Evening journal., 1919-11-01
HOW u. S. ARMY
GUARDS BORDER
Strange White Men Unpopu-
lar in the Big Bend
Country
HOURS ARE DAYS
IF RAIN SETS IN
BY II. p. DORMAN,
r. A. STAFF correspondent.

SANTA HELENA, Tex, Nov i.--Of an
The 1900 miles Of border that Uncle
sam patrols 10 keep the festive MeXi-
can bandit on his own side Of the line,
the most difficult is Thai mart in Texas,
and known as The Big Bend district.
Extending from Sierra Blanca on tho
west 10 Del Rio on the east, It's Terri.
tory comprises some 1900 miles.
The border line total 600 miles and
santa Helena is The farthcst point from
The railroad, i25 miles.
II is land OF towering mountains
and barren flats, blistering heat and
torrential rainfalls. land whose in
habitants are few and far apart. Amer
leans in name. but speaking only The
tongue OF their Mexican forfaihers.
The stranger is viewed wilh sus-
picion by an constituted authority.
The wiidness and yaslness Of the coun-
try tend 20 make easy the work of tho
gun runner and the smuggler No
matter with what credentials YOU may
be armed. your pathway is bestt with
searching questions and suspicious
looks
Today lt may DE a Texas ranger who
wants YOU TO give an account OF your
self Tomorrow 10 may be The customs
rider Of Uncle sam who halt YOU with
same object OR. again, il may be an
army patrol or should you happen
upon one of the many patrol stations
located on the river the officer in COM
mand will greet yod with an Instant
demand FOR your business there.
Many a man has been unceremon-
iously escorted 10 the railroad
almost met The same fate when in
ieryiewed by two customs men at
Santa Helena.
had shown them credentials which
would have pessed me anywhere among
the allies during ihe late war. but The
only satisfaction I got was the reply
given in a slow drawl:
We'll, young man, YOU may be what
YOU say, but my advice 10 you Is TO get
out Of here Immediately. No white
man comes here for any good
Big Bend roads are roads I'm name
only. They spring out across barren
lats which the almost incessant rains
have turned into veritabie seas Of mud,
or pass between the hills through mar
dow de0les which afford passage 20
the streams Of water drained from the
rocky slopes
But no matter what the cost or The
difficulties encountered the men Of the
border patrol must be fed and supplied.
Hours Are Days n Rain Sets In
Daily the boys OF the NJ. r. e.. Motor
Irssport Corps drive their trucks
over the alleged roads II the weather
man has been kind. and 10 has not
raned for a couple Of days their trip
may be a matter OF hours But, should
q have rained, as is generally the case.
ihen The trip may easily become a mat
>ier OF days With The trucks sunk
almost to the body, they must dig out
the wheels, Jack up the car. and hll the
holes with rocks
Or If there are two Of them. one may
pull ihe other out. more often only
only succeeding in becoming stuck
Itself
The mon on the forder must Of ne
cessity provide most Of their own
amusement. About the only break In
the dreary mon0iony Of their life is a
patrol from one station 10 another. The
patrol stations average about 90 miles
apart.
4 patrol. usually consisting OF four
men rides from one station 10 another.
ponds the night there. and returns 20
he home station the next day
Daily the men must stand reveille