The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-09-18

The women of the American colony
in the City of Mexico, in which form
er Topeka people are numerous ana
prominent, rave about the life down
there, and one never meets woman
who lives there who is not enthusiast
tic about it. The men, however, are
non-committal. We noticed that the
women look plump and contented and
the men thin and anxious. The wo-
men loaf and the men work, that's
the answer. No matter If their huS-
bands are just poor devils on salaries
''even as you and l." the women
have servants, do a lot of entertain
ing and ride, if not in their own car
riages, then in the public cabs. which
you may hire for fifty or seventy-five
cents an hour (halve that, remem-
berD and fill as full as your pride
will permit which, if you went the
limit, and didn't care what happened
to your knees, would be FOUR.
Society in the Mexico capital is
charming, a novel mixture OF the cos
mopolitan and the provincial, and
marked by the gaiety and freedom
which we always associate with for
eign capitals. The American colony
dance and play bridge on Sunday at
the country club and people who, in
Topeka, would be Mortified at the
idea of going to a Sunday ball game,
show a surprising elasticity of con-
science down there and comfortable
adaptability for Roman customs when
in Rome.
Still, although they all say they like
It so we'll in Mexico, we noticed that
even the women referred frequently
to when we go back to the States
and some of the men of our ac-
Quaintance owned up to being home
sick.
You hear a good deal up here.
about opposition among the natives to
the gringoes but none Of the Ameri-
cans or English we met seemed wor-
ried about the threat of revolution.
The election riots and such revolu-
tionary symptoms of which we SO Of
ten read in the newspapers, seem to
be little more than local boss buster
movements. The spirit of young re-
publicanism, is undoubtedly working
among the young men of the nation,
who. In many cases have received
their education in the States and
realize how far from a republic the
DiaZ rule is, and there will, perhaps
before long. be changes in the gov
eminent. But they will doubtless
come in the new way, not by blood
shed, but by legislation, by the natur-
al, If devious procession of evolution. !
The sister republic is puzzling to |
stranger from the States. 1t is of
course in no respect republic in the
sense that ours is; in some respects
their reform movements seem to have
gone far beyond our own; and in 9TH
erS there are, doubtless, as one hears, |
crying evils to be remedied. Mexican
politics are as confusing to me as I |
suppose our politics would be to an |
equally ignorant Mexican (if there be |
one) who visited the States. Now, |
however, that have had my curiosity |
aroused 1 am going to find out all |
about it. Maybe in six months shall |
be lecturing on Mexico as 1 Seen 1t |
and What 1t Done to Me-" (Title Dor
rowed from Miss Helen McCIintock's
celebrated work on California;
Just for once in my life 1 should |
like to visit some place at the right |
season. This has never happened to
me, for no matter where go nor how
rave the people who live there or
who have been there before, look at
me pityingly and say 30, WE'LL You
should see it in May Cor June or
october or some other month";. Moth
ing could have been lovelier than the
flowers in the City of Mexico when +
we were there-that gorgeous bou-
geranium which wreath the houses
and the walls were more beautiful
than anything 1 ever hope to see again
this side of Heaven-but when we
there screamed "Why this is Moth
ingl You should be here in May"
1t was the same way with the bull
fight: We should have been there in
the winter to see a good bull fight.
The good fighters were taking a va
cation when we were there and the
more skillful the fighters the less
bloody and cruel and the more inter
esting the spectacle.
Nobody dared to tell us, however,
that the climate could possibly have
been better at any other season. and
we should not have believed them if
they had. 1t was the rainy season and
late every afternoon there was a
shower, without thunder or lightning,
or wind. which cleared off before
eight o'clock and didn't interfere with
but washed the sky and the
air and the white houses and the
bright flowers and the green trees,
so that the next morning they all
sparkled and shone and cleaned more
softly and brilliantly than ever. The
climate is like our own October hot
In the sun, but dry. pleasant heat,
and cool in the shade. In the City
of Mexico you may wear anything you
please. If you have a fresh summer
gown it will be all right to wear that
and you can keep on the sunny side
of the street If all your wash clothes
are at the laundry wear a wool suit
and walk in the shade.
There is q famous mountain rail-
way trip southeast of the City of Mex
leo on the famous Isthmus line, which
Is compared by the globe trotters only