The Washington herald., 1913-10-26
nv IAuEs b. MORROW.


Mexico" Poririo Diaz. with sword and
rife, put Lerdo to aight and he died in
exile.
We welcome Americans to Mexico"
Diaz announced after the smoke of revo-
luton lifted, giving him vision of the
future
Zachary Taylor invaded Mexico in 1876.
Diaz, a boy of sixteen with a dash OF
Indian blood in his veins, met the Ameri-
cans, gun in hand, a private in the ranks.
So began his acquaintance with the
United States.
I'VE have not the means" DiaZ told
the writer Of this article more than sixty
years afterwards, ito develop our rich
natural resources and therefore i have
been glad to greet the citizens of Mex
ico's big brother to the north, who bring
us ability, energy, and capital.
81 desire them to come" he continued,
"snd help US open mines, build railroads
and factories, and cultivate our wild
lands The United States is the model
nation of the world. What the Ameri-
can people have accomplished can only
be realized by comparing the colonists
and colonies of 1770 with the great states
since created and the high civilization
now TO be seen everywhere in your coun-
try"
Old Mexico became new Mexico the
moment Diaz drove Lerdo from power
ard by force of arms took the Presidency
himself Diaz was a revolutionist, out
he made revolution questionable by the
free use of powder and bullets. Dema-
gogues, as he termed them, were shot
where they stood or were thrown into
prison and executed in more leisureiy
manner.
The changed attitude of Mexico toward
the United States was soon known north
of the Rio Grande. Men bore the news
far and near. A country enormously rich
in gold, copper, and silver, closed for
ages, now invited the world to come In
and share its fortunes. And then began
the second American invasion.
Became Rich While He slept.
An Indian, coming down from the
mountains to his hut among the cac-
fuses of the thirsty lewlands, broke mis-
rosary The beads fell to the ground.
1t was night and the Indian remained
to gather up the beads in the morning.
Sleeping under the starlight his fire of
mesquit branches melted a tiny plate OF
silver streaked with gold on the gray
rocks at his side.
A mine was dug. A town was QUILT
Soon the Indian was very rich man
and bought his wife twelve sewing ma
chimes at one order. Better still, he
notified Mexico City that he stood ready
at call to pay the national debt.
Such was one of the stories which
we're borne over the frontier into Texas
and found their eastward way into cities
and villages along the Atlantic Coast
Regiments of adventuEers, men with
money and men without money, afame
with desire slaves in the happy bond
age of hope, poured into Mexico
Mines filled with water were made dry.
Shafts which stopped at fifty feet found
new levels far below. Mules disappeared
and engines were set up. Indians no
longer bore ore in bags on their backs.
.Iutching at the sides of treacherous
1OIes, working in and out like ants.
The American, that man Of magic, smote
the rocks and locked riches gushed forth.
Railroad builders followed the miners.
4 great noise arose south of the Rio
Grande, though the best mines, then as
now. were owned by men with shut
mouths. Still enough was heard and be-
lieved to make a railroad hazard OF
great promise. Furthermore, DiaZ was
lffering kingly subsidies to Europe and
the United States.
Two railroads were laid down from the
Texan boundary to Mexico City. The in
vaders ceased to go overland and by
ship, and instead went by rail. Strange
pictures, representative of the invasion,
were soon to be seen on the way. They
can be seen now. Grouped about mis-
erable station, built on waterless plain
Of cacti, are a dozen silent, squalid, and
lazy Indians watching the halted train.
woman in the dust before hut made
of old railroad ties is baking an unclean
looking corncake over a feeble fire. Be
fore a filthy little store a donkey is tied
10 a date palm.
Made the Mountains Glow.
There are wagons drawn by mules, four
mules to a team. On the ground are sew
eral hundred coarse bags. Empty cars
are on a side track. A glittering road,
deep with powdered clay leads to the
hare and stony mountains ten miles dis
tant A silver mine is in the mountains
and the bags are full Of ore. Each day
there are enough bags to load eight cars |
San Luis Patosi is seventy-five miles to |
the east There to the smelter goes the |
ore to be refined and made into bars. The |
railroad built by Americans gets the |
freight, and the Americans who own the |
mines get money in hand for their ore |
because the mints are always open to |
turn their bars into coin. |
Night comes down, and the mountains |
in their uneven line swerve toward the |
A white light CLEANS upon the |
heights, and is reflected from the clouds |
is at a mine owned by Americans. The |
whole mountainside is aglow with elec- /
tricity. Thousands of dollars have been /
spent for machinery. Engineers from the /
best technical schools in the United States /
live on the ground. A village of adobe 4
novels surrounds the mine. The ore is
rich and the veins are thick. Working /
three days a week, occasionally four, the
little Indians who live in the novels eat /
corn beans, and goat meat. Their faces
are unwrinkled, but their eyes are sad. |
Much Of their time and a larger part of
their wages are spent in drunkenness.
After Diaz resigned and went to Europe
Ihey turned revolutionists.
A barren claim hidden in a gorge
among the mists also turned profitable
after the Americans entered Mexico.
Wherever there are builders Of countries,
If railroads and industries, will be found
-ogues and spectators. The camp fol-
overs of the second army Of invasion
we're eloquent and ingratiatory.
Some of them were lawyers gifted with
words and in snares for the incautious
ind the avaricious. A foS-eyed Amer
can of middle age had seen me coming
md going at the hotel where we both
topped, had looked me over and been
nisled.
Came Also Many Sharp Traders.
Are you interested in Mexico?" he
lsked with a friendly smile and an
greeable infection to his words.
Yes" / replied.
What line. may I inquirer"
IAN lines