Arizona republican., 1910-06-14

AS Diaz grew older, he experienced
a great leaning for theology, and had
even commenced to prepare for the
course during vacation" which, OF
course, immensely pleased his mother
A matter which made the priesthood
more attractive to both at that time
was the promise of chaplaincy
which paid s12 a month. President
Diaz. multi millionaire and absolute
ruler OF eighteen million people, no
doubt thinks with amusement of those
days of poverty and obscurity when
| a $l2 chaplaincy was a temptation 10
him. But his mind was again turned
away from the priesthood. At this
period Porfirio was giving lessons in
grammar and other studies to several
students, to enable him to contribute
his small share toward the support of
the family. when Don Guadalupe Perez
became one of his pupils This led to
his acquaintance with the father of
| ClCEb WIN was ItNOlutlOIIlSi.
This acquaintance, the president says,
completely changed his mode Of
thought, much to his mothers grief
OF this friend, who shaped his future
life, he says:
Don Marcos Perez was a pure
bloOded Zepotecan Indian, like Juarez
He was a few years older than JuareZ
and was sent by his father, who was
man of some wealth. to the city of
Oazaca to learn Spanish and be edu-
Gated. He was an erudite man, of
great purity of mind and extraordi-
nary uprightness, integrity and
strength of character. He became
one of the best lawyers and one of
the most distinguished men in the
state, being president of the court of
justice and later governor He was
cast in a sterner mold than Juarez,
to whom he was bound by ties of
blood, similarity of ideas. and a sin
cere and lasting friendship had
the good fortune to know him init
mately, to understand his character.
to learn much from him, for l ad-
mired, respected, and looked up to
him as an example worthy of imita-
ton. He treated me like a son, and
his friendship did much to better my
condition when | was poor and help
less boy"
Having accompanied young Perez to
some commencement exercises, it was
there that Diaz met the elder Perez,
whom he eulogizes so highly He also
there met Benito Juarez, the great
Indian who was destined to liberate
Mexico from the yoke of Macmillan
Following the distribution of
prizes, l listened to some very liberal
speeches; during these speeches
young men were mentioned as friends
and treated as equals, something very
different from what / had been ac-
customed to in the seminary, where
you could only greet the professors
with deep reverence. l was so car
ried away with all heard that l then
and there resolved to abandon the &C.
clesiastical career"
Having definitely abandoned his
ideas of the ministry, Diaz then took
up the law. as law and medicine were
the only professions remaining to him, |
and he had mo leaning" for medicine |
He modestly claims that he made no
brilliant progress as a law student, |
being poor at Latin, but he advanced |
rapidly in philosophy He got his |
diploma at the law institute, al !
though ne did not gain a prize or |
honorable mention. Perhaps his as
founding vitality at his present age |
is accounted for:
My particular good points were |
fine health, a good physique, re- |
markable bodily development, great |
agility, and a Partially, fitness, and |
for athletic exercises. A /
book on gymnastics fell into my |
hands. the first, perhaps. that reached |
Oaxaca, and by means of this | impro-
vised a small gymnasium in my |
house, at which my brother, myself, |
and some friends exercised"
AS time went on, and young Porfirio |
pursued his studies, he earned money
by teaching and by making tables
and chairs"-he had learned to be
proficient with tools. He also learned
to make guns. and he somewhat
proudly tells of his experiences in turn
ing out good guns.
Meanwhile, agitators began talking
IF a revolt against the tyrant, Santa
Ana Among the revolutioninsts was
Oiaz' friend, Don Marcos Perez. The
of politics led TO the ar
'est of Perez, and he was thrown into
prison. 1t was the fortune of DiaZ,
through the exercise of extraordinary
laring and physical strength. to scale
he prison walls and gain access to
/ point where he could communicate
With Perez. and they formulated plans
which led to Perez escape from
prison. Thenceforth Diaz himself was
revolutionist, and in a short while
he found himself fighting in the
anks of the revolutionists. There
lfter he pursued that brilliant military
.areer which only ended when he be-
anne president of Mexico. in fulfill
nent of his first boyhood ambition.
The future chapters of the autoDi-
.1rarhu Of this cnloScaf man ch,ntI1 |