The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1909-10-17


emily shook hands with Il won
d"riul man. hut with one who ha<
ruled c"ntsnuoust.. since 1876 Porfiria
Dag is Il capable ram and his presi
d"ncy iii Mexico has been conducted
IN such way that the country has
steadily progressed. Few kings aud no
presidents have held more conscea,-
tiH" record than DiaZ, and though he
mas his enemies as well as friends he
stands head and shoulders above other
Mexican politicians. He has been IN
FAVOR al educating the masses. has en-
c"uraged foreigners t. make invest
ihehtS. mas built railroads. established
manufactures and brought his country
L" ii place where il is receiving recog.
hlt!"n from the rest of the world.
Americans think that his protractesl
rule, while 1t might not have served i'm
our country, is just tn. thing for this
southern land. where nothing il done
as in the United states.
lho Rio Granae is a small stream.
yet once across ii another world tlawns
on the American. One dollar of our
money is worth two dollars in Mexican
money. and all railroad measurements
are kilometers instead of miles. Cine i
never buys yard of goods in store.
but Il meter, which equals yard and
tenth. This seems odd enough 10
the "Amerirano.'' hut it In the street
cars that interest him thu most. II
seems homogeneous IL see Il tram car.
antiquated though it he. passing
through narrow. preciptaus streets of
places that anteaate Columbus adj
vent. The tracks are irregular and
nine times out of ten the ear. which
may be Il secondhand one brought
down from the states" Is II mule ear
driven by man who il dressed i'm
rags. with torn sombrero on his
head and Il faded zerapo thrown ar
tisticaily over his left shoulder. ON
his feet he wears leather sandals, nrn-
Vided he is fortunate enough tn have
n foot covering. and in his hand he
Yields n long auirt with which he
lashes his mule.
The Mexican mule is remarkable
animal. hamely but faithful. aud once
started seems loath tn ston as il
was unwilling 10 SO before starting
into action. over the narrow street
goes the car, the women peepfng at il
from behind barred windows Of their
homes and the driver alternately blow
Ing tin horn, calling out sAndelc au-
dele and sh-sh-sh tn his beast. This
last peculiar sound. made through fine
teeth. is 50 common In Mexico that
the very air seems filled with it. 1t il ,
also used tn shoe" person out of
the way and takes the place Of our
get up." by some secret understand
ing IL is comprehended by the mule.
who gets un'' either by going for
ward or backward
There are first and second class cars.
as IN the railroads. though the latter
go one extreme further and furnish
third -elass coaches. The fare in very
little-abaut ; cents II mile I'm the first
elass-and after the conductor sells the
tickets innumerabe collectors apnear
In punch them 1T about every block
In this strange country where lotteries
are 50 prevalent and gambling So COM
mon. the street ear tickets In many
places are lottery tickets and a
printed Notice on the back af these
slips suggests that il be kept to see If
it does not draw something. Many
people watch these numbers, and
others make practice Of collecting
old street car tickets and noticing the
numbers when the lottery takes place
at the beginning of the month In this
land nj contrasts familiar sight is
the funeral car with raised dias and
catafalane beneath IA canopy supple
mented by cross. These funeraI+cars
are painted black or white. and differ
in decorations and consequent expense.
Sometimes the funeral ear nf a poor
person has M decorations, the black
casket exposed To view is withou.