The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-05-16
rEPHEN CRANE IN MEXICO.
THOR OF 1.-THE BLACK RIDERss
ON STREET PORTERs AND
VENDERS.

e Citv of Mexico, May 1.-two Americans
IL ssre standing on a street corner in this
! fy not along ago, gazing thoughtfully at
be painting on the exterior wall of
l. ulous shop-stout maidens in scant vest
I rents lovingly confronting a trimming
lass. kings out of all proportion drain
ne goblets to more stout maidens-the
hole a wild mass of red, green, blue,
below. purple, like concert hall curtain
a mining town.
Far up the street six men in white
bottom shirts and short trousers became
{ isble They were bent forward and
non their shoulders there was some kind
E an enormous black thong. They moved
a stumbling trot
I The two Americans lazily wondered
tbout the enormous black thing, but the
distance defeated them. The six men,
fowever, were approaching at an unvary-
g pace and at last one American was
Enabled to cry out: Holy poker. it's a
tiano.'
There was a shutting sound of sandals
pon the stones. In the vivid yellow
unlight the black surface of the piano
istened The six brown faces were stoi-
and unworried beneath it.
They passed. The burden and its car
II ers grew smaller and smaller The two
americans went out to the curb and re-
nained intent spectators until the six
men and the piano were expressed by a
faint blur.
When you first come to Mexico and you
bee a donkey so loaded that little Of him
but furry nose and four short legs an
pear to the eye. you wonder at it. Later,
when you see a hay-stack approaching
+ with nothing under it but a pair of thin
Ehuman legs, you begin to understand the
+ local point of view. The Indian probably
reasons: "Well, can carry this load. The
burro, then, he should carry many times
( this much" The burro, born in slavery, dy-
Il ing in slavery. generation upon generation,
{ he with is wobbly legs, sore back, and rid.
+ iculous little face, reasons not at all. lie
carries as much as he can, and when he
1 can carry IL no further, he falls down.
l The Indians, however, must have crecit
| for considerable ingenuity because of the
way they have invented of assisting a fall
/ len donkey to its feet The Aztecs are
known to have had many great mechanical
/ cOntrivances, and this no doubt is part Of
their science which has filtered down
When a burdened donkey falls down
4 halt dozen Indians gather around II and
brace themselves. Then they take clubs
and hammer the everlasting daylights out
Il Of the donkey. They also swear in Next
Il can. Mexican is a very capable language
II for the purposes of profanity. good
swearer here can bring rain in thirty min
utes.
1t is a great thing to hear the thump,
Fl thump Of the clubs and the bowling OF the
natives, and to see the little legs of the
donkey driver and to see him roll his eyes
Finally, after they have hammered him
out as fiat as drum head, 1T flashes upon
them suddenly that the burro cannot get
up until they remove his load and the
donkey not much larger than kitten st
best and now disheveied, weak and tot
.tering struggles gratefully to his feet.
But. on the other hand, it is possible
TO see at times-perhaps in the shade of
an old wall where branches hang over
and look down--the tender communion
Of two sympathetic spirits. The man pats
affectonately the soft muzzle of the don
key. The donkey ah, who can describe
that air so sage, so profoundly reflective,
and yet so kind, so forgiving, so unas-
Stunning? The countenance of donkey
3 Expresses all manly virtues even as the
sunlight expresses all colors.
Perhaps the master falls asleep, ana, IN
tthat case the donkey still stands as I'M
ENJOYABLE as patient, as the stone dogs
that guarded the temple Of the sun.
A wonderful proportion of the freight
4carrying business of this city is conduct
led by the Indian porters. The donkeys
#are the great general freight cars and
bay wagons for the rural districts, but
hey DO not appear prominently IN the
strictly local business of the city. 1t is
strange fact also that of ten wagons
nat pass you upon the street nine Will be
abs and private carriages. The tenth
8nay be huge American wagon belong
ing to one of the express companies. 1t
ls only fair to state, however, that the
odds are in favor of it being another cab
or carriage.
The transportation of the city's goods
Is then LETT practically in the hands of the
Indlan porters They are TO be seen at
an times trotting to and fro, laden and
Iree They have acquired all manner Of
contrivances for distributing the weight
OF their burdens. Their favorite plan is 10
PASS broad band over their foreheads
81 ana then leaning forward precariously,
nous loads
Sometimes they have a sort of table
win two handles on each end. Two men,
OF course, manage this machine. 1t IS
the favorite vehicle for moving furniture.
Mhen man sits down who has been
naNerslng long road with a heavy bun
Ge he would find considerable agony in
me struggle to get upon his feet again
Wl III. ms freight strapped to his back If
II were not for a long staff which he car
res He plants the point of this staff on
ue ground between his knees, and then
ei1 Th up 1t, so to speak, hand over hand.
aHey nave undoubtedly developed what
muSt De called the carrying instinct. Oc-
6asioildlly you may see a porter, unbur-
# NJ SN "a; walking unsteadily as If his center
VI balance had been shuffled around SO
much that he is doubtful. He resembles
NJ M an UNPUBLISHED ship. Place a TRUNK
chm chm ms back and he is as steady as d
III III you put in his care a contriyance
s an hfty wheels he would not trundle il
OILS Ols me ground. This plan would no:
NJ 70 him. No, he would shoulder H.
b53s ,plcycles are light enough in weight
CT ca ehey are rather unhandy articles TO
o1a Tor long distances. Yet If YOU SEND
carr,to y a porter he will most Certainly
hin II on his shoulder. 1t would fatigue
~ H. 20 roll 1t along the road
sta" mere are other things odd here he.
81 me street porters. Yesterday some
4 az YES We stole three iron balconies from
q tb ne second story front of a house in
tb Salle de Sol. The police did not catch
in iniscreants Who indeed, is instrucfej
no. me art of catching thieves who steal
fronr+ paiconies from the second story
NTThts of the houses?
IN ~, ne people directly concerned went out
~ ~ We street and assured themselves that
isSII ouse remained. Then they were sat
cit rs a matter of truth, the thieves of the
ro 10y are almost always petty fellows, who
SOL "!1out stealing trihing articles and
tb{I,u much time and flnesse in acquiring
y y-luSS mat dignified American crook
~ oulun Kick with his foot In truth. tho
4 cit 81 Mexico Is really one of the safest
on -, - IN the world at any hour of the dav
sTIisht. However, the smalI-minded and
10y harmless class who vend birds
a p'dies' opals, lottery tickets, paper flowers
80 general merchandise upon the streets
al able and