El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-09-29
Roundabout Town
Fine Camping Trip Is To Van Pattens Resort
Chaplain Geniahty Recalls Missionary Story

- NE OF the finest camping trips
imaginable at this time of the
~ year is 10 Van Patterns Dripping
Springs resort in the Organ mountains.
abOve Las Cruces. The road from Las
Cruces TO the resort. q distance OF
about 20 miles. IS in good shape for a
mountain road As . result Of the
summer rains the sand is not as heavy
IS it viii be later and the big sand
wash east or Las Cruces can be
crossed easily al present. providing the
sutomobilist goes straight easc past
Loretto academy ana the waterworIs
and does not take the socalled new
road" out over the sand mills.
The vegetation al the resort is beau
ufui Al present and there IS plenty OF
water Campers must be careful with
their fires and cOufine themselves TO
the location restricted TO their use
Last saturday night a party OF camp
ers had the unique experience Of Wit
Messing wildcat fight in the edge OF
their camp and. later. while one OF the
party slept, q skunk slipped Up and was
dragging off one of his shoes when he
flashed light on the animal and il
ran fortunately without showing any
particular resentment against the rude
disturbance Of its activities.
There Is no scenery anywhere in this
part Of the country comparable with
that at Van Patterns and the mountain
climbing opportunities are wonderful.
The scenery at the resort Is maEuifi-
cent and the view back down into the
valley. 20 miles away. is superb.
The trip from e PasO, with a number
OF stops for water, oil and rest was
made by this camping party IN two cars.
IN four hours and - minutes. The re
turn trip was made in three hours and
% minutes While the grade the last
five or SIX miles before the resort is
reached is very steep. IL is not as hard
a climb as 10 CioudcrOft by motor.
Chaplain Horace A. ChOuinard. OF the
sd infantry. is what his men call "a
GOOD sport The chaplain saws that he
doesn't believe in trying TO plug relie-
ION down the threats OF the soldiers.
but he does Try 10 he q good friend
with every man IN the regiment. When
iumv Hodges was here with his musi-
cal show. q couple Of weeks ago. Jimmy 3
was introduced 10 the chaplain in the .
lobby OF the Paso del Norte. according q
TO Beck the sporting editor
The cleric and the actor We're soon .
quite chummy and II wasn't long be
fore comedian James was heard to ad- {
dress The cha plain as old Too" which +
showed that even clerEvmen and come .
dams can mix at times.
Jim Brown happened along about that .
time and the incident reminded him .
Of a story
T was in Tait's cafe in Frisco a few B.
wears ago when q man, quite evident I
y g clergyman. came in. He was .
placed AT my table. as the restaurant T
was wei filled. We soon got into :
and 7 found that he had +
heen on foreign mission service in In
dia for several years
The clergyman ordered some cold O.
turkey for his repast and then. apol-
Dgizing TO me, he opened a small bottle
q sauce He explained tina. he had ,
become very fond Of this sauce while 7
he was in India and had brought some
with him It looked very good. but 7 }
was very suspicious of Indian relishes
The next table cleared and then a
commercial traveller took a seat there
He looked real bored and glanced Z
trough the menu without finding any
hing that appealed 10 his jaded palate
Looking toward our table. ne told the
waiter that he'd have the same as the /
'kypilot'
Beg pardon. but that sauce IS the
-entlemans private property cx-
llained the waiter. but the clergyman
lad heard and invited the drummer TO Z
lelp himself
When the drummer's turkey arrived. !
- helped himself quite literally The
clergyman said nothing, but I'd have
worn there was twinkle IN his eve. (
The drummer took large mouthful
Y turkey and Indian relish The next