Albuquerque evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1911-1914, 1912-02-03

NNNNh uIlNhh tNNfN tNhNNis
The American bum IN Mexico can
be truly called a scientific worker
Glass among them Is as ehnitely and
strictly defined as Il is between the
Four Hundred Of New York and its
under world
The writer spent tho night until tho
closing hour OF 10 o'clock IN the Area
de Noe. "a San Juan de Ietran. Mex.
leo City. This pace has for many
years been the rendezvous ana hang
out for American tramps Located, as
u Is, n few minutes walk from al the
leading hotels. the American bum has
found Il q veritablc haven Of refuge.
In this small, dark. FOUL ill-smelling
place. with it's six Handicapped ta-
bles a drink may be purchased for ?.
3, 6 or II cents. Mexican money. In
this place / met many brilliant and
Intelligent men, many Of them Amer
leans. who have helped reconstruct
and build up Mexico, Here | net
the harper" known as the cieverest
American bum IN Mexico. ! found the
"dueno' (owncrl paid him all the re-
spect due a gentleman.
Thaye been q bum IN Mexico for
ten years" said the harper" "and
while I manage 10 get along. things
are not what they once were here.
Many American buns and tramps
work the tourists. but they are poor
graft. The railroad and tourist con-
panies warn their patrons nowadays
against the American bum, and tho
limit OF touch from this class Is n
ncseta t2l ccntsl.
1.-The better class bum" continued
L my informant after had made dis
tress signal to the fat Spanish bar
tender. when he first hits Mexico City
works his friends. and later takes up
Ian the resident Americans who are en-
tagged In his same line OF business.
Then he watches the newspapers
which daily publish the arrival OF Am
Ierican guests at the hotels. A pair
OF riding brooches and pair OF Eng
! lish puttees have made many man
call himself q mining engineer In
Mexico.
AS for myself, I have found the
old-tlmo American business man the
'fal guy for a strong touch. To get
10 this class YOU must be a good con-
Iyersationalist, talk on any subject and
make good. After a while YOU wear
/ NMA anu NWM AAiMNA AANNNA nNNNllAf -
steer That is the bum picks up a
new fellow bum and sends him against
the same people from whom he him
self has begged money The steer
and his pupil divide the amount OBJ
tanned. and 50 well does the steer
know his victims that there is no
chance for the student TO hold out on
his instructor
/ was much interested with my IN
formant's talk. and after bought
drinks for him aud several friends he
introduced me 90 a number Of the
local colony. Americans and English
men. who had been rich and prom
inont. and who had, as civil engineers,
| built hundreds OF miles of Mexican
railroads. Here In this place had died
''the count" q Polish gentleman. vic
tim Of the white line" drinks
knew him when he was In wealth and
influence, and. had ho lived six weeks
! longer. another $50. 600 would have
been paid him Here / met Jacob
L.. once the richest American IN
| Mexico city. and who brought the
/ first American sawmill 90 the coun-
| try a former captain in the United
states army: an actor who not many
years ago was wen known along
| Broadway. q former American naval
officer. chemists who had drawn Fab
ulOus salaries from the leading min
ing companies. men OF prominence Ia
an walks of life-al Victims OF the
white line" drinks. and from them
all "the harper" who had been mas
| guide 20 Mexico City's underworld. re-
| cclVed homage and respect
There IS nothing 10 H." con,....ucd
the harper" The buns money All
goes for drink. no good tramp ever
asks another for help. no matter how
dire may be his nce0 but II is an un-
written law that fellow tramp must
always buy drink"
Tho American bum has once IN
Mexico caused the American govern
ment to be involved Mike Green,
an INDECENT American. was rounded
lup with a bunch OF poems aud sent q
the Vale NaciOnnl. az that time d
convict colony There he died. and
General Powell Clayton. the American
minister al that time, started an In.
vcEtigution which led % the arrest ol
Candida Hernandez. Il wealthy tobacco
planter. The latter was la prison IN
ITuxtepec ana Oaxaca for several years
and an indemnity of $4,000 was paid
Green's sister.
| During the recent revolution many
Of the hobo element became soldiers
lof fortune IN tho Madero army and
rendered valuable aid to the cause oi
the lnsurrocto leader. when the wal
was over they drsftod hack To- the old
haunts. and today you VIII find then
telling their stories Of hard luck q
whatsoever viii lend willing ear.
Few criminals are found among the
American tramp element and few dar
ing rubbcTics nave been committed log
American crooks a government pey
master Of "Zapadores' was robbed b.
clever American crooks Of over $50,
900 several years ago. The criminal
were arrested and are today servlnl
time IN Belen, Mcxico's famous prison
Several gangs OF American "yegg
mem" one in Chihuahua. another 10
Oaxaca. were captured and sent up 10
long terms. Mexico city Is one Of tn
best policed cities IN the world. Tn
der General Felix Diaz, nephew of IN
ex- president. the police department
was reorganized and made efficient
A number ~ years aEo the foreisi
| tramua hepnme IA numerous In m