Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-28
THE MEXICAN GENDARMERIE.
Changed From Highwaymen to Guards
of the Road.
From Harpers Magazine. ]

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A very important subdivision of the
army is the gendarmerie, a 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 a 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 Mexican service. The be-
ginning Of this famous corps was in the
time of Santa Ana, when General Lagarde
organized troop Of renchmen that was
known popularly-because of the ranchero
dress of leather that its members wore
as the Cuerados. On the fall of Santa
Ana the Cuerados took to the road, and
were such successful highwaymen that
they presently were given, because of the
lavish ornamentation of silver upon their
leather garments, the new nickname of
the Plateados. The headquarters of the
organization were in the mountain of the
Malinehe, near Puebla, and its members
very diligently worked the highway be-
tween the Capital and Vera Cruz. Nor
must these highwaymen be classed with
ordinary vulgar robbers. The conditions
of the country at this period were such
that hundreds of men had no choice be-
tween starving and stealing, and the
Plateados conducted their irregular bust
ness in a chiyalrous fashion, and fire.
quently manifested a 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 Plateados 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 maintained-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 arms, and
is paid 10 reals day, out of which he
provides rations for himself and forage for
his horse. The men are armed with sa-
bre, carbine and revolver, and have serv-
ice uniform OF brown linen blouse and
trousers, though this is worn less often
than the regular ranchero dress of Jacket
and trousers Of soft-dressed brown leather
The dress uniform is the ranchero costume
glorlhed-the leather jacket aud trousers
loaded down with silver buttons and silver
embroidery, and the vide felt hat richly
trimmed with silver or even with gold.
The mountings of the saddles and the
brides are of silver, and frequently silver
sthrups match the riders heavy silver
spurs. On dress-parade the horses wear
housings of fooled and embroidered leather,
and each man carries at the pommel of
his saddle light horse-hair lariet, and
strapped fast to the camille crimson blan-
ket. The horses are by far the finest, ex
cepting officers mounts, in the service, .and
are so greatly beloved and so afiectionately
treated that they seldom get out of con-
dition, for while on review they positively
shine. The men are magnificent fellows,
despite the joking dare-devils that they
are.