The Tucumcari news and Tucumcari times. [volume] (Tucumcari, N.M.) 1907-1921, 1908-09-05
80
THE IMPRESSIONS OF A T~EFDERFOOR
Being UnOrthOdOx Sketches of Real Human Interest
Wy viii Rde@nD


A week from next Wednesday
will he an important day in many
parts OF New Mexico, and it is the
one time in the year that | am al
ways sorry that | am not a native,
Tor then | would have n more
day in the year when It wouldn't
he right to work. OF curse
have deep reverence for the histor.
ical meaning OF the day, tor | al.
ways vas a reverent sort OF cuss
and perfectly willing to Join the
postonice and the banks in refrain
ing from labor on every day that
can bv any excuse he looked upon
as a holiday. | always feel like
taking off my hat along about the
first OF September every year when
a committee comes in with the
copy Tor n dodger headed "Aviso'
and which is said to proclaim great
doings on the 10th OF September,
Mexican independence day. That
is the Mexican Fourth OF July, but
having lived some years in the re.
public, | Tail 10 see where the in
dependence corlcs in, Tor that coun.
try is the home OF the original
steam roller, which makes ours
here in New Mexico look like a pill
bottle. But it really isn't any.
body's business IT the Mexican is
satisfied with it, as his father was
before him, and his fathers father,
and everybody clse's father. The
memory OF Hidalgo is celebrated
wherever the Mexican has settled.
even though It is all a matter OF
history now. The Mexican is a
good fellow and the man who he
grudges him his doings on the roth
oil September is a narrow minded
chump.
The history OF the day is really
inspiring IT you look At it right.
Ninety-seven years ago, a week
from Wednesday, Miguel llidalgo
Castillo, a priest in the little parish
OF Dolores, near Guadaluato, made
up his mind that Mexico ought to
have n George Washington, and it
no one else would take up the Job,
he would be it himself. The
thought weighed upon him so that
be couldn't sleep, so on %lndepen-
dence day at 2 O'Clock in the morn
ing he rose up in his nightie, or
what would have been his nightie
IL they had worn such eiteminatc
garments in those DAYS, and pro.
claimed Mexico a tree and indie.
pendent country, and all OF its in
habitants subject to the poll tax.
After so proclaiming, llidalgo said
mass and a prayer that the Lord
oil Hosts it not on his side might
be content with sitting on the fence,
watching a lively limited.round
scrap, and allowing the other tel.
low to he his own second. Natur.
ally the home office at Madrid was
not pleased with his action, and
lei a bunch OF rurales after him.
lie fought. and run and scrapped
around Tor a year, when he was
cornered and or the 3oth OF July,
1871, was shot full OF holes on the
plaza at Chihuahua. Ever since
then, when YOU get the Mexicans
together YOU hear about Hidalgo
dav.
Other liberators came after Mi.
guel. The Mexican people had
gotten a taste OF liberty and they
wanted the real article. They
haven't gotten it yet, but that is
another story The struggle Tor
what they didn't get and haven't
got was continued by Moreolos,
Matamoras, Nina, Guerro and last
but not least lturbide, who found
a scheme 10 give all the patriots a
lat Office and made emperor OF in.
dependent Mexico. lturbide WIS
no tool and in a mighty short time
concluded he would rather be n live
patriot than a dead MARTYR. lie
collected what bric-a.brac he had
been able to ioreclose Tor taxes,
and the necessary car fare, and in
1924 hiked tor Italy, attracted by
the glowing stories OF money max.
ing by the manufacture o. hand
organs, He cleaned up n few by
introducing montp IN rho nobiIitv
and then thinking it was all iorgiv.
en- slipped over TO Mexico in time
to be neatly and skiliuIly hung on
July 10, 1874. This endcd the