El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-18
Special TO The Herald.

-
Herald correspondent had an interview
with a gentleman who was correspon-
dent for The Herald in the western part
of this state fourteen years ago.
He is Theodore A. p. Bronn. one of
the most highly educated as well as the
most peculiar characters in Mexico
When he learned that The Herald had
a correspondent here Mr.. Bronn hunted
hin, I'D at Hotel Robinson and made
himself known
Il was correspondent for that paper
in western Chihuahua fourteen years
ago" said Mr.. Bronn, and am always
anxious to meet any member or the
force. The last story l sent The Her
aid was the murder of an old German
baron in the Sierra Madres in 1888.
Mr. Bronn was born of German
father and French mother in Chill.
raised in Oakland, California. and has
lived in Mexico for twenty-three years
He went to Mexico prospecting for
mines twenty-three years ago and
found a rich silver mine about $50
miles west of the present site or MI
naca the western terminus OF the chi
huahua and Pacific railroad He set
tied down there and began working his
property and has been there ever since.
Only once since then has he been in Ell
PaSO .lnu Ids SOhc " DoS
four times during that time. He is
here now for the first time in eight
years.
Soon after opening his mine, Mr.
Bronn married one of the charming
daughters of the Sierra Madres. He
now has six children all of whom have
spent all their time at the mines with
him. He came to Chihuahua this week
TO sell his silver and brought his Oldest
son. who is fourteen years old, mere 10
school When he reached M1naca
few days ago the boy saw his first We
hicIe with four wheels. He had lived
for fourteen years III the heart of the
Sierra Madres and had never heard the
whistle of locomotive. never saw a
carriage of any kind and
had only seen two or three pieces or
money, either coin of paper.
Il have made some money now and L
am going to send my children 10
school, said Mr.. Broom They nave
been faithful and | am now going TO
give them an education They can all
read and write Spanish. but not one OF
them can speak English. I have been
TOO busy to teach them. and my wife
Ioes not know the language. We nave
, little school out there and have often
been amused when talking to the chill
iren about it, I have here story L
have written out for The Herald and
you may send it in
With this Mr. Broom handed the cor
the following story of the
little school, the rules of which might
be initiated with profit in many Amer
lean schools:
In the heart of the Sierra Madre
close to the Otates mining
district. state of Chihuahua. there re-
sides a Mexican rancher by name OF
SaenZ. He and his BROTH
ers own twenty-five sitios OF graz
ingI and. $4,000 acres). containing
few spots here and there capable OF
raising corn and beans and which are
always sown during the rainy season
On this ranch. wherever 1T is FEAST
Bile. Don Victoriano Saenz places a
family. assisting them with all their
to that they can raise
every year the necessaries of life and
take good care of the few animals they
may possess. 1t makes no difference
% him who the family is. whether Mex
can. Indian. or foreigners he be-
Iieyes man the nobleSt gift of God. and
be made us all.
One of the most pleasant and at the
same time unexpecteds lights that came
under your correspondents observation
was the public school sustained on his
ranch. at Arechuyvo. at his own ex-
pense. and without any tax to anyone.
He obligated parents living on his
ranch to send their children TO school.
nolens volens, the only requisite de-
manded was that their hair should be
,ombed and face and hands clean The
same was demanded of children of
ranches.
The class room is large adobe bull
ling ventinlated and ample light. and
has seating capacity for seventy-five
boys The class consists of fifty-five
boys. Mexicans and Indians about
equally divided: and although said
-anch is far distant from points hav-
ng numerous population yet is is plain
v noticeable that the children are
thirsty for knowledge. learn readily,
heir manners polite. good comport-
nent. and pickering among themselves
Unknown. a peculiar coincidence is, |
hat although the boys are accustomed |
o hard toll. the majority of them |
write a clear fegible hand; their writ |
ng books are clean and neat-much |
more so than one could expect under |
xisting circumstances.
Don Victoriano SaenZ. seeing the sue |
ess and good work of the boys school, |
a girls class, and the atten- |
lance of the latter is about twenty |
hree-alI ages-under lady teachers.
To stranger travelling in the remote |
wilderness of the Sierra Madre noun |
aims when he comes across such |
chooI and notices the great desire and |
nXiety of so many little ones to raise |
themselves above the lowest level of |
mankind nothing else can be said or |
heir patron, but God bless the noble |
ouI. born. raised. and educated and |
elf-made man of the wilderness. an |
worthy of imitation by many |
ther men Theo. A p.
why have | remained there" con-
InIIe6 MIR RrOnn II bad a rich piece