The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-11-10
ACROSS THE BORDER.
The Habits and Customs of the
Mexicans.
SMUGGLING AS A FINE ART,
Some Jaw-Rending WOrds-0ne Important
Silver Mining Regional Remarkable
Tribe of Indians.


correspondence of The HERALDl-In every
town and village OF the state of Sonora
there are public schools for boys, and others
for girls, all supported at government ex-
pense. Education is popularity supposed
to be compulsory, but-as in the United
States-the law in that regard is not rigor-
ously enforced.
IN THESE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
the elementary branches are taught, and
in the female schools needlework is made
a specially, and sometimes drawing and
embroidery are added At Hermosillo, the
state capital, Guaymas, Alamos and Ures,
are schools of higher grade, also conducted
at government expense, while in many
portions OF the state are private lnstitu-
tions of learning, whose teachers are paid
by their wealthy patrons.
A novelty in the way of theaters IS this
one at Guaymas, without seat any where
insice of it, except line of benches in the
outer corridor whereon soldiers and ser
wants lounge during every performance.
Every body brings his own chair, or rather
his servant carries It for him, and the con-
sequence is that these seats are of all heights
sizes and descriptions, from common rush
bottomed affairs, to gorgeously upholstered
sofas. If you are a stranger within the
gates and have no chair to bring, you may
rent one for modes (SiX centS) of an old
woman at the door, who will ask you also
for cigarette for DiaS, (''for Gods sake')
senorl
There is
GOOD DEAL OF WEALTH
in Guaymas, and some very good society,
with even pretenSlOnS to elegance Bull
fights are not so common as Of yore, and
the cockpit is almost deserted, except by
the lower classes; but Sunday is still the
galaday of the week, every body going
religiously to mass in the morning, to the
public bath and promenade in the after
noon, and to a masked ball, or some other
revel in the evening.
There is telegraph line owned and oper-
ated by the federal government, running
from Guaymas to Hermosillo, and thence
10 Ures,-in all, 100 miles. The govern
ment line from the City of Mexico, which
touches the Pacific coast at Mazatlan, in
the state of Sinaloa, and runs from
thence to Alamos, in the southern part
of this staLe-thus connecting this odd little
town, tucked away off in the most lone
some corner of the republic, not only di-
rectly with the national capital, but with
every portion of the country. And besides
all that, one may send his words
FROM GUATNAS TO NEW YORK,
or to any other city in Uncle Sans domain
in a very few minutes, by using the tele-
gragh line of the Sonora railroad, which
extends via Hermosillo to Nogales, on the
Sonora and Arizona frontiers, connecting
thence with all the wires of the United
States, or with the Geographic and cable
systems of the world.
Sonora has ''sea-shore'', of over eight
hundred miles lying along the Sea of Cortez
or California Gulf. Before the completion
of the Sonora railway all the imports came
by sea. those from the United States direct
from California, but they are now brought
by rail direct from the commercial centers
of the Atlantic seaboard, rs well as from
the Pacific coast. Now days northern
Sonora is supplied almost exclusively from
the United States, with cotton, linen and
wooden goods, groceries, glassware, hard
ware, machinery, coal beer and lumber
A few years ago
EUROPEAN GOODS HAD THE MONOPOLY,
but now-owing chiefly to the Sonora road
and the influence of Consul Willard-goods
of American manufacture largely prevail
BY the way it is stated on good authority
that the amount of American commodities
smuggled into this place across the Arizona
frontier, exceeds one hundred thousand
dollars year in value, although the
don of officers all along the boundary line, in
vain efforts to suppress tie illegal traffic
This "freebootiug'' is practiced almost ex-
clusively by natives of the cactus country,
and court records show that very few
foreigners are apprehended for cOntraband-
ism,-if one may be allowed to coin word.
1t is said in Mexico that everybody SNUG
giles on opportunity, even the pillars of
church and state, and the custom house
officers themselves, but then you know,
laws are not male for the makers, bat
for other people.
THE GESTLEMANLY COLLECTOR
of the port tells me that the domestic trade
of Guaymas, with the coast ports down
below" as far south as ManzauillO, amounts
in value to about four hundred and thirty
one thousand seven hundred and seventeen
dollars and ten cents per annum. The
articles most commonly brought up from
the south are blankets, cotton cloth, to-
bacco, cigars, coffee, tanned hides, so ap,
lard, rice, mescal, pottery, salt and oil.
Those exported are flour in sacks, mats,
baskets, peas, and small red beans.
The project has been long agitated for
another railroad to commence at a station
on the Sonora road, 30 miles above Quay
mas, to run distance of ITO miles to the
ooal-felds of Los Bronces and La Bar
ranca, and thence to the famous mines of
ITluluau, near Gu6 UOunudTy line Oh Cul-
buahua. a long time ago the Mexican
government granted a franchise from
Guaymas to these coal fields, but it was
finally declared forfeited for non-fulfill-
ment of conditions.
THB CONTEMPLATED RAILWAY
from Port Lobos, on the Gulf of Cali
fornia, to the Arizona frontier "a distance
of 80 miles,, and thence to Tucson, 60 miles
farther,-for which the Mexican govern
ment has granted a franchise, with fat
subsidy, approximating 10000 per mile, in
silver-haS not yet been begun; and it
looks as if its franchise would 90 the way
Of the majority and be declared forfeited
The 5 ). Newburn, of the California
and Mexican line" of San Francisco
under a subsidy granted by the Mexican
government-comeS to Guaymas once a
month on its regular voyage from San
Francisco down Mazatlau, touching at
all intermediate points Of consequence, both
on the main land and on the peninsula.
For years it received from Mexico's treas
ury s., 900 for the rouEd trip, in considera-
ton of carrying the mails free, and govern
ment employees, stores and troops at half
rates, but a rev contract has recently been
made reducing the subsidy to 81 800
Hermosilo, distant by road 81 statute
miles from GuaymaS,
LIES IN GAP
which the Sonora river has cut through
the western range. 1t is perfect gem of
a picturesque little city, surrounded by
high hills and embowered in orange groves,
and has population of about fifteen thou
sand. 1t is in the midst of an important
silver N mig region, and there is a mint
in the town for the coinage of silver dollars.
There are manufactures also of cotton,