El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-07-04


tiers in the Field. June 2S.-By
~ Truck Train to Columbus, n. N,
July I've are so far to the south
ward. so close to the Tropic Of Can
Ger, that at noon the sun is almost
directly over head, so directly tnat
q man casts almost no shadow except
at his feet. Its rays are hot; there
can be no mistake about that From
Z 10 o'clock till three in the afternoon the
; few thermometers in camp register
almost any day. from 10 TO 100 out
in the omen and in the shade Of the
ordinary tent there is not much TO be
deducted from the figures quoted
During the heated hours Of the day
the sky resembles nothing so much as
q great brass bowl or the interior OF
a superheated furnace Usually there
is not cloud in the sky TO AFFORD me
most temporary relief from the sun
rays OF to impede the f1ght OF me
anywhere from one to dozen buzzards,
which may be seen floating laZily ana
seemingly aimlessly overhead
All Of this is not nearly so moi
eative Of discomfort as a casual read
ing Of it might imply The neat y
not fusufferable. thanks TO the raIlty
of the air and the lack Of humidity.
There has not been a single case OF
sunstroke or heat exhaustion since We
have been in Mexico The general goou
health Of the officers and men may
have had the effect to give them great
ar movers Of heat resistance but the
fact remains that not only the men
who through their from two 10 I'VE
years service on the Mexican DoSaeI,
have become used TO the pecuIlarllles
, OF the climate and take the hlgh tenn
perature as recorded by the thermome-
Ter as a matter of course. but the most
recent arrivals from the cooler por-
e q limited States do not SUI
fer as they had been led 10 believe tney
would.
As the days go by, the camp takes
m uoore definite signs OF permanency
The men of the expedition have been
in this country for so long now tnaL
they have become adopts IN the ART OF
4Enaking adobe bricks and as they ar
+ive from their former Stauons Wnere
they have had some practice, they ereclaI
shelters composed OF adobe walls win
canvas roofs made Of their pup tents,
which viii keep them dry during me
Wettest rainy season ever recoroed oF
the weather bureau OF COlonla DuDlah
or Nueva Casas Grandes- Some OF tne
shacks erecte7 by the soldiers are III
ted with adobe fireplaces from which |
the smoke will be led to the outer ar /
BY chimneys OF ample draft ana ornate |
construction and which VIII enaeie the 1
occupants OF the structure 70 lnuuIsS 4
in meal getting in comfort during the 1
prevalence Of the rains, II they ever
O7s-ii Drill. Drill, Drill.
Despite the heat, there has oeen no
let up in the matter Of daily drills, tar
get and gun practice and the thou
sand and one other things Whicn are
believed necessary TO keep soloieT
in proper trim, though Il might De salo
in This connection that the heavy WORK
is done early in the morning oeI0re
the mercury or alcohol IN the DuLDS
OF the thermometers begin 10 cllnD
toward the tops Of the tubes Inc
hours OF the day which are usually
given over to recreation except the
time for bathing, is spent by the men
~ brick making and at putting the
Sriclls into the walls Of the shelters
spoken OF above.
The level floor Of the great valley
in which we are encamped IS plenu-
fully sprinkled with curious circular
mounds referred TO locally as Mon
tezumas." which contain many evil
dences that they are the sano covered
ruins Of what were at one time the
homes Of a prehistoric people which
inhabited this section OF Mexico. The
existence Of these mounds has long
been known to archaeologists and IN
years gone by many beautiful pieces
OF pottery have been taken out by an
and others who have had
the patience to dig into the MOUNDS IN
search OF them. There are hundreds
OF these mounds scattered over the
plain. These are supposed to be the
ruins OF the habitations Of the farmers
Of that period while the massive ruins
TO be found al Casas Grandes EieJo' /
(Old Big House, are supposed to nave :
been inhabited by the urban popula-
ton Of that day and generation
Dig For CurfOE-
While many officers and soldiers Of
this expedition amuse themselves dur !
ing their spare moments by digging
for specimens Of the pottery made by
b race which existed so long ago as
10 have been absolutely forgotten by :
any race now in existence and to have
left no other record OF their existence
than that found in the shreds Of :
burnt clay which may be dug from
their long forgotten homes, the old
3Iontezumas'' have IN times past been / !
the recipients of much attention by
those who make a study OF dead and {
gone people and a splendid collection of
'ollas" or water bottles, earthen Jars
to have been used as re- !
for grain and other products
d the farms OF that age and other
forms Of pottery, has been made by
Mrs E c. Houghton, wife Of the man
lger OF the CorralitOs ranch on which
u0cr Of the rnOuude fOuu6 ]