San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-04-29


some twenty years ago, were the
hiding place Of smugglers who car
ried on their trade in the rich
laguna on Mapini district and
then retired to these mountains to
elude capture. 1t was while de-
tachment OF mounted troops were
pursuing the smugglers in these
mountains, that soldier accident
ally discovered the silver which
soon after was extensively mined
and gave rise to the mines and
town of Sierra Mojada.
THE BEGGARS OF TORREON.
AS the traveller rides into the
railway station Of Lerdo, he is at
once struck by the large number Of
beggars who besiege the train
They do not enter the cars but
walk up and down both sides of
the train, stopping under the coach
windows and piteously pleading
for aims. It's not much to the
traveller to open pocket book and
here and there give to some of
those who apparently deserve it, a
few copper pennies. In fact the
interesting sight is well worth the
little money that one gives them.
Here comes an old, rwinkled up
woman, with gray hairs, stoop-
ing posture. She looks so pitiful
up to you-and she gets penny.
Following her comes younger
woman, able bodied, her hair I'M
kept, her dress dirty and her APP
pearance generally slothful and
untidy. Ones sympathy does not
extend to her. Then suddenly be-
fore you stands a poor cripple,
leaning heavily on crutches; next
comes blind old man led by a
lad, and so the show keeps up until
the train leaves. Arriving at Tor
reon, only few miles farther, the
scene is repeated, but with larger
number and greater variety of
mendicants, for this is the station
where the Mexican Central and the
Mexican International railroads
meet, and the field in consequence
is much better for their operations.
These beggars live in little, bush
built jacals in and around Torreon
in great numbers. Some times
you will find a lone little hut I'M
der a solitary tree. A few dirty
children, a dog and a goat are
playing in front of it, while with
in the beggar is probably Willing
away the time until the next train
comes. Often two or three such
little jacals stand Oh the sandy,
treeless bank of some dry stream
or irrigation canal. The doors are
open and the huts appear to be
deserted. Our coach that took US
from Torreon to Villa Lerdo
stopped and we inspected such
group of huts. How people can
live in such a barren abode, is be-
yond all comprehension. A fire
place on the ground in which a
few ash covered Goals family
glowed, a few cooking vessels of
pottery, some rubbish OF wood and
old cloth, a string Of red pepper,
was all that we could see. How
or where they slept could not be
made out, for nothing resembling
bedding was anywhere visible.
The poverty Of the hut was so APP
parent that each Of us put few
copper cents on the broad fiat stone
near the fire before we returned to
the coach. Much has been said
against these beggars, and their
infirmitiesEhave been denounced as
shams. Perhaps to some extent
this is true, but a majority of
them, no doubt are deserving Of
charity. AT any rate it is hard to
turn away palsied hand, a can
Ger covered face or bowed, Grip
pied old man simply because he
might possibly be a swindle, while
a penny or two would bring him
relief if he were really deserving.
Then, what do few copper cents,
that are worth scarcely more than
half theirstamped value amount to,
any way? So, for our part we
will give our little mite to such
as strike us as most deserving.
VILLA LERDO.
The town of Villa Lerdo where
we are at present stopping with
friends is reached by street cars
from the station of Lerdo from
which it is about two miles dis.
tant. In describing Villa Lerdo
it might be we'll to quote from
Otto Praeger who visited the town
while on his bicycle tour through
Mexico, two or three years ago.
"This place villa Lerdo) is a
: town of about $1,000 population
} and is the neatest, gaudiest and