Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-05-12
PREPARATIONS PEACE STIRS u. S. EXPORTERS
Messenger Boy Orator Star of
Lions Club Dinner, Tells of
Life in Bandit-Ridden Mexico

Edward Sieg, dimunitive Western
Union messenger boy, whose parents
moved with him from Americus to
Mexico when he was three years old,
only recently returning here to live,
was the star of the Lions clubs la
dies night affair Wednesday evening
at the Tea Room. He told the Lions
and their lady guests about Mexico
and something Of the thrills at the
siege of Vera Cruz and its capture
by the American forces, of the rob
berry of his home by Mexican bandits
and the capture of his father by
them.
The Lions dinner was attended by
about SO persons, despite the storm
that threatened to keep all of them
away. Miss Blanche Snyder sang,
Miss Keister recited, and Gordon
Howell, a member of the club, rem
dercd solo.
The talk of the messenger boy
was listened to with intense interest
as he spoke rs glibly as the most ex-
perienced orator, but in his high
pitched boyish voice His address,
just as he gave it, follows:
Lived Near Vera Cruz.
81 left here and went to Mexico
when was three years old. We went
to Vera Cruz and lived in a little
town near it called Chacaltiangis,
near the banks of large river.
There were about one hundred hous-
es of bricks and the rest were made
of straw-the roof and the walls of
reeds, the floor is the bare ground.
"There are many Indians in
Mexico and a lots of half breeds;
on this account there is great mix
ture. They have no ambition; all
they want is hammock, guitar,
and a jug Of raw alcohol mixed with
water.
"a few have a canoe, made out OF
a hollow log. These Indians do not
have a gun; they have an old time
musket with which they hunt. They
put some powder first, next wad of
| fishing lead, and for last another
wad, then they get in their canoe,
| put lantern on the bow, get their
| guitar and go up the river till they
reach a place in the woods where
they know the dcer5 or wild boars
will come to feed. When they kill
ono they will salt it down and dry
/ it in the sun. This meat will last
! them over one week. Occasionally
/ they will 20 to some white mans
| house and offer to hoe his grass for
/ him for one dollar. When they get
a third done they will say: j do not
want to work any more and as |
! have already done half of the JOB,
give me fifty cents If you do not
! give them the money you might have
fight, most probably leading nm
to killing you when you turn your
back to him. This is what happen
ed TO an American
Hated Americans.
"When VIC took Texas away from
| Mexico they were sore with us and
hated us, The American of whom
! r was talking lived about twelve
! miles from town. He had large
plantation and a Mexican overseer,
to keep from getting in trouble with
1 their workmen on the Job. But one
day lust after sundown he went to
visit the fields where the men were
working. He noticed that one man
had a few rows hoed, only about a
/ third as much as the others. lie went
and told the overseer if he thought
it right to pay this man as much as
the others who had worked three
times as har. This man just got
half of the salary which made him
very angry The next day when
the American went to town this In
dian got his old musket and waited