,200 men. but it is said the garrison
has been much augmented recentIy.bpl
I within the week it has been grealy
/ tdepietct II is one Of the show places
/ in this city. being the headquarters Of
/ the Department of Texas. and ordina-
! rily there are polo matches. band con
certs. military drills and mancuvers
/ apl exhibition of aeria flights. Today
! there was languid game Of baseball.
with about fifty onIookers. and nothing
else Not more than a bakers dozen
women of the officers families appear
ed al the church opposite the Post. aud
the seemed much subdued.
The officers wives are a very hos
pitable set Of delightful people, and the
/ Post list he great social center of Sar
! Antonio bui since a week aOg most of
the functions have ceased. but il is
Lent. you know. There are many sol
diers on the streets and those met iu
The early morning pack guns, no rea-
son asked Everyone here is trying To
be very conshlerate, particularly the
| spondents. hut there is an edge
TO everything that is in odd discord
with the brilliant DAYS Of summer
| sweetness. and nights of such perfect
moonlight it seems a waste of beauty
to sleep
Down in the Mexican quarter most
of the picturesque bits Of life here are
10 be found. but such heartbreaking
/ poverty, such huddled masses Of hui
! nanity Fortunately, there is very lit
! tie liquor 10 be had in the whole com
munity. so 1t is rarely that real crime
seems to occur. but the sickness and
! AFFECT squalor Of these poor human
! beings makes ones heart ache. There
is q ne-story adobe hut with a Span.
ish coat-of-arns over il. and smeared in
crooked letters Down The door jam the
title hole in the WALL The Spanish
arms really mark the residence Of the
Spanish viceroy, if that was mis- title. a
least the representative Of the Spanisf
throne OF 1749 He was hebeaded il
the Plaza nearby.
Later it was q saloon but alas fOl
/ mundane glory as guide book woulC
1 - NOW hoe f-vgs1 Iaes esar Cvhs1s