The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-01-10

ONE or TIE PROMINENT PLACES IN
THE CITY or MEXICO.

Ans Policeman WIN show You The
Wa 70 II and Fou May There Pur-
chase stolro Goods nv the singiel
Piece or By the Carload.
If you want to know the 1time IN
the City Of Mexico; il you need house
hold goods objects Of art or Of per-
sonal adornment; in FACT, if there Is
anything you desire from . pincushion
to redhot stove just ask police
man,
He viii point the way to the thieves
market without any more idea Of laws
chat deal with those who receive stol-
Sd Goods than If you had asked him the
way to the best hotel IN the city or to
one of the theaters or 10 tie National
paiaee. The official Of the law will not
hesitate 70 tell you that It IS directly
across the street from the National pal
ace. east Of the locale the park Of the
peoiasand that if you are timid about
the size of the load you wish to take
there the gate is large enough to drive
she biggest truck through without in
convenience. 1t is u very simple mat
ter to find the thieves market
It is no small establishment, but a
city Institution. with court as large
as q city block, and 1t is crowded from
morning to night with those who are
looking for bargains without the slight
est idea Of moral wrong in buying stoI-
en- goods. Indeed 1t is stated that now
and then persons fnd property once be-
longing to them exposed there for sale
at prices so reasonable that it would
Be absurd to Cd to law about it and lay
Up against the delightful convenient
mamma the trouble Of appearing ID
court.
THE market Is just what Its name i'm
pliesa thieves market, where moths
do not corrupt. because there lis always
steam Of purchasers for goods at III
diculous prices. Nothing remains IN
stock over a few days. Spread out en-
tables or piled high on the ground can
lie found samples Of almost anything.
for the Mexican ratero Is not partic-
ular what he steals. The thieves do
not themselves act as the statesmen, for
this would be dishonest even to the
Mexican mind They dispose Of their
plumber either for lump sum or take
a commission from the sellers.
There is no assortment Of goods as to
class or kind. 1t is a case of pick
and choose. Crockery, cutlery, tinware
and cooking utensils are the main sta
pies, for the Mexican is careless, and
the thieves of his kind find this sort of
plumber easy to get and with a ready
market. The proprietor of one of the
well known local restaurants admits
that nearly all his knives, forks and
table linen come from the thieves
market. He makes it a point regularly
to visit there to replenish what may
have been stolen from his own place.
But it is perhaps in the line of curl
osities, books and objects of art that
the thieves market is most interesting
The libraries of the monks, scattered IN
the war Of reform, are represented now
and then. The thieves. of course, know
nothing OF the value of the books.
Recently a folio of Shakespeare,
bound in vellum, in splendid condition.
notwithstanding the long ago date of
its publication, was picked up by a
book lover for 81 so in Mexican silver
Several biDliophiles of the United
States have regular agents in the
thieves market, and it pays them,
With Macmillan and his court many
rare works Of art came to Mexico. In
the rush away from Mexico these We're
left behind. Within the last month a
fan, beyond doubt by Vatican. was
bought in the thieves market for So.
The painting is still bright. the lace ex-
quisite and rare, and the ivory sticks.
inlaid with gold. are still intact.
Mexico's many wars have made the
country an arsenal of obsolete weap-
ons. Swords, guns and firearms from
the time Of Cortes to the present dec
ade can be picked up in the thieves
market for little or nothing. Some of
them, outside of their valUe as curios,
are of intrinsic worth. as an American
discovered not long ago He bought
for trifie All old sword. furnished and
dirty. The style of the hilt pleased
him. When he had 1t cleaned, he found
@hat scabbard. hilt and blade were in
laid with rich gold of marvellous ar
tistic design City Of Mexico Letter In