The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1914-08-28
MEXICAN INDIANS
NOT ADMIRED
By TRAVELLER
Finds Them Lazy, Shiftless, Dir
ty and Willing to Live in
Squalor
INTIMATE PICTURES IN
LETTERS TO BROTHER
He's Only Guest in Beautiful
Hotel in I'll Oro-All Have
Fled

WASHINGTON. Aug. 2s.--An In
innate picture OF Mexican life and
personal observations on the locali-
ties visited are contained In the fol-
lowing letters received by James T..
Hale. No. 1880 Rosedale street NJ f.,
from his brother. William, who is well
known In Washington:
From Irapuato, state of Guanajuato:
Il saw an Indian squaw sitting on
the floor of waiting room in a rail-
way station. She had large bundle
on her back. a cigarette In her mouth,
a live parrot on her head. and a yell
low cur dog sleeping at her feet. and
sitting beside her was big indian
warrior with five hats on his head
all full size.
"At many railroad stations outside
the City of Mexico can be seen any
where from 80 to 500 men and women
asleep every night on the cement
floors OF the waiting rooms and on
the sidewalks around the station;
they have no beds, mattresses or pill
lows. They, OF course, sleep In their
clothes, and quite a few are wrapped
up In an old serape or red blanket.
At first sight, in the half-lit place.
you. cannot tell II they are men or
women, or bags of bones. Wrapped
ND among these sleepers are their
cook stoves. dogs. birds, kids and all
their worldly belongings. In fact,
they cook, eat, smoke and raise their
families in these places where they
sleep, as they have no other home
DO they work? Yes; they beg. ped
die and steal"
From Ell Orc, State of Mexico:
Here Is the town Of your life, Ell
Orc, In the state of Mexico, about 100
miles from Mexico City. Population,
$4,000. No sewers; no carriages.
autos or conveyances OF any kind; no
street cars; not even a garbage cart.
Streets paved with cobblestones chief
ly, and all other kinds OF stones. The
streets are narrow. crooked. short
and hollow In the center. The hollow
In their center acts as sewer. Men
(prisoners) sweep the streets with
small whisk brooms and carry on the
garbage in boxes.
at Is mining town. and has more
than 20 gold mines producing silver
and gold mines all now working.
The hotels are extremely bad, and q
pack OF dirty Chinese control the res
taurants. There are very few females
of the human species here, and only
one church (Catholic).
II am stopping at the Garden hotel,
and II II d beautiful hotel with 30
rooms, several nice porticoes, pretty
garden, also large tennis court. but
am the only guest. as all the others
were ordered to leave the city over
two months ago on account OF the
revolutions; and over 600 foreigners
left In one day on two special trains.
Now the little town Is practically
dead.
I'm the absence of carriages. tram
cars and carts, the livery stables do
land ONCE business renting horses for
riding. Here everybody rides horses,
mules or donkeys. There can be seen
banners strung across each OF the
principal streets reading, Sc aqnilar
caballos, desde rs cents a 81 which
In English means: We rent horses
from rs cents to 81 The signs don't
specify whether the price Is for an
hour or q day. This detail you ar
range when hiring the horse. Every
body rides here, nobody walks, except
the Indians. ladrones and poems.
"The town is about two miles up In
the air above the sea, and is built In
little pocket on the side OF the
4 mountain. It rains terribly hard at
times--in fact, comes down In sheets.
There is no mud, as the water swiftly
passes down the hill to nearby lakes,
and within Is minutes after the rain
has ceased the streets are perfectly
dry"
From Orijaba, state of Vera Cruz:
"Orizaba has electric lights, street
cars, three movies, q good theater and
parks, or. rather, plazas. with plenty
Of music and flowers"
From Cordoba. state OF Vera Cruz:
"Here am in Cordoba, the heart OF
the tropics, with parrots and pea
cocks as numerous as sparrows are
in many American cities. Indians
Indians everywhere, and not one
without youngster. Barefooted
coppercolored, almost nude, jet black
tresses yard or more In length. q
black cigarette in every mouth; one
passed Just now with two children In
her arms, one on her back.
"Cordoba has q population of one
white citizen, who Is floating or fleet
ing, and $4,000 redskins; or, TO BE-
exact, the total population is about
1900, 500 of whom are white. II Il
| hot, dirty, lazy and unprogressive. Nc
sewers. Mule street cars that make
hourly trips of 10 minutes In length
4 one movie, three barracks, 10 lock
ups, Is churches. 40 priests, and oveI
500 buxxards that act-as scavengers
They are the only STRENGTHENING de
4 ,partment the city possesses. Th'
donkeys and mules help out by eating
the grass and weeds that grow be
tween the cobblestones with which {
few Of the streets are paved. JUS
now there are many soldiers here
possibly 5000.