The herald., 1894-12-16
IS A TRAVELLER SEES MEXICO.
What hat the the Chances Are Are for War
With Guatemala.
How American Interests Will Pro-
tect the Republic.
Peculiar and UnsWnny scsns in .
Mexican Graveyard. Where Mum
mice Lie In the Cat.soombs, with
Heaps Of Human BolSss Around.

Ma leo and Guatemala, and though tft
eause OF the rupture viii ch threate n
war MAJ seem trivial to cold-blooeic'
people Oh the north. thspe 10 no telinl
what the hot blood Of .the ,swarthy peo
pie to the south may lead them to Wher
International disputes arise. 1t takel
only two men, one with q usty swort
and the other . brsach-buArnt gun, t.
start frst.class revolution any where
south Of the Texas border, and Avn inter
national war can be provoked just about
% easily down that way
On Friday the HEB-ALD published
stsrtlinp rumors from San Diego, ex-
clusively published them, by the way,
to the effect that the Mexican transport
Oaxaos, now in that port, 10 wsitin2
there for orders, in casSSof war, to take
on arms and ammunition for the Mesxi-
can government to be h,nded at Sian
Benito, on the Gustemslan frontier.
And it was also hintsd that Don Joaquin IN
Redo Of Mazatlan is in San Diego for th Q
purpose OF purchasing the well known
steamer Manuel Dublan for the use of
the Mexican government in case of war.
These incidents are but links in the
chain OF wsrlike indications.
W. P. Temple, q native of this city, q
representative OF one of the oldest estab.
lished and most influential families OF
Southern California, returned on Friday
from an extended trip through Mexico.
This gentleman. . highly educated and
Intelligent observer, has noted the po-
litical situation throughout the republic
with special reference to the impending
war.
It 10 the opinion OF Mr.. Temple. ex-
pressed yesterday in an interview with
. representative of the HERALD, that
war will not come of the trouble be-
tween the two republics.
ut is only question OF the owner.
ship of strip of land something like
100 miles in width along the boundaries
of tho two countries" he said, land l
believe that the excellent judgment OF
President Diaz will lind some way of
overcoming the difficulty short of blood
she'd"
President Disz 10 wonderful man"
be continued. "They talk of q revolu-
tion and the overthrow OF the present
Republic of Mexico. but it will not be
while Diaz lives and rules, and in my
Judgment it will never be. But Diaz is
now the rock on which the republic of
Mexico rests. Ee 10 pre-eminently
peaceful man, clear in his judgment OF
great national issues and unalterably
opposed to unn necessary conflict.
''It is not the leading men OF Mexico
who talk war with Guatemala, found.
That il in the way of fsvoring such
course. though it is an open secret there
that the government has recognized the
possibility OF it before the present mis-
understanding is set right. Indeed. in
q measure Mexico is the aggressor, for
that government makes the demand fc.
the territory in dispute, and Guatemala
simply disputes Mexico's right to it.
American interests in Mexico are
unfavorable to war, and have a weight,
especially with the president. 1t is also
the American interests which would
preclude the possibility of an overthrow
OF the republic after the death of Diaz."
Mr.. Temples trip was an interesting
one. and not devoid of incident. Leav.
ing this city on the lat of June he went
to Ell Paso and then over the Mexican
Central to Aguas Calientes and San
Luis Potosi. From there he proceeded
to Guansjuata, Guadalajara and the
City OF Mexico. After stay of three
weeks in the Mexican capital he re-
turned BY way of the Mexican National
through Qaltillo, Monterey and Loredo.
Texas. Thus Mr.. Temple visted all the
principal points in the republic and met
many of the principal figures of Mexi-
can life, with whom he WAS able to se.
cure an introduction and by whom he
was cordially received through his
high standing and learning.
'The industrial condition OF Mexico
is miserable" says he. 1.-THE property
is held in large areas by few people. In
the state of San Luis Potosi, for ex-
ample, are $4,000 people, only 5000 OF
whom have q stated income. The re-
manning 10000 are psons. having no
employment. living in idleness and
squalor, without pride or hope, as miser.
able and downtroddea q people as exist
on the face Of the earth. The 10000
people are the servants snd vaseals OF
5000.
"At Guanajuato was most deeply
interested in the pantion or municipal
graveyard. Here is a plot OF ground
comprising perhaps two acres of ground.
The whole is enclosed by wall perhaps
16 feet in heighth and 20 feet in thicks
ness. Through che influence of friend,
Senor M. Rocha of the City of Mexico,
l was permitted to see the inner work
ings of the strange burial customs of the
place, privilege which few if any for
signers have enjoyed before me.
There are three distinct olasseu in
Mexico-ths poems. the middle class
and the rich. All three classes are
buried here. but in far different ways.
The rich buy plot of ground on the
level inside and here in richly mounted
coffins they place their dead. The mid
die classes rent q hole in the massive wall
and the poems do likewise if able to for
they have peculiar superstitions and
notions regarding the dead. They pay
from Sc to $5 per year for the burial
privilege, and the rude coffins are placed
in holes in the wall and the holes are
then sealed mp with mortar.
SIN these holes the coffins rest in
peace just as long as thu relatives or
friends or deceased can pay the yearly
rental no longer. l was fortunate in
being admitted TO the strange graveyard
i1st at the time an order came from the
politico to disinter body. The rela-
tivea had failed to pay the yearly rental.
The sexton climbed up the wall. With
O crow bar no jabbed away the mortar
from the face OF grave No. 285 and
brought forth the coffin. Inside were
the remains OF woman, perfectly mum.
mitled. With rude hands he cut away
tha clothing from the form, and then
bore it to the top of the wall, where it
Was to lie, face up to the sun, for three
dsys. Taken from the wall, when the
damp of the grave is gone, the body is
placed in niche in the catacom bs, where