The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-04-02
in MEXICO.
An Old Trainman Tells Of Experiences 10
the Republic.
LEFT TO ESCAPE ptNITENTIARY SENTENCE
Was One of the Crew ON a Train
which Accidentally Ran into Two
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. bad.

ttrs and advice said II was lust the thing
and, taking the letters and the advice, l
started TO Mexico to try my fortunes once
more in train service" said A. NJ. Strong,
an old railroader. today ip conversation
with reporter for The Post.
Age and slight failing in eyesight In
jur<d his chances, OF obtaining employ
ment on the railroads of the East. where
the physical and color blind examinations
are extremely rigid, but in Mexico, where
such examinations are not considered nee
little over four months in the republic and
his story of the conditions that exist there
among the employees of the railroads Is
interesting. particularly as to railroad
men.
II left Chicago in November last with
thoroughly good credentials. good clothes
and enough money to allow me 10 travel
in comfort. Mr. strong continued. Il got
out OF Mexico looking like tramp, with
no money, although there is some still
due me there which / will eventually get,
and with no credsn initials of any conse-
quence. In plain words. left Mexico TO
avoid the very probable penitentiEy term
would have received simply because |
was working on train thai either killed
or injured two Mexican poems who were
walking on the track and we're struck by
the engine.
This is how 1t happened. l was work
ing on railroad in the central part of the
republic. where the towns are all small
In these places the 'gringo (American) is
hated with vigor and intensity that
lfa1al les q, i,ttyd N cqf n ~
known. On the evening of March rs we
were coming north with a heavy freight
train. Rounding one of the short sharp
curves in one OF the mountain passes, the
engineer discovered party OF FIVE, three
men and two women, walking on ths track
only few rods ahead of us. They must
have heard us coming, for the engineer
had given embarrassing signal less than
an eighth of a mile back, but there seems
to be somsthing in the makeup of tue
! average peon that eliminates any fear OF
engines or cars; they seem to think that
the trains ought to stop for them or some
thing of the kind, for they seldom make. Il
move to lsave the track until the engine
I is almost on them. t
The people in this party were apparent
ly Of Just the character mentioned No
effort was made to get clear OF the track
until for two of them. a man and wO~
man 1t was too late. The air brake was
applied the moment they were seen, but
the train was running easily thirty miles
an hour and the engineer picked up the
man and woman and hurled them with
awful force against the rock wall of the
cut They dropped into the ditch beside
the track and. heartless as 1t seems. the
engineer opened thu throttle aud hurried
to the nearest junction point. whence, af-
ter putting the train on siding, We all
started for the States,
III they got cut at all. the engineer aud
conductor came by way of Eagle Pass. |
made for El Paso. When the other brake
man and the fireman went, | don't know
! If they are still in Mexico their chances
are good for a ttrm of years either in
the salt mines or in the penltentiary.
| 1T sesms a queer condition of law that
allows a petty judge, often man of no
intelligence or education. to hold in jail,
sometimes. as in the case OF the engineer
who recently died in Vera Cruz Jail, for
ysars at time without trial men. who, at
the most. have possibly been little negli-
gent: but nevertheless it is a condition
that obtains nearly all over the Mexican
republic. and any member of the crew on
a train that injurss or kills a native
Mexican is only safe when ne gets across
the line into the States. In the different
state penitentiaries of Mexico there are
! dozsns of railroad men. some held with
criminal intent as it is possible to be. Yet
the laws hold them and there Is no re-
lease in sight unless they have influential
| friends who will take the matter up or
unless they can raise money enough TO
buy their way out.
! las to the condition of the railroad men
there IL Is the worst ! have ever seen oil
any railroad in the world, and having been
considerable OF traveller have seen lots
OF them.
Compared with the price of living and
clothes the rates OF pay ars small; much
smaller than in Texas. Conductors can
make, by steady work, S175 to $500 per
month; brakemen. s75 10 $50; engineers,
5000 to 5000, and fremen, $125 TO $3.50.
Beard and room costs $40 per month a
common suit OF clothes $40 to $50; Amer.-
can shirts 50 to $3.50. and shoes. the $3.50
kind, about So the $500 kind 81 to SIS
"No board can be had at most OF the
American points in the republic. except al
the Chinese restaurants. and these the
company protects. They keep their ac-
counts in such a manner that one eau
never check up with them. and It Is no
unusual thing for $40 or SIS TO be added
To restaurant bill when 1t Is turned Ia
TO the company. and the poor ralr adeT
has 1t to pay. No protest on the part OF
the American avals; the officials say il
you can't paw cash you must take you.
chances,
The first month was in Mexico
travelled over nearly every road In the
country looking for work. for, bear In
mind. the Job Is almost as hard TO find
as In the States, and in no place did
find anything like as good conditions al
in those which exist here. To find an
American who was not figuring on how
soon he could make a little stake ana gel
back to Gods country was a rarity.
My four months residence In Mexico
leads me TO believe that there are but
two attractions there: The climate and
the fruit. The capitalist who goss Their;
TO invest or the tourist who goes fol
pleasure see only the brightest side Of
Mexican life. and while they have money
to spend win be trsated like prince; but
go there to work and the shield Is re-
versed. Insult and abuse is heaped upor
one. and II one has q little money. even q
cross look will land him in Jail. crlti.
cism on the manners and customs of tbs
country. viii make one pay fine or go .tS
Jail and in print OF fact, 1t is goo
lccuntry for the average American work
ing man TO stay away from"
NOTED CASE RECALLED.