Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1900-09-03
A CALL ON GEN. PORFIRIO DIAZ.
Experience of a Kentuckian Who Paid
a Visit to Mexicos President

when | was in the City of Mexico,
/ recently said Col T. G.. Stuart of
Kentucky, 'it became necessary for me
to cali upon the president of the re
public, Gen. Porfrio Diaz, affectionate-
ly known among his people as Ell
President Grande, the great president.
All preliminaries were arranged by,
and my credentials were presented
through, the American ambassador
and the Mexican minister of state and
5 o'clock in the afternoon of Friday
was set, though, owing to my unex-
/ pected absence from my hotel, l did
not receive notice of the time APP
| pointed until an hour before. lhiS
hurried me somewhat, for there are a
| few more formalities to be observed
that are common to call at our own
/ white house. For instance, the proper
thing in apparel is a white silk shirt
| and silk-faced coat. Then | needed
an interpreter, because the Mexican
/ president must in all official matters be
addressed in his own language, and my
Spanish, while good enough for or
binary purposes was hardly equal to q
state OCCASION / had a silk-faced coat
all right, and my silk front outing
shirt answered in that direction but
j OF course, when I wanted an interpre-
ter, one could not be found, and / had
to give him up after losing my temper
! trying to find him.
can American friend, resident il
Mexico, volunteered to accompany me,
as far as he could, and we proceeded 70
the National palace in as fine a
carriage as the city could produce.
We arrived at the National palace in
good time and shape, and the sentinel
at the gateway, having been Informed
of our coming, passed us into the innc1
court with the usual salute. This
National palace, by the way, is not as
our white house is, the official resi-
dence of the president, but merely
his Office in connection with the Offices
Of the state ministers. He has his
own private residence in the castle OF
Chapultepec. At the entrance to the
state chambers of the president we
were met by an officer in uniform
who, recognizing us, passed me on into
the chamber, leaving my friend to
| wait for me, as he was not included IN
the call. Inside, I was met by ar
officer, to whom gave my card, and ne
offered me his arm with low bow,
and escorted me to the diplomatic
room, where another officer took me in
charge, and, passing me beyond a
number of waiting diplomatists, gov
errors, ministers, and other officials,
gave me seat near the entrance to the
presidents room. In a few moments
an officer Of the presidents staff came
out, and with the usual salute, offered
me his arm and escorted me into the
great state chamber of Mexico, that is
to say, one of the halls of Montezuma.
which you have all read about, and in
it's magnificent appointments it was
worthy of any Montezuman that ever
lived.
GAS we entered the chamber a tall
and distinguished-lookin man rose
from a chair near the center of the
room and waited to receive me.
was duly presented by the officer with
me to the president. who shook hands
most cordially and introduced his son,
! Capt Porfrio Diaz. Jr., a handsome
young fellow of about 25 years, of most
delightful manners and speaking Eng
/ lish with a fascinating accent. Apollo
giving to the president for my lack Of
an interpreter, | was graciously as
sured that mis- son would only, be too
glad TO act in that capacity, and then
the most cordial relations were at once
established. After the customary in
terchange of compliments the president
| bowed me to a seat on a sofa. with his
son at my left, and seated himself on a
big chair before US.
1--WE then proceeded to talk business
the son interpreting-an the presi-
| dent showed that he knew how to talk
it. He assured me Of his hearty ap-
prevail of the cooperation of Ameri-
cans and Mexicans in all enterprises
for the development of the country,
! and opened the way to me for all the
official information I might need.
had expected that I might get ten
minutes of his time, for he is the
! busiest man in Mexico. but he became
so much interested in the matter l pre-
scented that he prolonged the interview
for two hours, and left him with the
assurances that he would gladly extend
every courtesy in his power during
that visit to the country or any future
visit I might make. A cordial invita-
ton was also extended to call at any
| TINA desired to see him either
formally or informally.
cat parting pretty little incident
occurred which struck me very
pleasantly indeed. After I had shaken