Reel Life (1914-1915)

Supplement REEL LIFE Hard Task °f Mutual Camera Men in Mexico AMERICANS have no idea of the conditions, sanitary and civil, in Mexico,” said one of the party of Mutual camera-men now in New York. “The natives are dirty and diseased, the Federal military camps are hotbeds of typhoid fever and small-pox while in the so-called military hospitals the greater part of the wounded die of gangrene poisoning and neglect. The lot of a camera-man is no easy one in Mexico. True, he has to live on tortillas, frijoles, chili con carne and tough goat meat, but if he is a good shot the blackbirds which abound along the border make good eating. He must be careful, however, not to mistake the buzzards which follow the army for mountain eagles. Buzzards are decidedly not a delicate dish. “And speaking of buzzards I think I should like to see one of them matched in a battle to the death with the Mexican horse-fly. The latter bird of prey is a vicious creature. Literally millions of them follow the army and their sting is more dreaded than the first sharp impact of a bullet. “Sherman Martin, one of the Mutual camera-men now with Villa’s army was taking some pictures of the Con¬ stitutionalists as they forded a river in the State of Chihua¬ hua. He put his horse in midstream not knowing the bed of the river was shifting quicksand. He had reeled off several hundred feet of film when the horse commenced to whinny with fear and Martin stopped his camera. He found the horse sinking rapidly under him and was obliged to swim to shore holding his camera above his head. The horse, relieved of the weight of the camera and his rider, was able to release himself from the treacher¬ ous sands after a hard struggle. “When Martin reached shore thousands of blue-bottle flies swarmed upon him. Their stings, while not as pain¬ ful as that of a like number of cobra de capellos, were in the aggregate almost unbearable. The Mutual camera¬ man threw himself face downward in the sand, burying his face and hands for protection. Finally the flies rose in a body with an angry buzz and made off after the rear columns of the army. Martin found his horse rolling over and over in the hot desert sands trying to rid itself of the swarm which also had descended upon the dripping beast. The Army Receiving Their Pay at Necaxa. Gen. Villa’s Mutual Movies. “The greatest danger to which the Mutual camera-men were exposed, however, was that of capture by the Federal troops. Capture meant almost certain execution. Anyone connected with the Constitutionalist cause in any way can expect no mercy from Huerta’s officers. “Virtually no attempt is made now to bury the dead after skir¬ mishes in the open and the wounded are left to the mercy of the buzzards. If the vul¬ tures do not suc¬ ceed in hasten¬ ing the death of the wounded sol¬ dier the hot sun usually scorches out what little life is left. “The soldiers in the Federal army spend their time play¬ ing keno and matching their game little roosters. This last-named sport is second only in popularity to pulque drinking. Another favorite pastime of the Federal troops is ‘taking a shot’ at passersby. “The soldiers have great fun in scattering the plaster from the walls of a ’dobe dwelling into the face of some startled citizen. It is considered unfortunate, of course, if the victim of tfie joke is accidentally wounded, but that does not prevent the soldiery from resuming their practice when next the pulque is flowing freely. “Discipline is very lax in the army. Soldiers daily clean their guns when the weapons are at full cock and charged. Sherman Martin and I have seen them pick up shrapnel shells from which only the noses have been broken off and use them in playing a sort of bowling game. Some of the soldiers have absolutely no regard either for their own or the lives of others. “I saw a group of soldiers playing a dangerous game which consisted in tossing lighted cigarette butts at a broken shell which still contained a strong charge. The laughter and excitement attending the test of skill gained added zest by reason of the element of danger involved in the pos¬ sibility that the shell might explode. “When Martin first crossed the border and was introduced to General Villa, the rebel leader, presumably for want of a tennis court, suggested that he try his luck at bottle shoot¬ ing. Martin is a good shot. He called Villa’s attention to the shortnecked bottle which was put up as a target and promptly proceeded to shoot away both cork and bottle-neck. “While in Juarez we had plenty of opportunity to watch the cock fights, one of which General Villa attended in person. Gen. Ortega and Ex-Governor Gonzalez Gorza also were not above attending a championship main. “I was struck by the number of boys and youths in the Mexican army. Some of those impressed into service by Huerta’s officers could not have been more than twelve years old.” The Voyager. Salto Chico Falls Near Necaxa Gen. Villa's Mutual Movies.