The Springfield herald., 1897-07-09

never cluck to their SteedS, Dut urge
them on with shrill Kisses. There are
free parks, free seats and free music
in all the cities OF Mexico. All kinds
of vehicles as well as bicycles are
obliged to carry lights after dark.
Strips of newspapers are fastened to
the balconies in front Of rooms that
are for rent. Every householder is
required to sweep the street In front
of his property and sprinkle it twice
day. All men and most of the women
of the lower class smoke cigarettes,
but none of them chew tobacco.
Heavy wagons are not allowed to use
the streets paved with asphalt except
when absolutely necessary. A hack
driver never leaves his seat and you
open the door for yourself and settle
with him on his high perch. A Mexi-
can servant or messenger never en-
ters even business house or addresses
his superiors without removing his
hat. Hand rakes are almost unknown.
Leaves and loose grass in the parks
are swept up with handled brooms,
made OF stin twigs. Street cars never
stop at street or track intersections to
avoid right-angle collisions, but the
drivers make their approach known
by shrill horns. II the police find any
one carrying bundle through the
streets who cannot tell where he Is
going. or give a clear account OF him
self, he is promptly arrested. The
single entrance of even the largest
apartment house is locked at 10 o'clock
every night, and the portero expects a
qualification" If he Is reused after that
hour. When a person is injured on
the street he and every one connected
with the affair are taken to the near
est police station, where each is re-
quired to make a declaration. The
water pressure is seldom sufficient to
furnish supply to upper stories, and
every house is supplied with a force
pump with which reservoir on the
roof is kept filled. The residences are
all blessed. At the completion of the
home guests are hidden and the cere-
mony OF blessing them corresponds to
house-warming. The priest passes
through each room, sprinkling it with
holy water. The banks will not take
for deposit a IS check on bank in an
other city, although 1t bear the in
dorsement Of regular patron with
good balance to his credit, but the
same customer can go to the bank
and get New York draft for a thou
sand dollars without paying for 1t, and
the bank will send around the next day
for a check to cover the amount. In
vitations to baptisms come in many
dainty forms. but invariably have at
tached to them a new piece of money.
To the immediate members of the
family the coin is of gold, but to most
of the bidden is sent. a silver ten-cent
piece. Everything and everybody pays
a direct tax, from the street porter to
the largest mercantile establishment,
and the stamp tax for documents is
equally lucrative. Even placards and
posters, other than your own in your
own house, must bear stamp. Water
for bath rooms is heated in a novel
way. The separate supply tank on the
roof has an opening from top to bot
tom. through the center. that acts as a
chimney to the fireplace below the
tank. A small fire heats good guam
tity OF water very quickly. Nearly
every one is named after some saint,
generally the one to whom the day on
which he was born Is sacred. II he
bears the name of saint whose day
falls on other than his birthday, he
celebrates only the saints day-and
calls 1t ell dia de su santo. The Mexi-
can policeman often seems bit stub
born. but 1t can be truly said in his IA
vor that he never sets himself up as a
court of Judgment. II an alteration
or fight occurs on the street he does
mot attempt to decide which party was
right, but both are promptly taken to
appear before the judge. whose busi-
ness it is to determine which one start
ed the row.-From Modern Mexico.