The Lehi sun. [volume] (Lehi, Utah) 1913-1949, 1921-10-13
Primitive Water carts on Mexican Dor der.

Prepared by the National Geographic So
ciety. Washington, ID. CO
No region in all North America Is
more frequently mentioned or more
widely misunderstood, perhaps, rs re-
yards places, routes, distances, ana
he customs Of the people, than the
Mexican border. The name Itself
brings to mind a blending Of modern
Americanlsm and the romance OF the
,ld frontiers. II hints at turmoil and
intrigue, at wild night rides by cavalry
patrols. Mt gun-runners and smugglers.
Il suggests, too, brown-faced, snappy-
wed senorltas I'm red skirts and man
illas. peddllng tongue-bllsterlng ta-
males and mild dulces; Of Mexican
women washing clothes, babies and
dishes in irregular bitches; OF burros,
hens and pigs foraglng about the door
ways Of fat-topped, squatty adobe
huts.
In many ways the social cleavage Of
this border is sharp and startling. 1t
ruts us off abruptly from another peo-
pie. showing an odd, interesting cross
section Of diverse civilizations.
Nor are all the people along this
line either Yankees or Mexlcans. Thou
sands of Chinese are settled there on
he Mexican side; and beside them
are Turks and japanese, and 20 Indian
tribes speaking 20 Of the babel Of
tongues heard In Mexico.
Thousands Of settlers migrate to this
horderland each year, losing them.
selves In the vast, hazy-blue stretches
Of its open country but they are
Americans all, mostly from the Middle
West and the South. The hordes OF
Firms. Slavs and Neapolitans that pour
into our Atlantic ports never get this
far; they stop in the manufacturing
centers of the East. In Texas and
California, Of course, native-born gen.
erations are found in the newer states
Of Arizona and New Mexico most Of
the residents (barring chlldren) have
come from other states.
Rough and Difficult Trip.
Adventurous, colorfu and full Of
contrasts as 1t is, the 1,S00-mlle trip
along this crooked historic line is
rough and difficult and has been made
by few people.
Some Of the widest and least known
regions OF our country are piled up
against this border. Ask any dough-
hoy, Of the many. many thousands who
have done a hitch" on the Mexican
border, what he thinks, for instance,
Of Ajo or the Yuma sector.
From the gulf up to El Paso, along
the Texas frontier the Rio Grande
forms the boundary between the
United States and Mexico; thence to
the Pacific the line is marked by stone
or iron monuments (save short break
at the Colorado), so set that one is
supposed to be visible from the other.
The Rio Grande part OF this border
has caused both Uncle Sam and Mex.
leo much work and mental anguish.
During bad floods the line as formed
by the river squlrms around In so as
tonishlng and lively manner that
what is Mexican soil one day may be
In Texas the next. and vice versa.
Then, too, there is the ever-reourrlng
problem of dividing the waters Of the
river for irrlgatlng purposes Around
such places as &aredo, Tex, this stu.
alton affords many an acrimonious in
ternational argument.
No spot on the whole border affords
more of impressive grandeur than the
region about the mouth Of the Pecos
This yellow, turbulent stream rom,
into the Rio Grande near the town OF
Del Rio, foaming along the bottom OF
steep-walled canyon worn hundred.
OF feet deep IN the solid rock.
Relic of Camel Experiment.
AT the old fort at Camp Verde. NORTH
OF Uvolde, In a relic OF one Of the old
est experiments ever made by our GOV
eminent. 1t is an Argb khan, In ruin
now, but In its time an exact repllc,
of the rectangular adobe caravansarle
built along such caravan trails as TIM
from Bagdad to Teheran. This khaI
was built buck in 1856, when jefferson
Davis was secretary Of war and IN,
famous experiment was made win
camels for army transport use betweel
Texas and California.
As you follow the border west. oaks
pines and underbrush decrease, arIdIt
Increases, and cacti lift their thorn
heads. Cattle goats and sheep ar
pastured In large numbers; but, excep
for Irrigated areas along the river tn
country Is thinly settled and undeveI
oped Border counties like Brewster
Preside and III Paso are OF amazin
are9 larger than some Of our smal