Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-12-14

From until b are school hours, for
family gathering for studies that would as
tonlsn the ChautauQuan. spanish, of
course. but also French, German. literature,
art, history and science in regular courses;
and II would certainly open the eyes Of
some OF the old comrades OF Willard Ho-
old boss discusses the questions of the day
with his lovely wife and charming daugh-
ter and the rest of the school.
The doctor, office lieutenant and guests
fill the classes to goodly proportions, and
earnest, honest work Is done in merriest
mood. AS the shadow Of FL Cumbre covers
the valley dinner Is announced, and all the
jokes that could not pass the dignifed air
OF the school room are quickly made cur
rent, and the hour gltdes only too swiftly
by. There are Jersey cows in the stables
an ice machine sends its soul-inspiring
crystal blocks, the cellars are stocked with
choicest vintage, the resources Of every
land are drawn upon for all that Is dainty
and wholesome: and these, united to their
own wealth of tropical fruits and to BIRDS
fish and game, enable the table to groan
with deiicacies that bewiider the stranger.
After supper the evening is spent in Wis.,
iting quietly in the parlor. and how home
like 1t Is. The great parlor, with it's library
of choicest books; the Sweet-toned piano.
that was brought all those weary miles on
human backs and then let down those hid
eous precip!ces without accident; the COM
Portable chairs and lounges. the soft lights
the distant tinkle of guitar and mandolin
and the liy ely conversation of the sprightly
party, all so conversant with the daily
happenings of the home country so far
away. 1t seemed like dream to think that
all around for hundreds of miles lay burn
ing plains and terrifying mountains in
habited only by savage or semi-civilized
races. The dream Is dispelled for a mo-
ment as the daughter springs back quickly
from the library, where she was taking a
book from the shelves. and quietly says:
"A stick. papa. please. it's a centipede"
The centipede was quietly killed as a mat
ter of every day incident, and exhibited to
the visitors. 1t was not a large one, only a
little over a foot long, and each one of its
scores of feet full of deadliest venom; but
what Of that? Were we not in the hot
lands, where centipedes, tarantulas, scor-
pionS and other death-dealing creations will
never cease their strivings to become house
hold pets. You Will get used to them after
awhile" Is the quiet assurance that does
not prevent our frantically tearing our bed
to pieces that night. The telegraph key
clicks. and we are soon In possession Of the
principal news published that day in the
American papers, for the governor keeps in
close touch with the world. receiving the
news every morning and night over his
private wire to Chihuahua. At 10 o'clock,
good night; but In your room you find the
latest papers and magazines. brought twice
a week by special courier. The servant
whispers inquiringly, Gel bano, senor?" and
leads the way to the bath. What a luxury
it is-that great tiled swimming pool, as
large the public bath of city, that oc-
cupies the basement below the Office build
ing. Fed from mountain springs, the water
is delightfully."- cool. and many time dur
ing the day we initiate the baron in leaving
the office for quiet plunge into it's cooling
depths. The walk back to our rooms
along the shaded walks, where armed SEN
tinels quietly challenge at every turn.
brings back the reminder that you are in
a fortress. guarded as carefully as the car
Of Russia. All night long the throb OF the
distant stamps. crying. More silver"
hrpo draa of thnn A1a11 ,r,o
wealth
The next day comes a long talk over the
past, and the story of the mines Is told by
the master mind that has worked out this
miracle IN the wilderness 1t was a story
modestly told that will some day be retold
to the world and prove more fascinating
than any of the heroic lives Of the pilgrim
fathers or the heroes of 40. A story of
how one man. by sheer force Of will and of
intellect. has overcome poverty and single
handed built up a kingdom in savage
more to be feared than the foes within the
camp. Where the revolver had ever to be
ready and where the soil breeds envy.
strife. intrigue. robbery and assassination
as Il does tarantulaS and centipedeS.
Obstinacy and Diplomacy.
Gov Shepherd IS today in some ways
one Of the most obstinate men that ever
lived. but 1t is a genial. good-natured OBJ
stinacy that really tickles the other fellow.
Two examples will illustrate this: The sill
yer of the mines was at first sent to Chi
huahua and minted and returned as silver
dollars or smaller currency These vast
treasures going over the lonely road every
month on the backs of long trains of mules
naturally invited attack. and one day the
expected came. The heavy armed guard
was scattered, the conductor of the train
killed. and the silver and the robbers dis
appeared. Then the people found that they
rnnSa6 he 70 a fr1rxy
Money was spent like water, officials high
and low were given no rest day or night
rewards aroused the cQpidity of the be-
trayer and last all of the band were col
lected as prisoners at the hacienda The
governor of the state insisted that the pris-
oners should be brought to the capital for
trial This meant untold delay, heavy ex-
pense and in all probability failure Of JUS
tice, but shepherd at last consented and
the prisoners were started over the road
under guard of a company of Mexican SOL
diers. who cared very little about making
the long and tedious ten-day journey. Three
DAYS afterward the commanding officer re-
ported again at the Office of the hacienda
The report was terse, being simply '1ex
fugitive, all are dead" So the people gath.
Ell ed in groups and whispered: They saw
they tried to escape and they shot them
all. and with shrug of the shoulders the
whispers ended in Eel Americana uno dia-
bio" All who are familiar with the Span
! ish soldiers and the recklessness of the use
/ OF the law of the fugitive will place the
| blame where 1t belongs, on the soldier and
\ free the American baron of the slightest
completely, but all the same the trains OF
| Hacienda San Miguel San Antonio have
/ Travelled in peace from that day to this.
! The next step was to introduce the use
| of paper money. but the banks at the cap.
/ ital placed every obstacle in the way Their
/ the doughty baron said: IT will print my
/ own money and YOU must use II, for It will
be secured by bullion placed in your banks >
/ This was declared to be an impossibility
an offense against the government punish.
/ able by death. II can and / will now yor
see" said the petty king and the money
was issued. The misery, silver-hoa rline
/ people kicked and said It Is ''rnuv malo,
Every bad" "the rats eat it." The kfne
said good for the rats" and smiled and