The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-01-13

January S.-(Special Correspondence) The holidays being past, the Alabama brigade has settled down to work again and resumed the regular routine. Dur ing Christmas week all but the necessary camp duties were suspended, and the men took life easy.
 It was very fine Christmas, too, though, of necessity a very quiet one. Every company provided an elaborate dinner, with the regulation turkey and plenty of tfixings.' The quartermaster issued the turkeys and the long suffer- ing company fund did the rest Then the mess sergeants, cooks and kitchen de- tails got busy and fixed up dinner that was plenty good enough for anybody. And it was thoroughly enjoyed, too. The quartermaster' turkeys were, of course, the main dish and chief object of at- tack. The cranberry sauce, fruit cake, raisins and other accessories. though merely auxiliary troops, as it were, did valiant service also. And the Alabama boys, being mighty trenchermen did full justice to the opportunity
 This was a white Christmas in Nogales. The only snow of the winter fell early Christmas morning, and by breakfast time the whole world was carpeted with white. It was beautiful sight, and one that will not soon be forgotten When the sun came out the sight was a gor- geous one indeed.
 Some of the companies were so unfortu- nate as to be on guard and these had their Christmas dinner the day before. Natu- rally somebody must do guard duty, no matter what the day is. So no one had any complaint to make except to point out the fact that he was "out of luck"
 DOING GUARD DUTY
 The guard duty here is done by batal- lions, four companies going on guard each day and serving 24 hours. This time the third battalion of the fourth infantry was the one to catch it. We relieved a battalion of the Second who gave up their posts with a lacrity and lost no time getting back to camp and their din- ner.
 The battalion on guard is posted all over the district and divided among sev- eral posts. Each of these posts has cer- tain areas to look after, and sends out subposts As each of these has several sentries tour of guard duty requires good many men, and no company ever has more than it needs.
 The various posts are provided with tents, which have been boarded up and floored and equipped with stoves Each company provides it's own meals and each man carries his blankets with him.
 Perhaps the most interesting post of the guard is that along the international boundary. That portion of the line that divides the business sections of the two cities is guarded by regulars, and the Alabamians are entrusterd with the ad- jacent portions of it. Here Alabama sen- tinels walk their posts within few feet of the Mexican sentinels, each guarding the line as much from his own coun- trymen as from each other.
 International avenue here runs through a wide ravine, with high hills on each side. The one on the American side, known as Titcomb hill, is crowned with residences the nearest being several hum dred yards from the line On the Mex ican side is row of low adobe houses, which run back to a steep hill. On the crest of this hill is cross, where we are told, some of Villas soldiers were killed in the fight here last year. On our hill is heap of stones, marking the spot where Private Stephen A. Little was killed in the same fight As memorial to him. the camps of all the troops in the district bear his name.
 To the west of the houses and just where the street becomes a road is a cemetery which bears sinister reputa- ton, for this is the famous execution ground, to which those who are unfor- tunate enough to be caught on the wrong side of politics are brought to face the firing squad. How many times this grim tragedy has been enacted here no one seems to know. but we are told that un- til recently a sudden crash of rnusketry at daybreak frequently awakened people on our side of the line. It must have been grisly sort of reveille to start the day with.
 ON MEXICAN SIDE
 The post of one of our sentries is on a rise of ground directly in front of the cemetery and only few yards from it. From this point of vantage he can see whatever happens in the cemetery, and many are the stories told by those who have walked that post. If only half of them are true, our boys have witnessed many scenes of carnage there.
 Along the Mexican side of the street is a row of small octagonal sentry boxes provided to protect the sentinel from the weather. Our soldiers coming of a stur- dier race, disdain such effeminancy. That the Mexicans take full advantage of the protection offered is shown by the ever smoking pipe that sticks out of each "box.' With his stove fired up and the electric lights turned on, the Mexican sentry evidently feels that he has given fair warning to all lawless persons to keep away, and has, therefore done his full duty. This method of standing guard Is constant source of wonder to our boys. who, while condemning the idea