Evening star., 1916-04-30
Recalls Difficulties Found in
Mexico on Trails That Are
Still Dangerous.
MEN FAMILIAR WITH
THEM HOLD MASTERY
Pessimistic Views Are Expressed by
C. D. Lockwood of Ohio. Now
on Visit to Capital.

Pessimistic views over the chances ol
any successful outcome of the punitive
expedition now in Mexico in pursuit of
Francisco Villa are held by c. D. Lock
wood of Ohio and are based on six
month trip made by him in lsoo
through exactly the same territory and
over many of the same trails that are
now being used by the bandit and by
the United States cavalry.
Mr.. Lockwood. who will be eighty
seven years old tomorrow. and VINO
lived for many years in Ohio, is IN
washington for an extended visit and
has definite ideas of making this city
his home Among the many lnteres tlnS
experiences in long and varied HE ne
places first the overland journey Whlch
he made with a company of some two
or three hundred men. headed for the
gold fieldS of California, and which LED
him through northern Mexico TO San
Diego.
i am surprised that the government
has sent these troops to work in
country where I myself have seen in
Vulnerable places at which twenty
armed men could hold up whole
army and destroy it before it could ad-
vance said Mr.. Lockwood yesterday TO
a reporter for The Star. The country
is hard enough to get through at all.
let alone catching in it man VINO
knows every turn and twist and who IS
surrounded by his friends. as Villa is
Sailed First for Cuba.
MIR. Lockwood in the spring of 1850
went from Cleveland to New York, and
there Joined with a party of some $50
men. who, accompanied by armed
guards, were to go overland from New
orleans to San Diego. They sail ed
first to Cuba. arriving there during the
time of the Lopez rebellion. They were
not permitted 70 land. under suspicion
Of being filibusterS, having their en-
tire outfit on board and after arrival at
New Orleans went IN turn to Galveston.
San Antonio and Ell Paso. Thence they
travelled through Mexico a distance OF
15OO miles, spending six of the nine
month trip in that country and visit
ing Chihuahua, Durango, MaZatlan and
other cities. Arriving at San Diego,
Cal. they took ship to San Francisco.
The party had a number of expert
ences with hostile and thievlSh Apaches
and Comanches. not to mention even
Mexicans themselves, but in every case
the number and armament of the party
prevented serious trouble. MIR. LOCK
wood tells of hundreds. and even thou
sands of miles of trails where travel
ers can pass one another only at long
intervals, and of the crossing of the
Devils river no fewer than thirteen
times IN a single ddE.
After four years in California. two
of which were spent in the mines, Mr..
Lockwood returned by sea to New York,
crossing the Isthmus of Panama ex-
actly where the then undreamed-of of
Panama canal is now located. He rode
TO the headwaters of the Chagres river
on mule back. and came down that
stream in a fatboat. He confesses
frankly that when the idea of the canal
WAS first broached he was absolutely
ros,, . hut he live
to be on board the first passenger
carrying vessel that went through the
locks.
Proud of Canal.
TT made me proud to be an Ameri-
can" he said. earnestly.
Shortly after returning to the east
Mr.. Lockwood attended the famous
summer school of philosophy, held at
Concord. Mass with Bronson AIcott
as its dean, Ralph Waldo Emerson as
one of the lecturers and Mr. Harris
later superintendent of schools for the
District, as another. His letter of ap-
plication to Join was the first received,
Mr.. Alcott has since told him, and the
knowledge he gained during those long
ago summers has Influenced the bent
of his mind and thoughts ever since.
I'd rather go and look at Emerson
than to hear any one else / ever lis
tened TO, said Mr. Lockwood in de-
scribing the Sage of Concord" He
will be appreciated more and more as
one of the greatest of American minds"
For forty-fiye years he resided in
Cleveland or in its vicinity, retiring
from business at the age Of eighty
During the war he was a member of
the Ohio legislature and, in fact, was
connected with Ohio politics for many
wears. being a close personal and po-
litical friend of President Garfield. He
sd e.
prevented from participating by his po-
lltfcal duties. For several years he
was trustee of Hiram College, on the
same board with Garfield.