Adventure, February 20, 1922 — page 192: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

~ , ~ ~ fm rie 2 a « —on ~ Sh ie : i ae 190 ; sailors also deserted and joined the Boers or Col. _ Blake’s Irish Brigade, and they also made mighty good soldiers. You are right in your description of Durban at this time; a more cosmopolitan crowd of adven- turers has seldom gathered. Durban at this time seemed to be the Mecca of all adventurers. I hope I have thrown some light on your interesting letter. Funnel Marks EEP your eye peeled for these the next time you’re down on the water-front: ~~ Question: —“Would you be kind enough to send me the funnel marks of the Matson Nav. Co., Pacific Mail S. S. Co., Admiral Line (Pacific S. S. Co.), China Mail S. S. Co. and oblige.” HERBERT _ DETLEFSEN, Brooklyn, N. Y. - Answer, by Mr. Beriah Brown:—The funnel _ mark of the Admiral Line is a buoy, in black, on a - salmon-pink band, the buoy being lettered “The "SoS anand Line P.S.S. Co.” Through the buoy ex- tends a pennant with a star on each of the four cor- ners and a St. Andrews cross on a white ground in the center. Matson line: Blue flag, with seven white stars sur- rounding white square in center with black letter M in middle. Pacific Mail S. S. Co: Stack painted buff, with nar- row, black band at top, with narrow white band just beneath. Has no other insignia except in case of Shipping Board liners operated, which carry red- white-and-blue shield on sides of stack. ~ China Mail: White circle, with letters C. M., in black interwoven monogram in center. “Ask Adventure” service costs you noth- ing but reply postage and self-addressed en- velop. Cow-Country Customs and Costumes Spee the truth about ’em, let the movie fans howl as they may: Question:—“Please give me full information concerning the ‘wild western’ parts of Texas and New Mexico. Please describe in a general way a - cow-town in Texas and a miming-town in New exico. Describe me the cowboy’s dressing and also a cowgirl’s ing-style. Please name me the style and make of a six- shooter most popular among the bordermen.’’— PETER ScozzARi, New York. Answer, by Mr. Whiteaker:—New Mexico is “not in the territory assigned to me by Adventure. - ‘The mining-towns in that State are about the same, “I’suppose, as they are in other States that carry on the mining industry. Most of the mines in that State, so I have noticed by newspaper accounts, have closed down for a while, owing, I suppose, to the low-prices of the metals and the high cost of production. The cattle-towns of Texas are usually some dis- tance apart. Some are not near a railroad, so the supplies have to be hauled from some railhead. = ‘The town usually has two or three stores of general Adventure , merchandise; before Prohibition went into effect three or four saloons and dance-halls with a burying- ground near the outskirts of the town; blacksmith shop, a few restaurants, a wide-open place in the center of the business districts where the cowboys gather to pitch horseshoes, wrestle, swap yarns, and pass away the time. : In front of the post-office there are usually hitch- ing-railings where the horses are tied—the P. oO. is generally in one of the largest stores. Near the outskirts are stock-pens if the town happens to be on a railroad, in which cattle are brought from the range and penned until they can be shipped. The towns are quiet now since booze has ceased to flow. . The once lively towns are the most drow- sy now. ‘Tourists passing through cause a great deal of excitement. The arrival of trains is another source of great activity, for you can see the natives running from all directions to the station to see who is coming or who is leaving. The walls of the depot are well braced with the backs of cowboys, who are usually rolling cigarets and watching the pretty girls strolling along the platform. ‘When a dance is given by one of the inhabitants, people come for miles around, and then there are big times. Cowboys dress usually as farm hands unless they are off in the brushy country, where they wear chaps, high-heel boots, spurs, red ban- — danna handkerchief, leather cuffs, flannel shirt, leather vest, broad-brim Stetson hat, and perhaps. a six-gun. The girls dress pretty much the same way—leather skirts instead of chaps, leather leg- . gings, .45 Colts. The Traveling Merchant in Mexico ERE’S a way to see Latin America— all of it—and come home richer than you set out. But of course you have to keep your wits about you: Question:—““My partner and I are planning on taking a stock of Army goods such as clothing, tents, camp equipment, etc., to south-central Mex- ico and would like to get a little information re- garding: 1. Business conditions at present. 2. Transportation facilities. 3. Customs requirements. Do you think this class of merchandise would prove popular there? : What in your opinion, is the best locality for a business such as Army_.equipment?”—L, A. GARDNER, Okmulgee, Oklahoma. Answer, by Mr. Mahaffey:—1. Regarding busi- ness conditions. You can estimate the buying- power of the usual run of larger towns and cities as ten per cent. of the same-sized cities in the U. S. The same-depression in business and work exists in Mexico as in the U. S., and more than half the people in Mexico are about three days ahead of being broke and live from hand to mouth. Of course it will be impossible for you to take arms or‘ammunition, due to the strict embargo in effect. 2. You have reasonably good railway facilities to almost all the places where you could do a pro- fitable business. From your present location you can cross the border at Laredo, stop over a week in Monterey, a week in Saltillo, a week in San Luis 7 So >= ~ Es = } a fh PY -- a\ (} ai a bY » D Xi My ths ¥ ¥ . “, a €@ JOO