The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-28
PRESIDENT EsNERAI.

cred by with rifles in their hands. Their
faces were yelled in shadow. Spurs click
ed or their heels They had the silence
and mystery of monks united to the i'm
piled ferocity of bandits. There were
the rurales or rural police. The are sta
toned here to prevent smuggling and TO
guard the Train. They report to Diaz.
At Monterey ] was awakened at early
dawn by the joVial notes of a bugle a
strain that suggests an early breakfast
with a picnic in vista. 1t lifted over the
roof tops like a girls song. 1t warbled
and chuckled and jocularly swore: Into
line. into lines quick, quick, there
Whooper-up, troop. troopers, There
therei'
AS 1 listened in another direction other
bugleS aWoke. 1t seemed as if the whole
city were marching. Looking out of my
window half hour later, 1 saw a squad
OF small brown soldiers in wrinkled gray
white uniforms and carrying heavy KNAPP
sacks, file past at a rapid walk. All
head was d green-faced captain. They
We're small men ara carried themselves
without pride. They turned a corner and
q bugle blared a greeting. At intervals
! heard the drums and bugles and with a
desire to see what the celebration was l
followed the next squad. They swung
round the corner and halted before a long,
low building, where two guardsmen were
Pacing TO and fro and where an officer
stood.
They We're unimpressive and had little
of the erect bearing commonly associated
shoulders and sagged at the hips like tired
men bearing too heavy load. They look
&c dispirited and Sullen. Their clothes tit
them lily and their color was noG pleas
ant 10 the eye, but they had the latest de-
vice of rifles.
As they stood thus a bugle sounded
again. j looked through the gate Of the
thick wall and saw the barracks swarm
ing with other soldiers. These outside
were from a distance. Some order from
headquarters was assembling all the
troops of the military district. An officer
Came out. Every weary soldier straight
ened up as best he could and every officer
saluted. The stern, dark compleXioned
commander passed On. The weary arms
dropped. The raen wheeled and entered
the gate. This officer reports to DiaZ.
AT every station beyond Mexico City,
al Apeioco. at Orijoba- at Cardova, as
the train drew in there stood at order
arms on the platform other dingy-ciothed
soldiers with shining Winchesters. They
stood impasSively while ~ the beggars
whined along the train for centavos. and
the scantiiy clad women offered bowls
OF puique. They stood so when the con-
ductor cred '.Namanos." and the train
drew out Whether they returned to
sleep in the shade till the next train or
what they did thereafter / do not know,
but they report 20 DiaZ.
On the train from Vera Cruz to Gaiapa
at each station ] saw a. squad of soldiers
tumble out of the second story coach and
line Up on the platform. while the
mounted rurales. who ride like COWBOYS
and have the air of stage bandits, sat
orninously ready on their splendid little
horses, with a rife, revolver and a cut
lass at hand for emergency. They were
superb young fellows, magnificent riders
and picturesque as any Spanish bandit
that ever trailed a serape. They, too. We're
in the hollow of the presidents hand
In the Pullman car wherein | left
Mexico City coming north, l noticed a tall
man Ia dark. long linen buster. He sat
directly behind me and was a very quiet
passenger / scarcely heard him speak
during the evening except to the porter.
He was not specially noticeable man,
but as there were only four in the car
studied him a little closer than L other
wise should have done.
He was tall and sinewy and wore a
SLOUGH hat constantly. His face was long
and stern and seemed longer and sterner
ty reason OF his imperial cut of beard.
He had the air Of being absorbed in
business plans and impatient of delay.
He looked out of the window most OF
the time not To see, but to avoid seeing.
His eyes were abstractes1 but not dreamy.
HIS were ambitious dreams.
All the evening and all the next day
till noon he rode as lonely as l speaking
10 no one. apparently observing no one.
I felt his presence as one not Specially
gracious. but certainly powerful. A stern,
hard man with enormous power of self
amusement If keeping wholly and gTsyely
concerned with inward problems can be
called self-amusement.
As we drew up at San Luis PotoSi.
town in the hot plain. it was noon of
beautiful day Of illimitable sunshine of
tender pink ana blue mist, of dim sand,
Swallowed by violet clouds.
/ heard the blare Of trumpets as the
train slowed down The platform was
crowded band in uniform was putting
wildly. a group of principal citizens"
and officers much decorated with medals
stood in a clump, peering eagerly from
window to window as if in search of some
one. Beyond in the street stood rows of
guards and crowds of people.
Wonderingly we stepped from the train
The eyes of the medaled group rolled
over us classify, then famed with well
come as the tall. stern man from the
end of the car came into view. The Off
GERS saluted. the principal citizens lifted
their hats the pand crashed into wilder
note The SCARED old veteran shook
hands with the arriving great one, who