The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-10
CRANkS AT THE EMBASSY.
Al Kinds Of Requests Presented to Our
Represent alive in Mexico.

Al Kinds OF Requests Presented to Oul
Represent alive in Mexico.
Talk about cranks with queer requests
who bother the Mayor and the other city
officials" said man who for several year,
was connected with the legation of the
| United States in Mexico; there are more
! cranks who present themselves to our
representatives in foreign countries than
ever bothered any set OF local officials
| anywhere. Why, the queer things that
people have asked for at the Mexican en-
bassy would fill book.
Take requests for various things, fol
instance. Every day we received from,
American tourists in that country requests
for stamps and coins. No one seemed
to s,lspec, anything but that Mexico al
lowed the representatives of our Govern
ment there a certain amount OF Mexican
stamps and coin for free distribution. And
of course we had to be polite to the Pc
titoners and explain that we didn't have
any on hand and couldn't supply the de-
mand unless we went down into our peck
cts to defray the expenses.
There was also a great demand for
photographs and autographs of all tn e
prominent people in the country. We
didn't have a collection of those things so
we had to apologies and say we were sorry
that we couldn't accommodate them.
-One man sent a neatly typewriter
letter from Chicago or somewhere IN the
States saying that according to all reports
Mexico was full of hidden treasures.
Wouldn't the embassy send him map OF
the country with the loca ton of the lost
He requested that we should be very par.
ticular that the map was accurate And
We had to answer that letter.
There was a woman in Boston who
wrote that she was making collection
of dolls and had heard that the Mexicans
had some that were Just too cute for any
thing Would We please send her one'
We would not and / suppose the lady
from the city Of beans thinks that we we're
dreadfully disobliging,
But the nerve of some OF them. one
day rather seedy-looking individual
called and insisted upon seeing the Am
bassador. He saw him finally. and this is
what he said:
Boss, / Just came here and I've got
about 300 chickens here. Heard that there
this country. but they don't seem to go IKE
hot cakes Now l can't find any place to
keep them until l can dispose OF them.
If it wouldn't be asking too much Id like
to ask favor of you,
81 understand that you have a fine
big back yard in the rear Of your residence,
and I'd like to keep the chickens there.
III feed EN- he added, as though con-
ceding great deal, l don't know what
became of the chickens eventually,
"The Ambassadors back yard also APP
pealed to another patriotic Amer icanCa
and asked if she couldn't bury pet dog
there. She loved him as child, she said
and wanted his remains TO rest under the
American flag, in the midst OF an American
And oh, the letters that came in! Some
one wanted recipe Of a well-known MeXi-
can dish. She was sure that some az 'ne
wives of those connected with the Embassy
would have it, and would he glad 10 copy
1t out for her.
"A prisoner who was in Jail for killing one
man. and was strongly suspected OF
having poisoned another to help his repu-
tation, complained very forcibly that
Americans were not bit patriotic because
they didn't come and visit him IN prison Who
wrote a march and dedicated it to the Am
bassador. He wanted to bring around
band and show everybody what fine
march 1t was. ,,..
were insane, 7 guess Certainly that was
the case with a man who wrote that God
and the Virgin had intrusted to him the
management of the Water Gates Of the
Universe and had given him special in;
structionss to open them IN .ne en' te11
President Roosevelt about It so that the
writer might know what the Chief Executive
wanted done.
IAN ambassador also has a great chance
to get in on the ground floor OF some hne
business schemes. l remember gentle
man who came in and proposed that he
and the nations representative form a
COMPANY for the purpose OF importing into
Mexico / 900 ono families Of foreign colonists
There was millions In it, he said.
great scheme. He asked for the address
OF a bullfighter who had a swell wardrobe
and a trained bull that would not be too
rough. His scheme was to import the
pair into the United States and give harm
less bullfghts that would fool the people.
There was also a great chance to buy
inventions that would some day revolu-
tionize different industries, according to
the enthusiastic men who were trying to
boost them. The inventions always came
high. though, guess more than a dozen
at which they were offered, from purely
motives. was never less
than 81 600 900.
Some newspaper in, the United States
printed an imaginative tale to the effect
that woman had turned to stone in church
in the town Of Lagos, and that the Mayor
Of the town was exhibiting the stone for
small admission fee. Was this story true?
wrote a man from Louisville. and, il 80,
would we give him the details?
Even the Mexicans themselves made a
lot of trouble with their ideas OF easy roads
to American citizenship. Men who could
neither read nor write and had never lived
in the United States applied at the embassy
for naturalization papers.
These are only a few OF the peculiar
requests that came in. suppose 1t ia the
same in almost every American embassy.
The cranks were funny at first. but they
became 4 nuisance after q while. But I
don't pity the city officials here bit They