Mexico Missouri message., 1918-10-10
He Is Homesick
Writes To Kiddies
Writes Home To The Mexico Kid
dies''-Tells About The Boy
Scouts, A Mule And A Chunk OF
Goal.

Dear Mr.. Beal: l am writing a
little story for your young subscrib-
ers, the Riddles" for while back
home" on a visit lately several of
them asked me to do so.
Let's see, want to tell them
about the Boy Scouts, mule and
chunk of coal, and, maybe, a few
words about the birds. How I am
going to get all that in one little let
ter, especially the mule, am sure
don't know.
Out here everybody is working
day and night to help win the war.
The Boy Scouts, bless 'em, naturally
take a hand. After doing all kinds
of stunts for the good of the cause,
they started in to gather up clothes
for the Belgians. There were not
enough baskets in this town for
such a purpose, so one bright boy off
with his coat, running two sticks
thru the arms of the coat, his
chum doing likewise, soon had sew
eral Scout stretchers, like they use
In first aid They filled several va
cant rooms with clothing and
still they came. l did not notice any
ball room slippers, or low cut vests,
and stiff hats, but just good, sub
stantial warm garments, that will
prove a blessing to the needy Bel
gians,-had they let the Huns take
Paris would have meant, later, hard
fighting on this side of the pond.
During vacation the Scouts are
employed in the different mines, not
catching poor old Sister Muskrat
and her babies, to be sold for sure
. enough, genuine sealskin, but the
Scouts are used to close the traE
. doors, after a blast is shot,, to keeF
the smoke from suffocating the min
ers, and If the Scout is thinking
about pumpkin pie and Halloween
- games, why, the miners would be
> in an awful fix.
Well, it takes good mules to hau
the coal. Not like the big ones jim
-, Johnson at Mexico, Mo-, ;sells,but
:. little fellows-that look like the!
= were stunted when they were null
babies. Like a little boy whit
s smokse cigarets. 1 started out t,
q find q mule. l climbed hills unit
- the little Ford rebelled, but on W
went. Every "Hiliger" l met toll
me of the very one l needed" jus
over the next hill" We found mule
- Of all sizes and kinds. Some @
a them with ears like jack rabbits
but they had grown too tall. Yo
i, know a fellow can't help CROWN
=, tall. So we had our trip for notl
g. ing.
"a No, l won't say for nothing. FC
- q few of the song birds were still
~ the woods. Father Robin had buI
an died Mother Robin and the childre
" off and he still remained to sing
N few little songs before startir
re South. The long-tailed sparrow ar
va the pretty song sparrow had gon
But the Red Cardinal and the Ind
Ia go Bunting sang for us. 1t wou
IFS make anybody glad to take tn
driVe-amid such beautiful tre
NO and ferns. You see Old Jack Fro
nm Just for a prank had climbed t
NV wild grapevines and splashed al
at spotted the black gum until 1t loo
his ed like Dragon s-blood-had Civ
he the scaly bark hickory the pretti'
Is color of yellow, and when he reaC
The ed the sugar maple painted o
ar. side scarlet and the other side d
The Eicate shade of purple that someh
shaded off into the color found
res the back of Yelloy Hammers he'
ear What do you thinkH Something b
disturbed. Possibly the sun
lies climbing down in the west had sp
old ed two or three pots of paint,
ers different colors, over the Poi'
ere. Ivy, and it was sight!
Fe On arriving home next day
He neighbor brought the prettiest
,ay- tie mule over and in two minutes
he was ours. His name is Little p
He has but one habit. Can
guess it? No. know what
age are going to say. it is not that
does not kick. But, listen, he CHI
tobacco! Shame on some mi
at who taught him
eek. But now about the chunk Of
Mrs, great big one, one we mined
the other day. It actually weighed
Ak ana one-half tons. II you don't
ale's lieye 1t, you ask Mr.. All, G. Nj