Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1891-05-15
HOLY INNOCENT lI0AXERS
PRAC TIcAL JOKES PLAYED ON MExl-
CAN ALL FOOLS DAY.

= From his appearance the averaS
Mexican would never he charged wit
! the crime of practical joking In fact al
American would think more than twic
before he tempered, jokingly, with tn
quiet dignity and solemnity, two char
acteristcally ntuitive qualities of tin
Mexican Don. owing TO the latter's readi
ness with the revolver and deXterity will
the stiletto.
Yet on occasion the Mexicans, from tn
little toddling boy to the white haireC
Don and the dark eyed Senorita to thu
old wrnkled Sonora, are the greatest o
all practical jokers. 1t becomes sor
of mania with them, as it did with theil
ancestors hundreds of years ago.
Dec 2S. the anniversary Of the slaugh
ter of the Holy Innocents, as the babes
who were killed by King Herod on the
all others in Mexico The arrival of
Fiesta de los Santos Inocentes is
anXiously looked for every year, and
when it comes it is observed without
stint. The exact origin of this peculiar
day as one devoted to practical joking
has been lost, SO ancient is the custom in
Spain.
The fact that it is spoken of as the day
of Holy Innocents seems to have inspired
the Spaniards with the idea of making
| innocents or fools of one another and any
one else that can possibly be victimized
Ever since this happy thought occurred
to some ingenious Spaniard some time in
the Fourteenth century the day has been
duly recognized.
BOGUS NEWSPAPER sCARES.
| The ways Of celebrating it are, of
course many and varied. Mexico offers
particularly fertile field in this peculiar
pastime, owing to the eruptive tendency
Of the government and people. A
country in winch a citizen inquiries of
his neighbor the first thing each day.
"Who is president this morning." natur-
ally affords an ingenious practical joker
abundant material for unlimited pranks.
The newspapers are the leaders in re-
cognizing the day after the popular form
All sorts of bogus stories are artfully
written SO as to create immense excite
ment, yet the Circumstantal facts are SO
related that suspicion is seldom aroused
High government officials are generally
assassinated lin print and robberes com
mitted of great magnitude.
On one occasion gold mine of fab
ulous wealth and extent was discovered
four miles out of the City of Mexico. and
the same day two-thirdS of the popula-
ton of the town had forsaken their
homes to hunt for the mythical bonanza.
Another favorite mode of paying court
to the Holy lunocents is to friehten the
population Of small village some miles
out from the capital by publishing alarm
ing stories Of Il threatened raid by bands
of bloodthirsty Indians and bandits.
Mounted couriers in the employ of the
abundant sInnlirs Of tho0 no,,.s;,,, ",.'
and dnsb; 3IPP' t r u 'l,e a heWsPapeTS,
d'', ,''' f5 a. iuIi speed llto the
a ponir Inv raolino fro,,, ia ,,,,I,i;,
soiiaras tia bo,,riiJ99 fntn t 'i't puo!tC
tbonn IN 'F f,, ','' ,,,; ,",e 'ual awaits
Mace il in ., to.riJla et.,taoe I,,o Mtole
and in arHtIar ho,tr ~ VI ooliiiiiolloll'
prfeIv desnrteI Fyor,' Wv W." u ta - I'm
he hioh rn.I AMI ,i7nI.aS, az 9iio tdAts 10
nossihe tn Tho lar,ar it1 wy oeaI ''iiie
When the hon'I Z 49, iieJ 'tilO 1"Iety'
fer what tha cnst rs ~ - 81 ~ mai
trouhln aver nrs,,os ,,. ~ ms ~
Goods colInct thnir fon,iIf ~ i'',Un "p tiiell
in hipb onoi L,rn0r ~ th ,'iii ic1uln
thankful fh,t tbnv ha,,o ,l'n l,Ci ''ol''eS'
and nrnn,i.in,, n,;o a,,o+I .lle'ii 20 20 10,
will not allow thanseiros - I hn fa r,ieA
next YEAR l,''N '''''''''''' y - ~ oe iooled
Vet when noxt roor doo,
with if tbn terr;ble ca n,' uoe H., come ana
fever or some other tI dna'1n maj yelloW
rapino in tLn vinin;+,, '' tiiyyo6 - Is
The whnIc town. VIZ e az. IN 10
ages the noo,ln fnr'rot III ~ u ~ US raw
formulated fla nreyin,s NC ,,oo l.'o' p:
sions arc hn '.+i prey lIuS year FroV!-
sought in The 1narhv b;lIs s'i. nn5 SaIety ~
tains In one neto,n ir'''' si ',i'u f noun
lived in the omen mir for Ton o., Jar i'li lilies
the Joke perpefroted uno,1 tbo "r'' oeiUIe
covered i'(''' '''eli' vas us
THE RUIZ FIGHT orrt
Franks mt the eynpnsa Of ,rir.o+, ;a1;
viduals are the commoneot ai,'I 20 n dI
brating the dav If i no 49, D'oo W Cele,
thing for wn9Ilbv 0li nny, ,'ilIp;iliLl?n
secluded portion If tho to|' ',,N t IN "a
himself suddenly confrnnt to" Il ~ tiilu
masked maraud9rs Win I''t rorol 10y Two
their hands and Knives !, t io;r oIs I'm III
who command him tn oiI 20 mn ,,,I IL, peilS'
lblns o,,iatI,. -, III, ti ~ 6ine MS Valu-
I,t .',','I'''n "ot'' me next day he is
his yaluai'lns aon , ";'gii nc receives