The Denver Star
The papers formerly known as The Statesman and The Independent, have been merged into The Denver Star
TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR. Number 35
9th Cavalry
At the Front
Contributed by 1st Sergt. Edward York.
About 6 o’clock p. m. on
the evening of March 6, 1913.
a report was sent into the
camp of the American sol
diers that the Federals from
the garrison of Agua Prieta,
across from Douglas, Arizona,
to the number of fifty, were
marching on the Mexican
town of Naco. With Sergeant
Major Hilton T. Dean, 9th
Cavalry. 1 cautiously wended
my way to the line. Mount
ing on top of the Copper
Queen Mercantile Store, only
a few yards on this side of the
line, we, through our field
• glasses, observed the ap
proach of the soldiers. In
number they were, Cavalry 21,
Infantry 23, a total of 44 sol
diers, entering a town to take
the same. At the time of
their approach there were no
Rebel soldiers or Maderistas
of sufficient number in the
town to make any showing
against them: therefore their
entry was without a shot be
ing fired. After
trance and ifter all the offi
cials of the town-who, be
fore their arrival were out
spoken Maderistas these
same officials went out a dis
tance to greet them with
friendly overtures. So amid
the cheers of the peons of
Vive Huerta, Vive Diez, the
braves take possession of the
custom house, barracks and
storehouse in which latter
building are supposed to be
•stored quantities of arms and
ammunition.
As the soldiers, accompa
nied by the town otUcials, are
marching to the barracks, the
Justice of the Peace, hereto
fore a staunch Maderista, es
pied a city police and at once
points him out as being a Ma
, derista. The "brave" soldiers
arrest him, put him in their
midst and start to continue
their march to the barracks.
The prisoner, seeing the good
old American line only one
block away, and also seeing
numbers of the Americano
Soldas along the line watch
ing the soldiers, decide that a
break for liberty and a dash
for the line would serve him
far better than submitting to
a possible early shooting,
breaks and runs toward Ihe
line Wc see the break for
liberty only a block away, but
developments are working so
rapidly that no chance is giv
en us to seek cover, well know
ing that the soldiers will fire
upon the fleeing prisoner. 80
it is that we find ourselves di
rectly in the line of fire. In
quick succession four shots
are heard, two rifles and two
revolvers. One of the rille
shots passed between Ser
gcant-Major Dean and my
self, a space of only about six
inches separating'us, artd the
other passing directly over
our heads, both shots hitting
the walls of the Copper Queen
store directly behind us. A
third shot fell on the ground
not ten feet to our front. This
was from a revolver. It so
happened that Sergeant-Ma
jor Dean had only a few mo
ments before permitted his
wife and little baby to cross
over in order that they might
the better view the Mexican
soldiers. When the firing be
gan they were in the midst of
it, and though shots were
coining pretty close to us
where we stood, the Sergeant-
Major at once rushed across
the line that he might rescue
his family. But before that
could be accomplished, the
firing had ceased.
The prisoner, though fired !
at five times, was not hit, again |
showing the poor marksman- j
ship of the Mexican soldier, i
He made good his escape j
across the line and is now
awaiting in Naco. Arzona,
[the arrival of 300 Maderistas
who are expected to arrive
Sunday night. Tonight 100
Maderistas will leave this side
of the line to meet their
; friends who are in camp only
a few miles outside the city.
A message has been received
by the Federal Commander,
that if he has not evacuated
the town before the arrival of
this force, he will be com
pelled to so do'and no quarter
will be shown his men or sym
pathizers.
There are two troops of the
9th U. S. Cavalry stationed at
, this town, and daily a strong
patrol is kept along the bor
der line out of range but in
dose touch with every move
ment made on the other side.
Having spent twenty days’
j leav" of absence in New Mex
ico with my family, and at
the time of my Ibaving here,
knowing that the conditions
along the border were quiet,
it was quite a surprise upon
my return on the morning of
| the 6th of March, to find so
I much real war talk and action,
[l was truly glad to be back
and to have an opportunity to
1 witness the little sortie. Yet
I am not so pleased to have
come so near being hit by a
bullet from a gun of a Mexi
can, especially as as they are
such poor shots.
An almost complete exodus
of the Mexicans from the oth
er Jde of the line to this side
has been accomplished. All
Maderistas were forced to
come across and are now lo
cated on this side, under the
friendly protection of the
American government. They
have rented floor space in the
postoffice building and are
now sending out instructions
and orders from this side of
the line. No one molests
them in any way whatsoever.
Nightly both parties are seen
upon the streets of the Ameri
can town of Naco, coming
and going freelv.
Edward York,
First Sergeant Troop A, qth
Cavalry.
In camp at Naco, Arizona.
LEARN THE SILVER PLATING
business and be assured of a good liv
ing for life. A fascinating profession
with very little competition; make
money while living at home. Simple
Instructions. Write for free pamphlet.
C. E. Clark, B. 137, Leavenworth. Kae.
ARE YOU CONSTIPATED7
If so. get a box of Dr. King’s New
Life Pills, tnke the mregularly and
your trouble will quickly disappear.
They will stimulate the liver, Improve
your digestion and get rid of all the
poisons from yonr syatem. They will
surely get you well again. 25c at all
druggists.
DENVER, COLORADO, SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 1913.
So the People May Know
With the purchase of “The Denver Star” by The Den
ver Independent Publishing Company, the company has
changed management and nameof the paper “The Denver
Independent” has been temporally dropped. The servi
ces of Mr. Campbell have been dispensed with and Mr.
Chas. S. Muse selected to pilot the newspaper over the edi
torial sea with Mr. Geo. G. Ross as his assistant.
Mr. Clarence Langston, who har, been chosen to take
charge of the business as manager, has been connected
with The Star for four years and thoroughly understands
the methods by which its forme* owner dealt with The
Star customers. Mr. Langston id an all around and compe
tent mechanic, which fact of itself assures the public that
all job work will be up to the standard and that courtesy
and fair dealing will be given alflce to all.
To the advertisers, patrons dnd subscribers, we desire
to say that in combining the two papers we will give them
double strength in news and advertising service.
Physicians having aggravated and important cases will
be accorded the courtesy of the paper.
The office is still located atflo26 19th Street. Phone
' Champa 2962.
In order that all may understand, the paper will re
main in name The Denver Star. All subscribers and pat
rons are requested to make all remittances to The Denver
Star direct, omitting name of manager or editor.
All back accounts due The Denver Ineependent and
; all future accounts due The Denver Star, will be paid to
this office; all advertising accounts prior to March Ist, and
; all subscriptions to and indesiverJof March 8, should be
paid to Mr. C. A. Franklin direSlPMd 19th St.
Relics of Slavery.
A Gatherisf oi Reuuti of the “Pe
culiar lottitntioD."
A handful of living relics of
slavery days in the South ma\
be found at BluejPlains, at the
entrance of the liastern
Branch of the Potomac River,
near historic Giesboro Point
The District of Columbia
Almshouse is located at Blue
Plains, and one of the build
ings of the institution is
known as the “Old Mens
Home.” In the home are less
than a score of aged colored
men, former slaves, most of
whom came to Washington as
contrabands at the close of
the great war in 1865.
Some of them followed in
the wake of Sherman's vic
torious army after its march
to the sea. Others came from
the adjoining States, Virginia
and Maryland. Their ages
range from about 70 to 100
years, and tne old fellows
never tire of relating reminis
cences of bygone days.
Like the American buffa
loes, or bison.these venera
ble reminders of the period of
human slavery in this country
are last disappearing, and in
a few years the aged slaves of
the Southland will be but a
memory. Prior to the remov
al of the Old Men’s Home to
Blue Plains the former slaves
occupied an old war-time
magazine structure near the
Congressional Cemetery in
extreme southeastern Wash
ington. The place had been re
modeled, and the aged colored
men were permitted to have
gardens in they raised
all kinds of vegetables, succu
lent watermelons and enough
tobacco to supply their needs
At eventide they were wont to
gather about the doorways of
the home and sing in tremu
lous tones old-time plantation
ditties and campmeeting
hymns while complacently
puffing away at their clay
pipes.
One of the most interesting
IN
characters at the Old Men's
Home is familially known as
‘.'Maj. Bragg," of alleged Mex
ican war fame. He declares
he was a Major of Artillery in
the War with Mexico and
says at the battle Cherubusco,
while his guns were moving
down the ranks of Santa Ana's
soldiers, Gen. Scott galloped
up to his batteries and shputed:
"Maj. Bragg, for heaven's
sake, desist; cease firing. You
are converting this battlefield
into a slaughter pen.”
Another relic of slavery days
tells some remarkable stories
of the war in the '6os. He
says the first description giv
en him by the whites of the
"Yankees" was that they had
horns and tails like “cattle
blasts," and that they blew
tire and smoKe from their
mouths and nostrils.
"Deed, boss,” the old fel
lo w commented, “d it
made us niggers moughty
traid of de Yankees, but we
found out diff'rent after dey
cum among us an' gib us food
an' done told us we was free
men an’ wimen.”
Altho njt very easy of ac
cess, the Old Men's Home,
with its dark-skinned relics of
another century, is one of the
most interesting places in or
about the Nation's Capital
City.
Notice to Clubs.
Clubs in State and jurisdic
tion will kindly send state
dues to the treasurer, Mrs.
Josephine Cassells, 1936 Og
den St., Denver, Colo. Names
and addresses ot delegates
and alternates to annual meet
ing, also those of club presi
dents to be sent to my ad
dress, 723 E. Costilla street,
Colorado Springs. Please be
prompt in attending to these
very important matters.
Yours for our work,
E. B. Butler,
President Federation of Col
ored Women's Clubs of
Colorado and Jurisdiction.
Interesting News
Concerning the Race.
To Be or Not to Be.
If conditions as given in the
following letter are true, those
who are full-fledged members
of the “I Told You So Club”
will have just reasons fb per
mit their tongues to wag at
will—Ed.
Special to The Amsterdam News.
Washington, March io. —
New Yorkers need not be sur
prised if they learn the Hayti
ministership has been ten
dered, unsolicited, to Bishop
Walters, and that he has ac
cepted because the President
insisted he should go. There
were not a few who were here
during the inauguration who
got next to the fact that th»*
good bishop is not wholly in
different to the honor and
that his v. ife would enjoy the
honors and rest that would
come to him as a diplomat.
The several candidates for
that job who have been satel
liting and fawning for the
bishop, and who believe they
have his indorsement, migh f ’
as well awake to the fact that
their hopes are soon to be j
dashed. It can also be stated
absolutely without fear of
contradiction, that Bishop
Walters has not been given to
understand that he will either
be dictator of colored ap
pointments or even called in
to confer about colored ap
pointments or removals. Presi
dent Wilson has never given
the bishop to understand that
colored appointments must
come through him, and he has
never hinted to him that he
will first confer with him i
about such appointments.!
■ The matter of colored pat-:
ronage, it is said by a personal
frienci. intimate and advise 1
with the President, is to be
ignored — neither referred to|
in state papers or conferences.
The offices not held by color
: ed men, when vacated, will be
tilled by white men quietly
without notification. T h e
committee appointed by Bish
op Walters on patronage will
be a committee as impotent of
achieving results as a com
mittee from South Africa to
demand legislation for Eng
land. l'he minister to Hayti
may be a colored man, though
that is not positively assured,
for there are many hungry
white Democrats, same as un
der the Cleveland adminis
tration, who stand ready to
accept this $10,000 plum. If
it goes to a colored man, keep
your eye on Bishop Walters.
The minister to Liberia will
go to a colored man, and of
course even no poor white
man would accept it, but none
of the colored men now in the
mad, wild scrimmage for it
will land it. When the time
comes to name him an un
known will be unblanketed
and handed a ticket for the
country of sleeping disease,
deadly malaria and fatal black
fever.
From what has leaked out
through congressional sieves
and caught on the rebound by
attendants around the Senate
and House, it can be stated
positively that when Wm. H.
Five Centb a Copt
Lewis retires as Assistant At
torney-General a white man
will take up his duties; that
when J. C. Napier is asked to
resign as Register of the
Treasury, a white man’s name
will go on the money as Mr.
Napier’s successor; that when
Ralph Tyler ceases to audit
the navy accounts, a white
man will perform the duties;
then when Henry Lincoln
Johnson ceases drawing the
salary for Recorder of Deeds,
a white man will succeed him,
and that when James Cobb
retires from the post of Spe
cial Assistant District Attor
ney to private practice, a
white man will g?t his place.
“No Ifs and Audi About This.”
There are no “ifs and ands
about this, it is the straigth
tip on an assured happening
to be. No colored man will
succeed Whitfield McKinley
as Collector of Customs here,
tor his office is to be consoli
dated with Baltimore,. to take\
effect July’r, which lets him
out. Judge Terrell's time is
out a year hence, so the wise
ones say, and as he cannot be
forced out before that time
save by impeachment pro
: ceedings. the white man slated
■ for his job will have a year to
wait, but he will get it when
the year is up. As the Wash
ington Post significantly pro
claimed last Sunday: “The
: South is in the saddle at
Washington,” and the mythi
cal colored Democrat on a
strenuous hunt for office
might more profitably “take
up the shovel and the hoe,
and the natural colored Re
publican office holder can
make ready to lay down the
) fiddle and the bow.”
Negro Soldiers Honored.
A troop photograph and a
communication has been re
ceived at this office from
Troop “G,” 10th Cavalry in
, Vermont, The troop is cred -
i ited with being the best drilled
in the regiment, and the only
i troop exhibiting fancy drills.
At the Hudson-Fulton cele
bration they won several cups
in competitive drills with the
15th U. S. Cavalry and the
|N. Y. State Cavalry (both
| white). In April the troop
goes to Canada to attend the
British-Canada-Ottawa and
Montreal Horse Show and
will perform for Princess Pat
ricia of Connaught and other
notables. William H. Will
iams, First Sergeant of the
troop, is a very young man,
likewise the members. The
negro regiments are now
made up of young men of in
telligence, consequently com
paring favorably with the
white troops, who no doubt,
is the cause of a desire to rid
the army of them. The na
tion likes them as fighters
but as exhibitors of their skill,
they do not. We doff our
hats to the Brittish for exten
ding the negro troopers the
invitation.
COME AND SKATE.
Skating rink at Manhattan Beach
Is still open. Skating Friday after
noon and night until May SO. Skat
ing on Monday will be discontinued.