The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-05-19

Latin than either Italian or French.
1t is a great aid in learning Spanish to
have acquired a knowledge of Latin at
school. But even to those who have
not, the language presents few Difficult
ties. 1t must be remembered that
though an ''encyclopedic," or ''Un.
abridged' dictionary contains over one
hundred thousand English words, the
number of words used by us in ordi
nary speech is said not to exceed five
hundred. So in travelling in a for
eign country the man who can memo
rize two or three hundred words and a
few phrases can get along very we'll.
It is true he could not make a speech
or write an article or conduct a GUS
tanned conversation, but he a ask for
information or anything else he needs
and get it.
The pronunciation is easily learned
and the accent and information also by
a little practice. 1t is m )re diff cult to
understand a foreigner than to make
him understand you, in speaking his
language, because his words at first
seem to run together. But 80 it is with
us all. In conversation our words are
not spaced as in writing or printing,
but we speak as the old Romans and
| G~reeks-more true to ~nature-Wrote
| their books and inscriptions, i, e., with
out any space between words, using
only the period at the end of a 8 n
tence. This depression is for the bene-
fit of our countrymen who may feel
deferred from visiting the country on
account of the difference of language,
but for the reasons above stated they
will find far less Inconvenience, if any
at all, on that score than in travelling
on the continent Of Europe. Besides
being spared the inconvenience of a
a sea voyage, the time from New York
to the City of Mexico is now only a lit
tie over four and a half days Ujd
Larendo, and indeed it is only three
days from New York to the Rio
Graude.
The appearance Of a Mexican city
strikes the eye at once as something
very different from an American city.
In the first place the houses apparently
have no roofs, because their roofs are
fl 1t, with just enough elevation at one
side to run the water off, and this top
is entirely concealed by parapets.
Then there are no chimneys; the eli
mate does not require them. When it
is unusually cool, they use, in the
northern part Of the Republic, little
barsiers containing burning charcoal
warm the hands, and in the humber
homes the fire that cooks the meal is
sufficient. But even this has to be re-
sorted to very rarely and only il the
northern states. Certainly l did not
see a chimney the whole time | was in
the Republic, nor did l see anyone who
had ever heard Of one. The cooking is
usually done with oil or charcoal and
On small stoves, and sometimes by
cheaper devices.
The enforcement OF the criminal law
ID q cCUGCA ia ~ liz SUAICSs
for it is more Efficient and more prompt
In our country year before last, by
official returns, more than ten thou
sand capital offences were committed,
out of which vast number one hun
dred and seven we're e excited by law
and two hundred and forty seven by
lynch law. In Mexico, with it's twelve
million people, from the best data ob
tainable, the capital offences commit
ted are less than one thousand annually
and a case Of lynch law is unknown.
That the race is prone to homicide and
the ignorant class to larceny is I'M
doubtedly true, but a firm government
represses and Furnishes with a prompt
ness and certainty that deters. The
manner Of executing the law would
not suit our people, but as a means
adopted to the end, it is the best posi-
BILE for the people and the country which
has adopted it.
Brigandage has been entirely sup
pressed. The country is patrolled by
picked troops, known as "Rurales."
These receive N dollor a day and are
constantly on the alert to maintain
order. The regular army is largely re-
cruited from the Indian race and is
paid much less. Whenever a train
stops at a station a soldier in uniform,
with sword or gun, is stationed on the
ground near each car door. This is q
relic of former days. It was neces-
sary, and it is still useful to v
petty thieves entering the cars, In