New-York tribune., 1900-10-28
THE DEVIL AND THE DON
~ EPIsopE o. MExIcAN RAILwAY LIFE I

VellOuS miraculous Why, hundred burrOS
could not draw great a load, No, not even
q hundred of the best horses Of Las DeIicias,
Come. my friend, let US instantly depart OF
Truth, il is the work Of the Evil One himself.
and to remain longer would be to endaDger the
welfare Of our souls Let Us never have rail
roads in our Mexico,'
Don Enrique a provincial Mexican gentle
man VINO had JouTneyed IN that good, old fash
Toned conveyance. a rat1letrap of a diligencia.
from his far away rancho to the frontier town of
FaSo Del Norte, where he had been persuaded,
not a little against his Will. to accompany
friend TO Fl Paso, on the Texas side Of the Rio
Grande. there to view the wonders being
wrought by the Americans. The first railroad
TO enter EI Paso had Just been completed and
ne saw for the first time in his life that wonder
ful machine a steam locomotive. Its strange
noises nlled him with alarm. the foul smoke
pouring Ucm its stacks almost strangled him,
and, awestricken by its miraculous strength he
HlaIIy gave expression 10 his emotions as shown
above He turned deaf ear TO the laughing re-
monstrances Of his friend, meanwhile piOusly
crossing himself, and insisted upon Immediately
returning 10 the Mexican side Of he river; there.
he felt, they would be safe from the malignant
influence of the diabOlical machine. And. upon
arriving in Paso del NOrte. he lost no time in
starting back home but il with a heavy
heart; he was oppressed with the fear that he
had committed a hein0uS sin
a few months later he was informed that a
concession for the construction Of a railroad in
Mexico had been granted to an American com
pany. whereupon he held up his hands in speech
less horror. Regaining use Of his tongue. he
denounced the impious Government of his coun-
Try n terms both vigorous and picturesque, but
that a--0Inplishe6 nothing; and when the enEi-
neers who located the line Of the road entered
the bounds Of Las Delicias he used all the dipIo-
macy al his command 10 turn them aside, but t.
no effect. for the road was surveyed TO pass
within q mile Of his house
In due time the graders came. 4 motley crowd
Of rude, rough men who laughed in his face, and
with many OuIburst Of impOtent rage he saw
them Tear an ugly trench across the breadth Of
Las DrllcIaS. Then came the track layers, and
he raved and stOTmed ike one beside himself
The lines Of gIirtering rails cTept up TO and
past his home. and he crossed himself in piOus
bgl 2 Of He
not IL tie least Modified when the railroad com
pany paid him a good, round sum for its right
OF way across his property and rejected with
superb gesture Of scorn the annual pass that
Was also rendered him.
No no. seaor,' he exclaimed Indignantly; I
vas FoHerless 10 prevent this desecration of my
beloved country. but did what I could. As yet
the Infamous Government has not enacted laws
compelling me 10 patrGrlze your railroad and
until hat be done neither nor my family, nor
YET ny servants. shall imperil their souls by
gong near your trains Take back the PASS TO
those no sent J.. and tell them that /. Enrique
del Toro 90 eEecrate II and them
Don EUrque's opposition gave the officials Of
the read but little concern, his was only one Of
many cases Nevertheless It was decided u
propitIate MIN by establishing station coz
venie1t 30 his use and neat frame budi0o
was erected not FAR from MS house When (
time arrived GO select q man 10 have charge 81
this station, Bob Evans. man who was a
thorough raIlr0ader and with 2 reputation Tor
cooress and nerve, but who utterly lack
ing IN respect for Mexicans, was chosen. He
was not th- man 10 make overtures Of friend
ship 10 Don Enrique, most decidedly n0t-and
Don Enrique would have Tepelled such OVeTtures
had they been made Weeks passed. with each
seeming TO nsensible IF the others existence;
but there were agencies at work that were des-
tined soon TO break down the barriers between
them
one morning 4 vaquero gallOped madIy to the
hacienda bringing Don Enrique the terrifying
news that a large war party OF APache Indians
had swept down from the neighbOring noun
tains killing and burning. and were making for
the hacienda. Many years had passed since the
IndiaIs had raided that country, and so Don
Enrique was utterly unprepaTed 10 meet them
God IF my sDuL what am / to do2 he
e.roau1d We are too few to resist them. We
must fly but where Oh. my wife, my daugh-
-arr Truly il is an evil day that has come upon
TlS We must fly from Las DeIicas. but where
can Ne ind safety? There are no soldiers nearer
Than Chihuahua. and OF truth the Indians would
.17--r-a Iz1 Us before We could go so far And
the Door mar wrung his hands in despair.
You forget the railway, Don Enrique, the
yag1Iero answered Let US hurry 10 the sta
non. a train may come At any moment, and all
tn Apaches Of the Sierra Madre could not over
take that il moves with such great SYIftness'
..Th4. railway IS a device If satan Tor en-
training our souls" Don Enrique steTnly re
sr7 are. not the Apaches Satan's own imps"'
+7a 1-aa51.ro reioineI with respectful nsistence.
non Enrique was lOath 10 surrender his cher
fsFa5 Talfcv Of nCu-iltercouTse with the ral-foad
F,r7- his wife and daughter promptly chaTnploned
fb- z.aguerO's suggestion and when Two women
ha-1- one poor man that man mas pli one
,-,,r-~sa 10 follow He yielded, and Immediately
-,,z .,gs -i.5Id began It's flight Pellmeu, shrek
ing and gesticulating, they poured INTO thT sta
tfg- s5Irr,risIne Evans into SpeechiessnesS; and
T,.- Errirr,- his simple mind agitated no less
~ p inst arr7.-r rs