The Red Cloud chief., 1902-01-10
OPEN MART FOR pLUNDERERS.
leo with Knowlsags Of Public
and Police.

In the City of Mexico there 10 a
place known as the thieves market
that has a large patronage, some Of
II coming from presumably respect
able and honest citizens. That such
Il place should exist in any city APP.
pears almost Incredible, yet il con
ducts business with the full knowl.
edge Of the police. and with that Of
every resident OF the city. What is
more says the Chicago Chronicle. it
is directly opposite one side of the
national palace, the winter home of
President Diaz, and is only ole block
from the offices of the city admins
tration. And il is no small estnb-
lishment, either, such as might H.
overlooked, for il occupies IA court as
large as a city block. and is crowded
from morning to night with persons
who are looking for bargains, and
know that the place to find them is
in the thieves market"
Naturally, the thieves themselves
10 not act as the statesmen for the
stolen goods. They keep out OF
sight. and either dispose Of the
stolen goods for a lump sum to the
hucksters or allow them to sell for
them on commission. In either case
the thief gets little, the dealer is
content with n small profit and the
goods, whose original owner il I'M
known, can be obtained for a tenth
Of their value.
To the visitors to Mexico the mar.
ket is well worth a visit, even II
scrnples of conrcicrcc hould Pc, -
the purchase of what are admittedly
stolen goods. There will be no trou-
BIZ IN tir''ng the r,cce,
Any policeman or any citizen will
direct you to ~. 1t Is just east of
the Zocalo - the park OF the
from the south front of the ma ioral
palace. Even with this knowledge
you might pass but n high wall. such
as surrounds many of the private
homes. But at tn" end of the wall
is a huge gate. large enough to drive
n loaded truck through. Passing
through this gate you enter the mar
Ntt' " IL " pS. DptIi cDuTt, SloIt-
paved and surrounded by buildings
on three sides and by the wall on
the fourth. Scattered over this. AR
ranged in streets. are the booths.
where the stolen goods are displayed
for sale. These stalls are crude
affairs. Usually. they consist of n
few boards, laid on supports which
4. .l... ,... 80. ... 3d.. ~ ~
ground. Sometimes the goods are
piled up carelessly on the stone pave
ment. But over each q. them is the
awning of coarse cotton cloth, sup
ported on rough poles, which the
Mexican huckster invariably has.
Crockery, tinware. cutlery and
cooking utensils form one of the
stables of the market. There is al
ways u demand FOR these among III"
poor. and so the ratero gathers
them in wherever and whenever he
can, knowing hat they will find a
ready sale. And il is not only the
poor who buy these things. One
restaurant proprietor in the city
whose place is one of the largest
lntTt, tuIlitleN tHdl ntdTlN al MS
table knives and forks as well as tn,
pots and pans used in the kitchen
were bought by him in the thieves
market. He is a regular visitor I,
the place. and not long ago he picket
mp n bargain in the edible line foi
his customers in the shape Of ,
Young pig, which some enterprisinl
theft had gathered in,
How long the thieves market vii
exist as it does now there j. none I,
tell. II is an old institution. and n,
one thinks OF interfering with il
Now and then n stranger. hearin,
of it's nature for the tirs' time. wen
drrs how the city authorities can al
low il TO do business as it does. Blu
the native Mexican and the acclim
atized foreigner accept it as il Is
and instead of objecting to il find il
very convenient place in which I
pick up a bargain and sav them
selves considerable money.