Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1916-05-26
ECHOS FROM COLUMBUS
THE Army BASE
And Somewhere in Mexico
Truck Trains Arriving.
WHO ARE THE SHIPPERS?
The Story of the Truckers Will Find
Vivid PORTRAYAL Some Day
Especial 70 4ne Evening Capital, by
Jean Cabell o'Neill, Column
bus, n. NJ
Part

Part III.
One aeroplane truck and binl was
lost on one occasion in this way. The
men put up a stiff fight. but the snip.
ing was too hot, and this truck and its
precious freight was destroyed by the
fire of the Mexicans.
Mr.. Collins tells with dramatic vehe-
nance of one death trap twenty-three
miles long. where the trail leads
through a gorge so narrow the trucks
are almost scraped by the overhanging
rocks from the walls of the canyon
through which the trail leads Never
truck passes through this valley OF
death but that an attack is made on
the men.
The cliffs on each side above the
trail are so steep the soldiers cannot
scale them TO get at the snipers that
seem TO infest that strategic bit OF
territory. The MeXicans in the party
must come from twenty miles away
according to the belief of those who
know little of the country. as no one
seems to know much. But every truck
er( accounting to Mr. Collins. knows his
life is in the balance when his car en-
ters Death Valley
| asked why were not the Mexican
snipers routed out by the infantry. as
this condition has been going on from
almost the first trip. They cannot get
up the sides of the cliffs. They are
almost like the walls of a room. The
nearest post is forty miles away. and
the officers, | am sure knew how dead
ly this bit is until one went down with
on the last trip. when, putting on all
speed. the truck dared dash through
and the bullets surely did speed il up.
Mr.. Collins lifted his hat and whipped
the perspiration of his brow. grinning
and said that surely was a hot little
proposition while it lasted"
IF the spicks had any sense of gen
eralship," said Mr.. Collins, they would
stick a bit of dynamite under boulder
at the advance of the twenty-three
miles that marks that road. and touch
ed OFF at the right moment. mass OF
rock would fall in front of the train
and the cars would surely pile up and
then a blast at the rear of a twenty
three miles and the whole lot of us
would be beautifully bottldl up moro
completely than has happened since
the days of the Devils Elbow at Gettys-
burg, where my father fought. bat this
neat bit of the war game has not yet
occurred to the Villista.
Il am not sure the other branch OF
our Mexican enemies will be so ,lense
however. If | had remained i'm good
old New York | would probably have
plunged into the subway. It's all in
days work although sometimes | get
a mighty longing for Coney Island
When the dust flies can hear the
waves dashing on the beach out that
way"
DO you miss hot dogs" Collins
was asked. Not so much for that is
one thing where the Government is
god &c us. All this whine about hant
tack being the only food get me all
worked up, for the arrangements fOI
our food are good, if we take long
enough to get il fixed. Often we would
rather push on than stop for food
Then it is uncomfortable, but we have
corned beef and good quality at that
Hot bread, called war babies" when
the oven is set up; always good hot
coffee with cream ami sugar, and to-
matoes, and they are life-savers, for il
we can't stop to cook them, we drink
the stuff as it is. It's thirst quenchei
for fair. There is plenty of bacon anG
sometimes buy eggs, but usually We
wait till we get back to Columbus.
THE Mexicans love our money, and
they love us as long as they can sell
us anything, and they surely have
learned the little game of graft in few
weeks. Eggs are 10 cents each. II
we do not seem to need them bad, OF
account of the high price, the Mexicans
think we can stand it."
"Do you see many Mexicans along the
line these days" Mr.. Collins was ask.
ed Without stretching the truth, il
seems the whole population of Chi.
tludAAAo - Watching Jul tNtl liApNtf
replied Mr. Collins. THE biggest
trouble we have is the awful bouncing
of the trucks. Going down is not 81
bad, but coming back empty we are
up off the seat most of the time. excep
when we strike with dull, sickeninl
thud on the return trip. Once there
were springs in the cushions; now the!
are as hard as a rail, and one had Il
hang on to the wheel with such tension
that the muscles would never get over
the strain between the trips.
This, and the things it does to the
inside of the driver this terrible trounc
ing are the discouraging features o
the work. Otherwise, except for the
good folks at nome, l would not mine
doing this work for another ten years