Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-05-19
new MEXICO PEOPLE.
Mrs. Prince Gives a Boston Reporter Some
Information About Natives.

In the SATURDAY 0ldI last WeSh,
said Mrs. Prince, the wife of eX-Gov-
ernor Prince, of New Mexico, to a Star
reporter yesterday, Il noticed an article
entitled Rural New Mexico, copied
from the st. Louis Globe Democrat and
written by some eastern person who
evidently has not been long enough in
the Territory of New Mexico to be able
to give a fair account of its conditions.
Having married and gone there
eighteen years ago, where l have lived
the greater part of that time, l believe
that / am able to correct some of the
correspondents statements. Gross in
justice is done to the native people as
a whole. The article says Few can
read or write, fewer still can speak
English, and the children, for lack of
| schools, are trudging behind their par
| ents as in a treadmill.' Early in the 9Os
a public school system was introduced
| when Governor Prince was the chief
| executive. He is a New Yorker of broad
| views, and he tried in every way to
| select proper men for the different edu-
| cational institutions. The board which
| adopted the textbooks was particular
to choose those which were being used
in the public schools of the large cities.
"Amado Chaves was appointed super
intendent of public instruction, because
he was believed to be specially fitted for
the position; having been educated in
the public schools of this city, and later
graduating from the Georgetown Uni
yersity, he went into the office with a
practical knowledge Of public schools.
He, being a Mexican of culture and
position, it was thought he could reach
the people living in the smaller towns
and villages, or what are generally
termed country people, better than an
American
Later, Governor Otero has endeav-
ored to foster what was so well begun,
Manuel c. de Baca is the present SUI
p~erintendent of public instruction, and
he is doing his duty.
New Mexico is larger than England
ireland, Scotland and Wales, or, to car
ry the comparison to Il W land,
larger than all of New England and
Pennsylvania together.
There are in New Mexico an agri-
cultural college at Las Cruces, a school
of mines at Socorro, a large university
at Albuquerque, besides a territorial
normal school at Silver City and one
at Las Vegas: public schools in each
ward of the larger towns, several pri-
vate schools, a territorial military
school at Roswell, Prof. Goss' fine mil
itary institute at Albuquerque, and
public schools in all the school districts
throughout the country places. The
Mexican children, for lack of schools,
are not content to trudge behind theil
parents as in a treadmill.' Whenever il
is possible, the children go most willing
ly, many of them walking five miles
to the place where school Is held. ]
know one boy-Antonio Valdez-whc
has never been to school but six weeks
in his life, but he is hungry for knowl.
edge. Having learned to write his name
and read a little in that time, he has
practiced, until he now writes a hand.
some hand, and, with but hat short
period of instruction, it is remarkable
what the boy has accomplished in the
way of learning. l venture to say thai
a greater proportion of the people reat
and write and speak English than II
either Chicago or New York.
1.-THE people living in the Territory Of
New Mexico are dubbed 'Mexicans' by
the writer in question, and spoken of as
if they were an alien people. Two
thirds Of them We're born under the
stars and stripes. Therefore l venture
again to say that there are more
Americans in New Mexico in proper.
ton to her inhabitants than in n 9th
err portion of the United States. A
greater proportion of it's men fought In
the civil wal than in any other section
Of our country.
1T will doubtless be surprising tC
your readers to learn that such an OBJ.
ject as a tramp is unknown among the
Mexicans. There are very few beggars
in New Mexico. Once in awhile-and
great while, too-an old man or WON.
an, or a blind man, will beg, but it is
the exception. They are, on the whole
a simple, quiet, agricultural people
owning their own homes, raising theil
own crops and having that rare trait III
Americans, the power to compel instant
obedience from their children.
II have lived for years OF the most
public residence street in Santa Fe
scarcely ever locking my doors. I have
driven all owe the territory with my
husband, and neither Of us has ever
been afraid at night on lonely roads o,
in the cities. We never think Of carry
ing a pistol. The Mexicans could set a
good example to their eastern brethren
in the matter of politeness. They speak
to every one, wishing them good day
If you give them time enough, they will
ask for the health of your family, and
invariably, if in the afternoon, will ex-
press a wish that you may spend a good
night.
For more than half a century the
government Of the United States has
deferred fulfilling it's promise to these
people, that they should join the sis
terhood of states, and that a star should
be added to the grandest banner of CIV
ilization, which would forever say to
the world, This Is our sister!'"
Court Naxt Week,