The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1891-07-09
ODD OLD MEXICO.
An Americans Observations on
Greaserdom.
A Country Whose Militia Is Composed
Of Convlcts from the Prisons
some Peculiarities OF the
People.


People.
If there is one thing OF which Mexico
L. more prolific than revolutions it is
p culiarities. The peculiarities of that
.intry are many and astonishing, not
u viewed this people from a narrow
tandpoint, says writer in the Chicago
ines, much as the average English
tourist views America, for we Ameri-
cans are too familiar with representa-
ivcs OF every clime and nation to be
,rUilty of such insular prejudice, but the
..mcrican dwelier in Msxico will find
the peculiarities Of That Nation too
marked to be overlooked For instance,
hat would any civilized people on
9rth other than the Mexican think if
heir persons and property were placed
iidcr the guardianship of convicts?
Net such is the case there. Police duty
lroughout the country districts and in
!argc cities like chihuahua is performed
~ the soldiers of the regular army, said
army being recruited from the convcts
81 each State. Complaint as to their
Inelliciency or dishonesty, however, is
rarcly heard, though it is an open secret
is Mexico that a small bribe to the 'of-
i.ccr" is sufficient to secure immunity,
rom arrest, but this fact, so far from
l.l-ing made ground for complaint,
seems rather source Of congratulation
than otherwise. How far we are in ad-
vance of this system of recruiting the
ranks of the police, especially in Chica-
D. 1T is difficult to say; there may be
some who would extend to us the advice
;bout not throwing stones; however, be
1t said to the everlasting credit of the
.lcxcans that their police are natives
If the country in which they WELD the
baton.
From the police one naturally turns,
especially in this case, to the criminal.
In Mexico the burglar is positively un-
tnown. The houses, constructed as
hey are, in view of uprisings, revolu-
ions ETC., present to the would-be-bur-
lar but small chance of success.
i hat with blank walls, barricaded win
,!ows, and solid wooden doors, the
dweller within the average adobe is pre-
pared at nightfall to Withstand the siege
Of Il regiment.
The phase of robbery most popular in
Mexico is of the Dick Turpin pattern.
Dick, however, from all accounts, usual
Ig gives voice to that time-honored COM
.1and: "Ionr money, or your life"
whereas, the Mexican brigand invaria-
lily demands yOur money and your life
and no amount of plunder, pleading, nor
promises will avail to save the latter
should the opportunity be favorable to
tho robber for taking it. The cause Of
,his is simply that the laws Of the coun-
try provide that the highway robber, if
captured, shall suffer death, thus fur
nishing the incentive for his invariable
,loody accompaniment to his original
crime, that he may forever SILENCE the
witness of the deed.
The Mexican is the only natural-born
lrrcd in -the-bone socialist in the world.
lIc has never read up on the subject; he
never hears our long-haired ranters
v0siferating about the beauties of their
ystcm, nevertheless he is the ideal So
rialist, and, although he is not up to the
verage in arithmetic, he knows the rule
+ division to nicely. The average
Mexican will share his blanket and his
last loaf or penny with you, should you
need it, but If you have any thing you
are expected to be fully as liberal; if
You don't, he compels your liberality by
aking your possessions away from you
ESrcibly. In short, If you have not, he
gives; If you have, he takes, whether
or no.
One side of this characteristic Of the
lexicans is best exemplified by their
proceedings in the event of the marri-
mgc of one of their daughters to an
American. The Mexican, bear in mind,
is possessed of the ineradicable idea
that Americans are all rolling in wealth.
This idea is source of neyer-ceasing
envy on the part OF one sex and satisfac-
ton to the other. When an American
marries Mexican girl her whole FAM
lily, her sisters, cousins, aunts, ETC., and
all their sisters, cousins, aunts, ETC., for
Il hundred miles around are invited to
the wedding. This includes every blood
relation to the very remotest They
not only come, which is bad, obut they
stay, which is worse. There they camp
and until every ounce of food and every
dollarin sightisgone there they continue
to camp, and should the luckless bride
groom have employment they stay still
longer, encouraged in the most natural
and artless manner by theirvcry hospita-
ble relative, the bride The feelings of the
groom under such circumstances can be
imagined, but a protest only meets with
tears from the bride and indignant aston
ishment from the guests, before which
the bridegroom generally succumbs 1
is apparent that the Mexican merely
gauges the hospitality and charity O
others by his own, and wants to be done
bv as he does to others.
Going to Find the North Pole.
DIR. Nansen is rapidly preparing 70
his expedition to the north pole ii
will start from Norway in Februar
pnvt In tho chin of IN TONS burden tha