Payette enterprise. (Payette, Canyon Co., Idaho) 1909-1935, 1922-03-16
SAINT" WAS FED
Traveller Found His Glass Eye a
Meal Ticket.
Mountain Mexicans Could Only Reason
That Possession of Crystal De-
noted a Holy Man.

/ was sitting In the pretty little
plaza at Oaxaca, Mexico, enjoying the
refreshing breeze that blew in from
the plains Of Militia and listening to
the music of the military band. My
nearest companion on the long bench
was an old mining man by the name
of Foster ScurlOck. He had tramped
the bare, brown hills of Mexico from
gulf to ocean and in the course of his
wanderings he had seen much Of the
rougher side of life AS we sat near
IA bright electric light 1 could see the
gJeam reflected In his right eye which
was of glass.
Were you ever over along the Pa
\ cific?" he asked of me.
l answered that 1 had been down
I at Manzanillo, near Colima.
81 mean further up the coast, above
\ San Bias, up through Sinaloa and
I Sonora. It's half-civilized In most
= parts of the state of Colima, but take
1t further up and pretty well inland
and you can just about ride for days
without seeing living soul.
] 81 was through there three years
ago, on the lookout for something to
turn up. Nothing but long strips of
sand and endless ridges of mountains,
with here and there a little mesquite
brush thrown in for decoration. I'm
not much for luxuries, but / can stand
a good tree to rest under at noon and
a cool, fresh spring to water from.
1.-THE natives were as wild as deer.
/ Whenever 1 would come to one Of
their villages, nine-tenths of them
would hide in the bushes or scoot off
like rabbits to the mountains. I've
stayed all night in one of their rickety
huts without seeing or hearing ore Of
them. In such state of affairs ii was
a serious matter to get anything to
eat.
zone day in August remember es-
pecially. I came in sight of little
adobe hut with a clump of scrubby
trees around it, after riding all day
with nothing to eat or drink. / woke
up my pony with dig in the ribs and
in less than five minutes / swung out
of the saddle and in at the front door.
My sudden appearance scared the
woman of the house. for she dropped
the rolling pin with which she was
preparing some corn for tortillas and
ran back to the other door. Then she
turned and stared evilly at me.
certainly didn't want to pick a fuss
with her-I was too hungry-so, hat
in hand, l asked her politely If she
would sell me something to eat. At
first she pretended that she didn't
understand me, then after she wouldn't
talk, sat around so long that to git
rid of me she finally grunted a little. !
Then I up and asked her again for
something to eat.
"She swore up and down that she |
didn't have a thing in the house.
Il turned and walked toward the |
door as if to leave, she following at |
my heels. Suddenly 1 turned and, |
grabbing my right eye-this glass one
crammed ii into her hand, yelling |
like mad, Keep that till l get some
thing to eatr Well, sir, she dropped
plumb down on her knees as If she
had been shot, and then, carefully lay
ing my eye on the floor she crossed
herself repeatedly, saying in penitent
voice 'Santo milo! Santo moir (My
Saint! My Saint!O l knew then that
her saint would be fed.
"a few minutes later a couple of
gamelike ROSTERS had been killed and
picked and were well on their way to
The kettle.
This supper was grand success.
The Mexican woman and her children
stood with saucer eyes and watched
the holy one eat. The guest of honor
did not need to be urged to help him. .
self, nor did he have any complaints
70 register. After the meal was over I
he remains of the repast were care II
fully packed in my yawning saddle |
Jags and a live rooster tied on behind /
or good measure.
IF you ever travel in those parts.
ny friend. looking for cement deposits
coarse gold, be sure to take =
,lenty of food and a good, reliable \
lass eye" t
He rose and shook himself like Il p
ear, then with a hearty "Adios, p
enor" he ambled away across the T
laza.-George F. Paul in the New \
FORK Evening Post. z,