Barre evening telegram. (Barre, Vt.) 1898-19??, 1902-01-13
A THIEVES MARKET.
ONE OF THE PROMINENT PLACES IN
THE CITY OF MEXICO.

| ---'' Ds'SS ''"W W rs SHuW GU tnG
Way to 1t and You May Thcre Pur-
chase Stolen Goods by the single
Piece or by the Carload.
If you want 10 know the time in
the City Of Mexico; if you need house
hold goods objects Of art or of per-
sonal adornment; in fact. if there is
anything you desire from pincushlon
to a redhot stoye-just ask a police
man.
He will point the way to the thieves
market without any more idea of laws
that deal with those who receive stol-
! Ell goods than if you had asked him the
way to the best hotel in the city or to
one of the theaters or to the National
palace. The official of the law will not
hesitate to tell you that it is directly
across the street from the National pal
ace, east of the Zocalo-the park of the
peons-and that if you are timid about
the size Of the load you wish to take
there the gate is large enough to drive
the biggest truck through without in
convenience 1t is a very simple mat
ter to find the thieves market.
1t is no small establishment, but
city institution, with a court as large
as Il city block, and it is crowded from
morning to night with those who are
looking for bargains without the slight
est idea of moral wrong in buying stol-
on goods. Indeed it is stated that now
and then persons find property once be-
longing to them exposed there for sale
at prices so reasonable that 1t would
be absurd to go to law about it and lay
up against the delightful convenient
"manana" the trouble of appearing In
court.
The market is just what it's name i'm
plies-a thieves market, where moths
90 not corrupt, because there is always
a stream of purchasers for goods at RI
diculous prices. Nothing remains in
stock over few days. Spread out on
tables or piled high on the ground can
be 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 ready
market. The proprietor of one of the
we'll known local restaurants admits
that nearly all his knives, forks and
table linen come from the thieves
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.
the long ago date of |
it's publication, was picked up by q
book lover for $50 in Mexican silver. |
Several hihliophiles of the United |
States have regular agents in the
thieves market. and it pays them.
With Macmillan and his court many
ARE works Of art came to Mexico. In
he rush away from Mexico these were
eft behind. Within the last month a
IAN, beyond doubt by Vatican, was
bought in the thieves market for SO.
The painting is still bright, the lace ex.
luisite and rare, and the ivory sticks.
Maid with gold. are still intact.
Mexico's many wars have made the
country an arsenal Of obsolete weap-
ms. Swords, guns and firearms from
he time Of Cortes to the present dec
lde can be picked up in the thieves
market for little or nothing. Some of
hem, outside of their value as curios,
re of intrinsic worth, as an American
discovered not long ago. He bought
or trifle an old sword, furnished and
irty. The style of the hilt pleased
i'm. When he had 1t cleaned, he found
hat scabbard, hilt and blade were in
aid with rich gold of marvellous ar
istic design.-City of Mexico Letter in
Jew York Times F..