Tensas gazette., 1916-09-22
GAS2LLzH CzZ2LRY"

sort happened to bunch of New York taxicab
drivers who shipped out to handle train
made up of a certain uniform make of trucks.
They got 80 miles into Mexico. and then decided
that they did not like the country at all. They
agreed that the United States government was
foolish to go In at all
Their spokesman went to the captain and in
formed him that they had decided to go back. They
did not like the food the water was not iced. and
there was no beer in the godfOrsaken place.
WhereupOn the captain gave orders to the sergeant
Of his guard. The noncommssoned officer in
formed the drivers that the first Of them who
turned back to Columbus would be systematically
shot up.
The drivers protested that they were American
citizens and wanted their rights. The sergeant
listened unmOved as he drew up his squad into a
convenient place for the shooting. The drivers
finally concluded that they were too far away to
consult their attorneys. and the train proceeded to
Namiquipa.
Camping out away from a garrisoned town. the
truck trains take the same formation that was
used by the emigrant trains when they were forced
to guard against Indian attacks at night. The
trucks are distributed in a circle. with the captains
runabOut, the cook truck and the ammunition truck
In the center. Placed in this formation the truck
train is in difficult position for bandit band to
rush.
No doubt many a band has been watching those
valuable trains of food and ammunition, longing
to pounce upon them but they refraned. A we'll
ordered truck train could get into battle formation
In few minutes. and the Springfield rifles would
be covering every point of attack very effectively.
A quarter of a million dollars in gold was
shipped in with one train, guarded by so picked
marksmen. Bandit bands knowing of this. prob
ably longed to rush 1t, but they did not make the
attempt. At night, in its proper formation, with
its outpOsts alert, the we-conducted train should
be impossible to surprise. But civilian drivers
hard to convince of the necessity for remaining
alert They will lock their ammunition in the tool
boxes; and. while they are painfully solicitous of
the mechanism Of their trucks, they have no re-
gard for the mechanism of the Springfield rifles
which are issued to them.
They have no respect for shoulder straps A
typical incident near Espia The truck
train drew into the place hot and dusty The news
was spread that there was real swimming hole
20 feet deep I'm the place.
Soldier guards and civilian drivers made a dash
for 1t. AS they neared ii they heard a delicious
spashng, but sentry halted them. "Sorry, boys"
he said, "but there's officer bathing there now
and the orders that nobody is allowed In till
he gets through"
big ex-taxicab driver from New York proceed
ed to peel off his army uniform. In another min
ute he dved into the pool with mighty splash
He came to the surface and grinned cheerfully at
the indignant expression of the second lieutenant
outraged at the fact that his privacy had been dis
turbed, apparently by the enlisted man.
"Oh. that's all right shouted the auto driver.
81 don't mind if you are little bit dirty Come on
in. The water is fine
But one of these days the truck train will be sys-
tematized. The drivers will all be enlisted men.
There will be fixed rate of speed. and the trucks
will all be up to determined specifications.
When the truck train is perfected the mule train
will go. Also. the pride of the cavalry will be
trailed in the gasolinescented dust Of the auto
truck train.