Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1918-07-10
Decorah Soldier Boy on the Border
Writes Us an Interesting Letter
About Army Life i'm New
Mexico
SAND so HOT\E. vt
1T BLIshs THEIR FEET
Patroling the Border, q. y, Horse
back on Average 40 Me very
Other Nigh,
Alma Waco, New Mexico,


Public Opinion, Decorah.
Dear Editor: Will drop you a
line or two to let you know that the
Spicks or Mexicans have not got me
yet. Well how is the old Office any.
way? / sure will never forget it, as
there | spent some of the best days
of my life, and what a time John
used to have keeping track of me;
chances l would be down in the eel
lar asleep in the waste paper. But
things can sure change in a short
while, and l don't know whether
will ever work in a printing office
again, but if 1 would / would want
it to be like the good old Public
Opinion, and l am not kidding about
it, either.
Well will tell you a few. things
that have happened since / left JEFF,
ferson Barracks. We left there
Saturday, April Is at $50 a. m
travelled all day until S:45 p m. ar.
rived in Little Rock, Ark. There
we took Pullman to ElPaso and on
to Hachita where my troop is staying
There were fifty of us in one car and
we sure had some time on the way
down. We stopped at Fort Worth
Texas, for about an hour and halt
and got chance to stretch our legs
a little. From there we Travelled
southwest and passed a couple OF
trains that had been wrecked by q
cyclone three hours before We ar
rived there. One train was thrown
down a bluff about 800 feet and the
cars were smashed into kindlina
wood. II was luck that both trains
were freight trains and the crews
had chance to escape, and alsd
that we were not about three hours
earlier, as our train was late that
much. -
We arrived in ElPaso at 2:30' p
m. the next day and we were about
the town for about three hours, and
WE arrived at Hachita at 3:45 a. m
We were awakened and were walked
to camp, which is about a mile from
town, and here is where we first
found the sand and we have lots OF
it in this country, but after one gets
used to it its not SO bad
After drilling for three weeks we
were turned to duty as privates. Al
first we were recruits, but not any
more. / am stationed just As miles
below Deming and there is where
the First Iowa Regiment is, but
haven't been able to get a pass so
could go up and see the Decorah
boys yet, but hope to sometime, soon
er or later.
We have been having some very
hard rains down here lately, as this Is
the only time in the year that il
rains. We were over to Waterlope
Canyon few days ago and on our
way over we saw about so Spicks
or Mexican soldiers. You see we
call them Spicks and they were at a
ranch in Mexico, and if they weren't
the most ragged and dirtiest outfit
ever saw I'll eat my hat. l sure
would have liked to have gotten a
picture of them.
We are going back to our camp at
-Hachita next Sunday and l suppose
we will be getting some more drill
ing-which / love so well--I guess
T,t. In this hot sun the sand gets
hot that it fairly blisters your
II. About two weeks after l came
down here | had Southern maleria
fever, but didn't have bad case OF
it, and was out of bed in week.
The veterinarian, a Lieutenant
Crawford, is from Waukon, Ia, and
he and 1 get to talking I about the
good old state every once in while
and when we get up north again no
one could induce me to live in the
south, as the climate is too hot for
me. We are patroling the border
every night and am on patrol
every other night, and we ride on an
average of 40 miles, so you see we
are pretty tired when we get back,
as all cavalry riding is done on q
walk or trot and never at a gallop, as
it wears horse out too much, and
trotting don't.
When enlisted at Jefferson Bar
racks / enlisted in the infantry and
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