The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-08-08
GOOD COUNTRY
10 Republic OF NJ exico In
Many Hespects.
CANTON MAN TALKS
OF Things Which Interest a
Stranger In That Land
Laws are Rigid and Pun
ishment Is Swift.

Attorney T. r. Turner, who re-
turned from nine weeks sojourn in
Mexico, where he had gone to look
after mining interests for himself and
eastern capitalists as well as a local
company that has large holdings
there, talks Interestingly Of that. land
and the customs of the people.
He was for the most part in Sonora,
which lies just south of Arizona. Tho
people are Mexicans, Poems, Yaqui
Indians and number of Americans
and a few pure Castilians or Span
ish.
. The Indians differ widely from
those in the United States. OF them
Mr.. Turner said:
The Yaqui Indians are not blood
thirsty race, but when they do fight
they manifest the highest degree Of
courage. They will not disturb a
white man, or American, as they
recognize in him a friend. They have
been modified by the Mexican gov
ernment, and can be hired at so cents
day, Mexican money, which is
worth just about half that amount iI
gold They are sooH workers for
that country. was there during tho
war between the Indians and Mexi-
can soldiers, in which many of the In
dians were killed r.... "a.
"A great many people imagine that
Mexico is a country where a mans
life and property are not safe, but
want to say that life and property
cafar thnrn than in Arizona
or even Ohio. In the towns no ono
ever closes or locks a door. People
are not law abiding because of any
particular virtue, but because the ter
rors of the law and the manner in
which punishment is meted out com
pei them to be good. ,,,.
Highway robbery in that country
means death. A man is imprisoned
and is not allowed to see an attorney
or even friends. If there is a good
case against him, he is put out of the
way. The system of government,
while ostensibly republic, is partly
civil and partly military. Soldiers
oners out of a city and theyH never
return, the soldiers having had rorders
as to-, how to dispose Of them, q II
OUt Wtie W loIloW Iut lIdSh " tuC
soldiers, he might find fresh pile
of itones that would suggest a grave.
The people know these things and
fear to violate any Of the lawH..
"The country Is rich in minerals,
but 1t needs irrigation to produce any
thing. When irrigated the crops are
wonderful. The weather is frightfully
hot, the thermometer registering 100
4 nl vAt IL avNtt ~ n
case of sunstroke is unknown.
81 have at home war drum which
the Yaqui Indians had when they
were captured and killed by the. Mex
ican troops. 1t is quite curiosity
and Is used to incite the Indians to
frenzy when they contemplate going
on the warpath.
THE social customs among the bet
ter class of Mexicans might be fol-
lowed in the states. Down there no
girl is ever seen alone with her lover.
They must do their courting in the
presence Of a chaperone. The windows
of the homes are barred and 1t Is a
common sight in the evenings to see
dark-eyed maiden talking through
the bars to some Mexican youth who
is on the outside until he becomes
the accepted lover by the parents.
Mexico Is called the land OF to-
morrow. Every time you ask native
to do anything that requires exertion,
he says: Wait till tomorrow 1t
does not take much exertion to live
down there and there is general
disposition to put OFF work. The rule
is transformed to Never do today
what can be put off until tomorrow. F"