Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-06-13
TOURIST vANDALs.
Offensive Manners Of Some American
Tourists in Old Mexico.
Mexican Herald.l

Mexican Herald.
OF course, there are tourists and tour
lists, just as there are different specie:
and qualities of almost everything else
that exists upon the face of the globe
But the one brand of tourist which
seems reserved by fate for introduction
into Mexico is the kind that ought to be
locked up at home and kept there. 1t is
possible that when they are at home
and are not tourists they show them
selves to be possessed of very differen1
traits from those which they display
with such freedom and seeming pride
as soon as they cross the border. That
is possible, but 1T is hardly probable fol
one is loath to believe that the pure all
and sunshine of Mexico can have such
evil effect upon any being.
Tourists by wholesale and tourists by
retail have been arriving In the republic
| during the last month. Some of them
are a credit to the country from which
! they come, and some of them are not.
| OF the first class very little is seen, tho
| it is possible that in point of numbers
they exceed the second. But they go
quietly about their business, seeing the
is nothing about them to attract atten-
ton.
OF the second lot the less seen the
better for ones personal comfort, and
the less heard the better for the reputa-
ton of their native land. There may
not be so many of them, but they are as
ubiquitous and all-pervasive as the flea.
And, personally, they are just about as
pleasant to have as companions.
Some of this kind wandered into the
cathedral yesterday. They were armed
with kodaks, and the women wore the
short skirt which is the sure sign of the
tourist. Service was being said at one
of the affairs, but that made no differ
ence to the sight-seers. They wandered
around, staring at the paintings. COM
menting on the altar decorations and
talking in tones which could almost
have been heard in the atrium. The
fact that many worshipers were In the
church made no difference to them.
They stared and talked and turned
their backs to the altar as suited their
sweet will.
A withered old Indian woman, her
back bent with labor and age and her
body covered with mass of rags, hob
bled in and knelt on the floor in prayer.
oh. isn't she a sight" exclaimed one
of the she tourists.
You bet she is" answered the he
tourist. You don't see things like that
IN the States. Wait and 1 will get her."
There was hasty adjusting of the
kodak. pressing of the button, and the
he tourist had her" to take back to the
States and show as a specimen of the
strange things one sees In the republic
of Mexico. Unfortunately the old IN
dian had no kodak, or she might also
have begun collection of pictures of
freaks.
1t wasn't the same couple, but it was
two other specimens of the same spe-
cies, who, short time later in the ca
thedral, wandered around, now and
then bending down and peering into the
faces of the kneeling worshippers. |
Whether they thought the devout ones
were asleep and wanted to be sure
about 1T, or whether they merely want
ed to get some idea as to their facial
appearance. is still unexplained.
1t is behavior such as this on the part
IF tourists that has led to the posting
If a Especial notice in English at the en-
RANGES of the Puebla Cathedral, sug-
costing to this class that if they are
lot prepared to behave with ordinary
'everence and decency in place of
they had better stay away.
What they do in the churches is ex-
'elled by what they do in private hous-
's To walk into a patio, take snap
hots of everything and everybody in
light, is very small breach of polite
less. In fact, these he and she tourists
eem to think that they are comforting
favor when they thus print private
itizen's face on the cartridge of their
'icture- making machine. But some
ines they even go further than that.
nd man who lives in Tacubaya had
n experience the other day with a
atch of the troublesome. He was sit
ing in the patio of his residence with
ONE friends and the members of his
amily. The outer gate was closed, but
OF locked. Suddenly it was pushed ,
pen and in marched the tourists. Be ,
ore the family could realize what was
L store for them they had been shot .
y half dozen of tine tourists, while
ne others were staring around, looking
pr something upon which to level their
The owner of the house rose to his
eet in mingled amazement and indig-
alton. Like all the members of his s
lmily he speaks and understands Eng 1
sh WELL But in his surprise his I
nowledge of the language left him for ,
lie moment. Before he could speak, =
he of the tourists points to one Of the
omen of the party.
Say. she's got fine hair, hasn't She?
wonder if it's all real
BY this time the owner of the place &.
I'd somewhat recovered, and, with
hat semblance of politeness he could
ulster, asked the intruders to leave, q
,plaining that they were in private
'ounds. t
rs that 500" asked he-tourist 81 I,
essS ;NH;iEs s u.
Lg1AN M "a