The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1922-03-03
aaoNTAMANs IN MExlA QAaA-hAY.AH), TEXAS,
GET ALL the THRILLS OF OLD FRONTIERS

U6 00U16O ~
$1,000 month in rentals to its own
ers. One bank that burned had sew
eral millions of dollars in real, hon
est-to-goodness money in its vaults,
all Of which was found intact after
the debris cooled. While the ruins
still were smoking plans were started
for new and larger buildings and It
IL expected not less than 10 million
dollars will be 80 invested this year.
All Sorts Fl0cked In
So It is not surprising that where
there was such sudden growth in
population and 50 much newly &C.
quired money there should be crooks
Of al grades. thugs, murderers,
gamblers, bootleggers and all the
horde Of get-rich-Quick artists that .
boom town attracts. The local police
force was swamped and only In mill
tary control could the solid citisenry
see any hope Of getting the situation
in hand and holding 1t SO till the
town could catch up with itself.
Among the places raided by the
state troops and rangers was one
known as the winter Garden" said
to have been the toughest resort In
the Mexia field. After cleaning it
out the troopers used 1t as their head
quarters and guardhouse.
In the paraphernalia captured by
the raiders is roulette wheel worth
$1,000, furniture worth $4,000 and
whisky worth $4,000. A strong
force guarded the Winter Garden"
day and night, not only from off,
GERS. but from whisky thieves. An
abandoned we'll near the palace con-
tanned a platform sunk four feet
where armed lookouts maintained q
watch on all roads. This was only
one of the unusual devices for pro-
lection. The Chicken Farm" an
other resort, had towers with peep
holes in them, large enough for q
gun barrel and when the rangers
raided the place they found guards
in these towers with their guns thrust
into the holes. They were taken by
surprise. The various gambling and
liquor dens had traps, concealed
doors, false panels and hidden stair
ways, not only for the purpose Of es-
cape, but for concealment of wet
goods.
Plenty of Local Color
Such town is rich field, of
course, for newspaper and magazine
feature writer's and novelists seeking
local color" Here is the way a
staff correspondent of the St. Louis
Post-Dispatch describes his entry in
to Mexia:
"'Muh hair, boss, muh hair Six
o'clock in the morning, the January
sun shining brightly, your shoulder
being shaken by black hand pro-
truding from the white jacketed
sleeve of Pullman porter and the
softly slurred exclamation, 'Muh hair,
boss, muh hair
"'Oh, you mean Mexia?'
"'Yas, sub, Muh-hair.'
aside from the Pullman porter's
pronunciation, one hears this town
called Ma-hay-ah, May-ee-ah, and by
all the northern newcomers as Mex
ee-ah," he goes on.
1T is really and truly some town.
A beehive of activity, quick action
and high stakes, automobiles lining
all curbs Of the town, heavy trucks,
Steam wagons creaking under the
burden of oil field supplies, the prai-
RE schooner. known on all Texas
plains, and all other modes of travel
Here and there on each turn you
will find people in ar walks of life;
the millionaire brushing shoulders
with the outcast, ringleted school
girls, modishly gowned women and
their more modestly clothed sisters,
stemming the tide of street traffic,
jostling and rubbing elbows with the
greasy, grimy workers of the Oil
field; men of Falstaffian girth. heavy
of jowl. punch-eyed, birds of prey;
the town folks summing on convenient
seats and standing on street corners
somewhat dazed and wondering what
it is all about. There goes the cow
man, sombrero, kerchiet, red silk
shirt and trousers stuffed in boot
tops.
Everyone Stranger
when you arrive in Mexia for the
:: first time, engage guide If you want
to visit the oil companies offices, as
everyone you ask is stranger and
knows no more than you. None of
the oil concerns has a sign. No one
knows why, but they don't believe in
signs-not in Mexia.
"At the Commercial hotel, the IA
vorite of the lessons and the oil men.
you find very pleasant clerk. He
smiles and welcomes you to Mexia.
but tells you he has no room. He
tells you where you can get drink.
where you can get good meal and
a shave.
"All the time you note he is as.
signing you to room Is. You are
glad to get a room. When you gel
ready to retire, possibly as early az
midnight, you find you have cot in
the hallway with many others. al
$3.50 per. Then you wrathfully hop
the night clerk-the smiling one only
works days. and you are informed
that room Is" means the cot divi.
sion.