Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-01-17
MEXICAN INDIANS RACE.
strange Contest of Speed Among Men of
the Taramaharas.

Va SPCCu Among men or
the Taramaharas.
The most wonderful race / ever saw
IN which an Indian ran 1O5 miles in
sixteen hours, took place recently in the
state of Chilhauhau, Mex remarked
Theron c. Crawford of London.
The man VINO won this race" con
tlhued MIR. Crawford, had the benefit
OF training Through his ancestorsl for
hundreds of years. He is one of a tribe
OF native lndians-the Taramaharas-
the members of which carried messages
lor the Montezumas. Prescott tells US
that TINS mans ancestors carried fish TO
70 the table of the king subdued by
oofteZ from lake go miles AWAY.
ana dld 1t III one day. Ii they were de-
valoped to that endurance as runners in
that day, how many centuries did it
Jake Their fathers to achieve such per
lection!
These Taramaharas in the proyince
of Chilhauhau today are the direct de-
Scendants of those who ran with mes
sages and carried fish for the Montezu-
mas. In recognition of their efficiency
| the Mexican government made them the
carriers OF its messages. They were
simple people, live almost entirely nude
and IN the open air. The chests of tn,
men are developed to wonderful power.
- LhSA. entire uouleS give evidence OF
the physical training they have received.
1hey are monogamists. They live in
rude log huts, quite different from the
| Mexican adobe.
This race was between twenty of
the sWlttest runners of the tribe Those
| who participated wagered almost every
thing they had. Their fellow tribesmen
pet on their respective favOrites Fee
| hclo Cruz, the winner, bet his wife
| thirty
, flcularly strange, for the tribesmen often
change spouses. The Indians and the
| MeXlcans for miles around were wrought
| to high pitch. Each of the runners
was attended by his wife and a friend
| or two. The course was laid out in a
circular track in a great divide in the
mountains.
When the Indians, their bronzed
! bodies shining in the sun, lined I'D for
| the start at II o'clock in the morning
| there was great crowd to see them Al
the signal each kicked ball about the
size of one of our baseballs, made of
feathers and lined with leather. This
each had to keep kicking all the way
along the course of 105 miles. And
each was accompanied by Il mounted
guard to see that no trickery was re-
| sorted to.
All day they ran, the interest of the
crowds of watchers along the course
never abating. When it grew dark the
mounted guards accompanying the run
ners carried great torches so that each
contestant might see the ball he was
kicking. l saw the horses, the mounts
| and the runners themselves outlined
| against the twilight on a high hill at
one time during the race. 1t was an in
spring and beautiful sight Though l
was keeping late hours, my interest
never ceased. L stayed up until the fin
| ish.
''At last at 3 o'clock in the morning,
accompanied by his guards and many
friends, Felicio Cruz finished the last
lap in the race. All the others had
dropped out. He had won thirty goats
and about all the blankets in the tribe
and kept his wife. The natives gave him
a great ovation. | was satisfied with
the purchase of the blanket he wore Il
| part of the time he ran.
What effect did the gruelling contest
have on Felicio? Apparently none what
ever He did not go to bed, in fact did
not sleep for five days. During all that
| time he sat on q rude bench outside the
| door of his hut. He ate but little. At
the end of the five days he was as fresh
as ever He is wonderful man.
| Washington Post.