Mower County transcript. [volume] (Lansing, Minn.) 1868-1915, 1889-11-27
MExlcO'S GENDARMERiA,


Mexican Army.
A very important subdivision Of the
army is the gendarmeria, force charged
with certain classes of police duties, of
which the most responsible is that of
keeping the highways clear Of robbers.
The section especially employed as
road guard is known as the Rurales,
and is by all odds the most picturesque,
and in some respects is the most
meritorious, body Of troops in the Mex.
lean service. The beginning of this IA
nous corps was in the time OF Santa
Anna, when General Lagarde organized
troop Of ranchmen that was known pop
of the ranchero dress OF
leather that it's members wore-as the
Cuerados. On the fall of Santa Anna
the Cuerados took to the road, and were
suoh successful highwaymen that they
presently were given, because of the
lavish ornamentation of silver upon
their leather garments, the new nick
name Of the Plateados. The headquar-
ters of the organization were in the
mountain of the Malinche, near Pu.
ebla, and its members very diligently
worked the highway between the capital
and Vera Cruz. Nor must these high
waymen be classed with ordinary vulga al
robbers. The conditions Of the country
at this period were such that hundreds
of men had no choice between starving
and stealing, and the Plateados con.
Quoted their irregular business in .
chivalrous fashion, and frequently mani.
tested generosity in their treatment OF
the travellers who fell into their hands
quite worthy of the gallant traditions OF
Sherwood Forest and of the courteous
customs of Robin Hood.
In Comonfort's time the good thought
was acted upon of turning the Plateadot
from road robbers into road guards, and
the rather startling proposal was found
to work out admirably in practice. The
corps was organized, and still is main.
tained-being now about 1000 strong
upon footing unlike that Of any other
section of the army. Each man provides
his own horse and equipment excepting
his armso, and is paid ten reales day,
out of which he provides rations
for himself and forage for his
AVACOs L AO AAOA 1AO e1IUoO "XtU
saber, carbine, and revolver, and have q
service uniform Of brown linen blouse
and trousers, though this is worn less
often than the regular ranchero dress a
jacket and trousers of soft dressed brown
leather. The dress uniform is the
ranchero costume glorihed-the leather
jacket and trousers loaded down with
silver buttons and silver embroidery,
and the wide felt hat richly trimmed
with silver or even with gold. The
mountings Of the saddles and brides
are Of silver, and frequently silver stir
rups match the riders heavy silver
spurs. On dress parade the horses wea,
housings of fooled and embroidered
leather, and each man carries at the
ponmel Of his saddle light horse-hai,
lariat, and strapped fast to the cantle o
crimson blanket. The horses are by fal
the finest, excepting officers mounts, IL
the service, and are so greatly beloved
and SO affeotionately cared for that they
seldom get out of condition, while on
review they positively shine. The men
are magnificent fellows, fully looking
the dare-devils that they actually are
Thomas A. Janvier, in Harper's Maya
zine. 49,