Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-07-04

about their waists and their saddles are as
gorgeous as themselves. They are of white
leather embroidered with silver. with great
surrups and with brides to which are fast
ened silver bits. Behind each saddle there
Is coiled lasso and these men are adopts in
the use of the rope. They begin to learn its
use as babies while lassoing chickens, and 1t is
said that the rope in their hands is more danger
Gus than tie rifle bullet or the saber blow
Zach rurale carries a small armament along
with him. There is Remington rifle across
his back, his belt is full of great pistols
and saber hangs by his side. Take
thls combination OF arms. horses and men
dress them in your minds eve in this
gorgeous costume. Make the bands play
Wall square park with great palace. a vast
cathedral. and with long lines Of arcaded
bszars. Let the walls of these be gay with
nags and their windows and roofs be a mass Of
gaiiy dressed humanity. Let there be tens Of
thousands of the Mexican peasants ON the
plaza among the trees, and in the wide streets
surrounding this let there be thousands upon
thousands OF the gorgeously dressed Mexican
troops, and you have some idea of the grand
review on the Mexican Fourth Of July.
BRrGANDs TURNED SOLDIERS
Aft boxing it all over, however. YOU will
find your eyes coming back again and again TO
the rurales and YOU do not wonder that Presi-
a . DisZ Is proud OF them 1t was through
them that ne turned Mexico from a land of
brigands into land of peace and order. These
men were themselves in many cases the bril-
gands Of Mexico. They were the ban
dits OF the mountains who robbed stages
and made themselves famous as Inc
Paul Cliffords of Mexico. General D;ae
sent for the leaders and asked them how much
brigandage paid on the average. The leaders
said II was worth to each brigand something
less than siO q month and Diaz SO the story
goes. thereupon offered them steady wages at
that rate to form part Of his army They ac-
eepted and the result is that thew make
the best troops in the world. DiaZ in both
loved and respected by them and thew gave
him banquet the night before the last 5th al
May These men form the working force OF
the Mexican army. They have cleared the
mountains Of robbers and it 10 now as safe 10
travel in most parts Of the interior of Mexico
as II the back districts of New York
or Pennsylvania These soldiers form the
guards at the stations all over Mexico and
when any of the trains require an escort i,
is company Of the rurales who are detailed
to go with IL. In Mexico the army means much
more than IN the United States. IL il through
the army that party or a president remains
IN power aud revolutions are too recent in
Mexico TO allow the army to grow discontinued
The result Is that the soldiers are very well
treated. President Diaz. il is said mado no,
long ago the remark that Of the expenses OF
the government the army mus. be paid first
after that the other expenses. such AS the sal
aries of the civil officers the foreign loans and
subsidies. might come in. but not before
Prior 10 this the payment of the
army has not been the first consideration
and one of the strong points in the
strength Of the present government is the ab.
soiute faitnfniness which II preserves in the pay
ment of its troops. The army of Mexico nov
numbers about IS 900 men. Twenty-Five hun.
dred of these are rurales and there is a cavalry
force of more than 5000. Every Mexican cana.
BILE Of bearing arms is liable Tor military ser.
vice from his twentieth to his fiftieth wear AM
the country has very fair military schools
The army constitute TO a large extent the
police OF Mexico and they keep order that
would be considered wonderful in an American
city. The night Of May 8, when there were
25,Ooo poems In the plaza watching the fire
works as they were shot out from the grea,
cathedral, there was almost perfect
order. The pulque shops had been open
all day and there we're hundreds Of the