El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1916-04-20
MEXICO TYPICAL
LAND Of INDIAN
Has More Indians Than
Ever Existed in All Rest
of Western Hemisphere.
Continued From Page Two.)

each enthnologist- Some aUthoTities
group them into IA families with 81
languages and SO dialects, while 9TH
ers make 16 family divisions, sub-di-
vided into 1872 tribes.
Astonishing Degrees Of Civilization.
THE degrees OF civilization to be
found among the many tribes are as
tonishing, ranging from the abject Seri
Indians of Sonora, as pitiably unde-
veloped as the Indians Of Terra del
Fuego, to the highly developed and
splendid specimens Of manhood found
among the Nahuatl and Maya tribes.
The finest examples Of aboriginal
civilization on the North American
continent were to be found in the
neighborhood Of the present City OF
Mexico. with the possible exception of
that prehistoric race Of temple build
ers whose ruins dot the Yucatan penin-
sula. 1t was on the site Of the capital
that the TolteCs left their imprint from
$50 A. d. to the 18th century, when
the ChichimeOs, replaced them, not by
conquest, but because the TOltecs died
out. some antiqUarians attributing their
gradual disappearance TO the ravageS
Of pulque, the insidious drink that has
ever been the curse Of that country.
Ruins of Casas Grnndes.
"Then came the highly civilized Acol-
huas, and a few years later, before the
opening OF the 18th century, the Aztec
began to pour in, leaving IN their wake,
as they came up the plateau the re-
markabIe structures now known as the
ruins of Casas Grandes They built
Tula so miles north OF Mexico city,
and eventually founded Tenochttlan,
on a site selected for them by the GODS
according to legend. the sign being an
eagle perched on a clump of cacti,
with a serpent in its talons II is this
sign which remains today the national
emblem appearing both on the coins
and on the flag Of Mexico.
cone of the most interesting legends
about the tribes from which the In
dams of today are descended is that
recorded Of the COlhuas, who are sup |
posed to have enslaved the Aztecs dur !
ing the latter's migratory march up the
plateau. The conquerOrs soon released /
their enemies because they were hOrri- |
fled at the Aztec's custom OF offering I
human sacrifices TO their gods.
1T was largely to the cooperation OF &,
the TlaXcalans, a neighboring tribe, that P
COrtez owed his triumph over the AZ
tees The latter were as brave and as
chivalrOus soldiers as were the Spanish
who enjoyed the decisive ,
advantage of gunpOwder and horses, !
both OF which were unknown 20 the ma
tives. The generosity OF the AZtecS as
fighting men is eXemplified in a single
incident Learning that the enemy was
without food. the eMxicans dispatched
an ample supply Of provisions. because /
they scorned to fight a starving foe.
Have 1871 Holidays.
1.-THE majority OF the pure-blOoded
Indians Of Mexico are a quiet, some
what melancholy people. Even on hol-
idays. Of which there are 131 on the
Mexican calendar they move silently
among the crowds the men either bare
footed or wearing woven sandals, their
shoulders covered with their striped sa-
rapes. and the women with their dingy
blue rebosas wrapped about them. In
attire the young girls, like the children !
Of Holland. are miniature replicas or
their mothers.
"The pure FLOODED Indian Of the re-
mote regions untouched by civilization
is more frequently than otherwise
staiwGrt individual OF upright charac-
ter. neral, honest and loyal One Of the
finest examples Of his race was Bentto |
Juarez. a member of the ZapOtecas tribe
Of Oaxaca- He was by turns a shep-
herd, a student OF divinity. governor OF
Oaxaca, minister Of justice, and finally
president of the republic.
'PorfiriO Diaz, the outstanding fig
Ire in Mexican history during the last
Iuarter of the 18th century, was also
BORN in Oaxaca and according to his
official biography was One-fourth In
Han, however. some genealogists hold
hat he was more nearly three fourths
indian"