The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1886-07-28
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An Easy Method Of Raldnr TsoOps-uls.
elpllhe -Uaiqls Life In Camp.
Officially tho Mexican army consists Of
1880 infantry, with 7s2 officers; nine
regiments Of cavalry, 4,176 men and SIS
officers and Eve batteries Of artillery
l,0i7men and ls0 officers Then there
are 1,B99 rural guards with $50 officers,
and finally the coast guards, where there
are q oGicen TO n men In addition
there are state military columns. q kind
Of militia called out to fight Indians by
the iefe politico Of their districts-an
officer who combines in his person the
functions Of q sheriff and q police Judge.
Exclusive Of this militia the total mill.
tary strength Of the Mexican republic Is
1,5ss officers and II, ,45S men.
when there Is any need for an army
Mexico has at once, say, half dozen.
They grow Of themselves, disband with.
out being mustered out, and each fights
for itself and often with itscli. Iturbide
Is reported TO have said that tie indi.
vidual Mexican was q thief; that in
gang Of ten he was guerrilla, and that
: 200 guerrillas made q Mexican army.
Though this may not be universally true,
1t Is true in part. Every man who has
the courage to pronounce must com.
mence by being thief, and under the
present enlightened government OF Diaz
men are daily sentenced 10 service in tho
regular army as a punishment for crime.
The man who 'pronounces against es-
tablished order gets together q handful
Of guerrillas and descends on the nearest
rich hacienda and demands 'prestano'
forced loan-which Is followed by
'lleva, or drift Of the best poems on the
estate. He then retires to the mountainl
to organize and drill his men. With tie
stolen money-for a 'prcstamo' is never
repaid-he arms his force and in a week
or two las quite as respectable crowd
as the governmentcan send against him.
THE cavalry is the principal arm Of
the Mexican service, and though the
horses would excite the smiles OF an
American cayalryman, they are well
adapted to country were grain Is not
over plenty, and endurance and not
speed or weight are considerations The
mounts are mainly mountain ponies, and
usually, except in the large cities, un.
shod. The uniform for all ranks is much
tho same, consisting OF blouse OF dark
blue, pants Of the same. and red facings.
OF course the cavalry pants arc served
with leather, The KEPT Is much the same
rs our own, but not so high, and there is
an absurd attempt to give to the Mexican
private kind Of Germanic air. The
fatigue uniform consist OF dirty canvas
blouse and pants. Boots are not con-
sidered essential in the infantry, and are
only known to crack regiments, The
favored corps, even, which possesses
them never wear them on the march. A
piece Of old leather strapped to the foot
by rawhide thongs to protect the feet
from sharp stones and sharper cach
Suifices for any private,
"The Mexican soldiers arc armed with
Remington rifles and carbines OF the 10
calibcr model, the barrels Of which, after
the absurd French fashion, arc kept
bright instead Of being Drowned, On the
butt Of each gun a dirty piece Of paper
contains the name and number OF the
private to whom 1t belongs. Not one in
hundred privates can read, but they
get use to the form Of their name, as o
kind Of object.lesson. Arms are very
valuable in Mexico, and to sell them is q
crime for which the soldier Is rewarded
with sound logging. When arms were
missed and the real culprit could not be
found, captains have been known to fog
the entire company. This plan Of max.
ing every man his brothers keeper is
said to work well. OF discipline as we
understand it in the American army
there is really none. The soldier never
goes through course Of 'setting.up,
and consequently lounges around the
streets with Shambling feet and downcrst
head, like the poor Aztec Indian, slave
and criminal that no is. Drill is a huni-
bug, and except in q few cavalry regi-
ments seldom or ever takes place, and
puniSlments arc as unjust as they are
severe.
"In his camp life, as in everything
else, the Mexican soldier is unique.
Each man has woman, who follows bis
fortunes, cooks for him, washes for him,
and shares without complaint his hard
fortune. On his pay, which Is only about
81 cents a day, both live; and, as a Me1i-
can receives no regular ration, the
cuisine is Of the most primitive charac-
ter, On the march, these women, rid.
ing on burros a Ia cavalier, head the col
umn, and in few minutes after halt
is called, each will be busy with the tor.
tillas, or tamales, or, in flush times, with
an ola podrida Of meat, chile, and gar.
lie cooked in small earthcnware pan
Tor the delectation Of her lord and mas
ter. Those women are, Of course, lost to
virtue, but arc faithful to o degree to
heir 'companerOs.' Mexican soldiers
ave no tents, that luxury being confined
to the superior officers, and few have
any blankets except their 'sarapes' to
sleep in. Even in barracks this Is the
case. The men lie down and slCep
where and when they can, often on the
cobblestones Of the court yard Chicago
News Interview.
Examples OF Brala ". lrAIn
There Is more than one part Of tho
world whore brute strength is an over.
match for human ingenuity. The Gin.