The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-07-03
WITH SWORD CARVED
 WAY TO PRESIDENCY

Porf1rio Diaz. who ruled Mexico from 1876 to 1911. had an adventur- ous,. colorfuI career.k
 He was born Sept. 15, 1880, in Oax- aca- His mother was an Indian. In contrast to his humble origin on the maternal side. his father was Capt. Jose Faustino Diaz, a lineaI descend ant of Bernal /Diaz del Castillo, who was close companion of the con- queror Hernando Cortez, and who wrote the history of Cortez's career.
 The Diaz family fortunes were on the w@ne at the time of the fathers death. and so the son, intended for a priest, was obliged to help the ex- chequer. and became a pharmacists s assistant. While at this occupation by day he studied law. and at night he taught school It was at this ernor of Oaxaca, became interested in him, and he became an ardent follower of that executive.
 When Diaz3 was seventeen Mexico was invaded by Gen. Winfield, Scott and his United States forces. The lad joined the Mexican army and got his first taste of fighting, a taste that was Iong to remain with him.
 When peace was established he went back to his law studies, under the tutelage of Juarez, but the love of battle was in him, and every po-
 
 under arms. He became a colonel in the Federal army and won distin- guished mention for services in Oaxaca, and JaIapa. In 1854 he serv- ed in the revolt, against Santa Anna. with more honors-
 Could Not Keep Out of Army. When Juarez became president, to the position of president of the supreme court, which was the same as the vice-presidency is here. But judicial life apparently did not inter est him much, he returned to the army and became a-brigadier general. He was a great popular hero, even then. In 1863 came the French invasion of i Mexico, after Juarez had so embroi1ed himself with foreign nations that sev- eral fleets of warships were sent to the coast of Mexico. Diaz was in com mand of a body of raw recruits, but ing troops, Diaz fought brilliantly against the trained Frenchmen and won splendid victory, which in- creased his popularity. But eventually he was defeated and captured. | He refused to accept parole, and af- l ter short imprisonm ent escaped. The netx year, when the French had cap- | tured Mexico City and proclaimed Archdulze Maxinihan of Austria as emperor, Dtaz took the field and re7
 
 l became commander-in-chief.
 Again he was captured. this time in l 1865, by Marshal Bazaine, while con- ferring under a flag of truce. Ba- zaine's advice to Maximilian was to shoot Diaz at once, as he was a dan gerous man, but instead the emperor tried to win over the connmander-in- chief by bribery. Diaz refused wealth and again escaped.
 Defeated by Juarez.
 When Mexico came into it's own again, after the shooting of Maxi milan, in 1887, Gen. Diaz was nom- l mated by the Progressive Liberals for 1 the Presidency and ran against his 1 mentor, Juarez, but was defeated. He l thought he was cheated in the elec- 1 tion and became the bitter enemy of his one-time friend He tried again in 1871, but once more was beaten for the Presidency Juarez died and was succeeded by Lesdo, his statutory successor.
 l Capture and escape were again Diaz,s lot in 1875, when he rebelled against Lesko He was a prisoner Esaboard a. warship, but dived over I board and got away twice. He rais- ed an army of 4,o0O in Oaxaca an6
 marched upon the capital. gaining re Inducements as he went The city fell to him on Nov. g, 1878. He as suned the Provisional Presidency and