Evening journal., 1918-07-10
100 DESERTERS FORM
COLONY IN mexico
American Expatriates There
Suffer Privations of
Mexican Poems
"RATHER GO TO
FRONT, SAYS ONE
BY Newspaper Enterprise Association.

BY Newspaper Enterprise Association
Ell PASO. Tex. July i0.-Ragged an
starving, sweating out bare existenc
on the Mormon farms OF southern Chi
huahua. Mex. Is a colony Of a hundre'
deserters from the American army, ex
He'd from civilization and home
The story OF the prisatlons endure,
by the expatriates is told by Garlan,
Whit, a deserter. who has returned
sick at heart, to take his medicine.
Glad in ragged corduroys. with littl'
left Of his old uniform save his shoes
Whit, who is only IS. is now in mill
tary prison.
Whitt's regiment was stationed at El
paso and one night In September he
with two comrades, slipped away from
camp, waded the Rio Grande, and start
ed on their hike into the hear OF Chi
huahua.
Sleeping by night In any Mexican
hovel they could flnd, living on beans
and torti,las. riding burros when they
could, walking when they could not,
and occasionally getting a ride In a
wagon or on a freight train, they drift
ed Into the land OF "manana.'
One day they emerged from the mes
quite through which they had hiked
for days, and came out upon a har-
vest field. Hammering on fence post
was man, dirty and ragged, but an
American. He also was clad in the
remnant Of an army Uniform, and prov
cd 10 be another deserter.
They had struck the outskirts OF one
of the famous Mormon colonies Of Mex
leo. The Latter Day Saints knew that
the occasional wanderer who drifted
down from the north probably had a
past he did not care to rehearse. and
they offered him a chance to make a
living. but that was all.
For three months Whit and his COM
rades were members OF the colony
within a colony. the group OF men
without a country. herded together be-
cause Of their common crime.
Their homes were barns and sheds.
Their amusements were naught. Their
wages were their board, and just
enough money to keep them In tobacco.
Few words were ever spoken Of the
great country to the north.
Whitt's knowleIge OF Spanish raised
him somewhat above the level OF his
fellow deserters, and he secured Job
In Mexican store at I'll Vale, once
occupied by the American punitive ex-
pedtion. For this he got his board, a
place to sleep, and $40 month.
Three months Whit spent In FL
Vale, end then one day he went to
work FOR a Mexican cattle corporation
as vaquero at IS "dobe" dollars a
month.
One day Whit rode into the Nor
mon colony to see the two men with
whom be had deserted. Only one was
left, the other having been starved out,
and gone back to take his medicine.
While he was In the community, a
white man rode up and placed the twoii
under arrest on charge Of horse steal
ing.
II know you're not horsethieves, he
said but you're deserters from the
American army which is sight worse |
III dismiss the horse stealing charge
II you will go back to the states. II
not, III see that you get a good term
In the Mexican pen. which isn't nearly
rs nice as Leavenworth.
Two days later the deserters were
bound for Juarez on foot. At Juarez,
Whit walked across the International
Bridge and surrendered.
~ suppose I'll get a heavy turn In
he mill" he said. "I've got It coming,
guess, but II l get out before this war
$ over. I'm praying Tor chance 10 so
n France Nine months IN Mexico VIII
make q patriot on. OF any man."