The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-05

Customs That Made Railroad Business n
That Country Tfoklish.

arrived at FL Paso ten days later, and being
unable 10 secure employment on the American
side Of the Rio Grande went across to Pnso del
Eorte. now JuareE, to learn what the prospects
were on the Mexican Central, The division
superintendent informed me that a vacancy
existed in the despatcher's office at Chihua-
hua, Not having had any experience in that
line / was disinclined to accept the job. but as
my funds were extremely low. I finally went
TO Chihuahua and told the chief that l was
just from the o. at Aurora, III. The next mo-
ment / was sorry. for he explained some Mex
lean railroad customs. One was that the Mex
leans regarded the engineer as absolute mas
ter OF the engine. For example, II an engine
were moving at the rate OF forty miles an
hour. and the engineer should desire TO stop
It, It was assumed that all that was necessary
was TO cay the word, and It stopped at once.
What I considered q joke at first was the
statement that should there be q wreck, with
personal injury, the authorities. in order to
secure the arrest OF the responsible parties.
would arrest all the railroad men they could
ind. including despatohers.
He relieved my mind somewhat by saying
that should l have q serious wreck / had bet
ter order all trains on side tracks. proceed to
the roundhouse. mount an engine and make
. run thereon for FL Paso. This method had
been adopted in several cases. and. strange to
say, the railroad company made no objec-
tion thereto, for being confined In jail was
q sad, sad event in ones career In Mexico.
owing to the absolute certainty OF conviction,
no matter how innocent one might be Of any
wrongdoing. At this time it was On actual
fact that two Americans had been in jail two
years at chihuahua on o charge OF train rob-
berry, without even having had q preliminary
examination, It being alleged that the wit
nesses could notbe found
Having remained In chihuahua three
months without any mishaps l returned to III
Paso, having received an appointment as re-
port operator on the El Paso Times. This
place involved the use OF a typewriter. In the
course of a few months l had the offer Of the
management OF the uptown office OF the Mexi-
can Central in the city OF Mexico. AMI It being
quite a lucrative Job 1 determined to accept.
And then my troubles began.
Checking my trunk after a thorough inspeo-
ton at the Juarez Custom House, the officials
opened the typewriter case. and demanded to
know what It was. 1 explained as best 1 could.
but the effort was far from satisfactory. They
gave me to understand that internal machines
we're liable to seizure, and then. fearing con;
tiscatiop. l SUMMONED, the superintendent OF
{bSSHlt,r 0 but T so mo- @% SrelI F. hf T6s a flaGl5dE IN Ra @S sent eet
Tor as q last resort. but he t9o was bitterly o2-
pOHtu W dllOWlIk III OllClil bliIlp. ~ 10 uI-
f1xed. ] gave up In despair as to getting the
typswriteeT through tn 2 t but lust prior r, e tbt The s,S de-
Whom 1 la" met ii ip Chihuahua, put in an ap.
pearance and vouchsafed the harmlessness OF
The instruments after due explanation. and
to embark on the train with the precious type
writer.
r ranay at AAGaSs cal bnd6 u and dI thithe ns l D PEI
nnarofor I hap6Ia5 ali fnla0rama with tho
machine. and soon the NATIVES began to re-
gard ne with curiosity and then with aye;
nish Stll9 yyar sdRsPiftiSn 4 4 SSFotsi sae on RaH Che q ty ree
writer in capital letters, He looked at It in
,aSmazeme2t, and I'd then realizing ALI z the s.a nst ! Gi
name upon the. centre Of the station, Upon
the approach Of any one he would seize him
ss nnG IN ha snIiR You'd drag him RfGl' to- where H%H; This his
name was on exhibition, in, great Rlee. Then,
% ns q faEth sG s tSe .elssTap The oE Sifetim H ESgld the be
By him. pointing to thf, typewriter, Then,
utter the word mac maiqpuinIstat Ceneineerl. This
process was Kept up Until fully oae,thi5d of the
acquainted with tile operation Of maqpipa chi;
tra6sc1 dIIbtslss a eIR oye lette T9 70 eRR ls s sRe ffim4t' on !
OF Joy was overnowing. l might add that this
epistle won her heart. as he afterward confded
ITO show the susceptibility OF the race I
may mention E few April fool Jokes: The
ton at, Aguas. With this as q basis he was
made the first victim Of Al Fools, Day. A
prepared upon the arrival Of the afternoon
train to move the old station back seventy
n nos tsf' the 20 c mSN eni EaSG a aSf Z IN R due 9 time the he
city surveyor was measuring. off the distances
and the agent driving stakes. DC. Every
moyal upon the arrival of the train. and a dele
gst ti0pm Of citizens r. t we're t GNres SgSD to sS witness at the
to realize that he had been deceived. And
how his blood did boilI
The next one to suffer was the yardpas-
way 50 much, and that he should proceed to
table at AGpas for turning engines around, a
~ was used. On one stem Of the y were a
18t ot 10 ca aee;o@ aRd Il t the ta aim Thy e had sHdir sea mlly
completed the feat when a similar message
was handed to the master mechanic. who came
yardmaster to turn that switch engine around
quick; The explained that he
obdurate and would permit, no reply to his or
ders,, 30 the engine was duly turned again.
as II Il could make any possible change IN turn
ing 1t. Out OF regard for their personal safety,
no mention was ever made by the jokers to the
yardmester Of The Joke.
may be mentioned the following: The police
men were on duty twenty-four hours a day.
They carry lanterns at night and when they
the lanterns, in the middle q the street so that
people may know where TO find the policemen.
The, mail service is peculiar Upon the re-
is made out containing the names of those for
whom mail has been received, A person de-
string his mail points TO his name. whereupon
the name Is scratched from the list and his
mail is, handed to him. 1t cost 10 cents to
send q letter from one point to another IN the
republic. and only five from one place in Mex
leo 70 any place In the United States.
"The soldiery OF the republic was aptly
termed the Fourth OF, July and Christmas bri;
gade. The head and chest wearing apparel
were fit for Christmas In Alaska. while the
trousers, were made OF some, substance closely
Of leather on the, bottom of the foot tied on
with strings did duty"
Policeman Set Upon by Crock Fruit Vendors
A dozen Greek pushcart vendors fought q
battle royal last night on Forty-second street.
the fight starting over good locations for fruit
stands. When Policeman Baxter OF the West
Thirtieth street station interfered the men
turned on him. he drew his club and knocked