Alaska sentinel., 1905-02-16
ABOUT CEN. poRFlRlo plAz.
Remarkable Career of the Many Time.
 Elected President of Mexico.

1AG&tGo Oh NICAlGos
 Students of the life of Porfirio Diaz made the claim that history does not hold, this side of the crusades, a per sonal record so varied and eventfnl. i says the San Antonio Express. The man of Mexico Is credited with the most kaleldoscopic career since the days of Richard the Lion Hearted. Hale and hearty at TO years of age, clear-eyed, and firm footed, his life spans half q century of incredible ad- venture, and stands for political devel- opment which probably Is shown by no other nation In the nineteenth cen tury.
 Within the memory of San Anto- nians Mexico was the most revolutions ary of countries: so infested by ban dits, so powerless to afford security to life and property that parties In the United States suggested this failure of government IS pretext for assisting Texas in her struggle for independ- ence. To-day, outside of the United States, Mexico Is probably the best governed country on the hemisphere.
 Porfirio Diaz was born in the city of Oaxaca Sept 15. 1880. the night before the anniversary of Mexican Independ- ence day. His great grandfather, com ing from Spain. had married a woman of the native race and to that extent he Is an Indian.
 He was left an orphan at 8 years of fnge. When a mere boy he helped at country store. At IT he cut himself of from the help of friends by leaving the l theological seminary, but he gained the friendship of Benito Juarez, the great commoner of Mexico then Gov crnor of Oaxaca, who obtained for him Guardianship. At the age of le he was made a professor of Roman law.
 l In plebiscite offered by Santa Ana Diaz was one of two In Oaxaca who dared openly to register vote against the dictator. He paid the penalty of banishment, escaping narrowly with his life
 i He now tasted warfare in a guel- rilla organization operating against Santa Ana, and within eight years had risen from captaincy to commander in-chief of the Mexican armies and to A place in the government second in importance only to President JuareZ i During that time he won many sen- sational victories and made a series of hairbreadth escapes At the
 same time he evinced a remarkable talent for civil administration. In the
 midst of the stress and rigor of War he paused to establish girls schools In l Oaxaca, which are now the models for similar institutions all over the repuD- i lie. At practically the same time he
 gave Mexico one of her national holi i days by winning on the Cinco de Maya the battle of Puebla with raw Mexl- can leyles pitted against armies train ed in France
 l In April, 1877, he was elected Presi- dent and except for the interregnum of Gonzales from 1880 to 1884 he has 1 been at the head of Mexico ever since The chaotic country experienced Its first peace In seventy years. l Corruption in public service was re formed, taxes were reduced and public Improvements begun and prosecuted upon an elaborate scale. The country was cleared of bandits. Laws favor able to investments were passed and industrial development invited by the 1 liberal spirit of granting concessions
 Factories, libraries. telegraphs and scientific commissions were all fos tered and have been brought to high standard. The valley of Mexico has been drained. Education has been made free and equal to all.
 1 Change in Mexico has progressed at such leaps and bounds as to be almost 1 incredible and all has been wrought by the Orphan of Oaxaca. the savior
 unifier and father of the United States of Mexico"