New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-01-14

II would be difficult to describe the average
Mexican. for the reason that Mexicans don't
sser 70 strike an average. Each has his pecul-
iarities which make him essentially oiieien'
from all others, but it is possible "i'nai' "
trace a few general characteristics
With MANY Mexicans the highest ambition Is
TO own a cayuse, a six-shooter ana SnNei
mounted saddle. When one of SAID meHicanS
accumulates these he has nothing more 70 i've
for. and having nothing more to i've 1or' ne
zoos out and gets shot in the hacienda.
There are about $4,000 Mexcans OF TINS
calibre who raise all the Sherman stun Inc
other thirteen million five hundred thousand
odd remain at home and tremble and wait LOT
neace prosperity and pants, the three crying
moods Of the unfortunate republic in the pres
cnt hour But 80 long as the 2o,o0o remain III
their saddles these needs will continue to cry.
One Of the most famous institutions in Mex
;co is the Mexican money. There has always
been much gossip concerning this money, put
the manner in which it is acting now Is simply
scandalous.
When man starts out to shoot and carve
his wav to the Presidency he buys printing
press first and firearms next After his print
ing press has been busy for year or more
grinding out currency OF various denomiha-
tons. each bill bearing fine steel engraving
of himself he Is ready to attend to the less I'M
portant details Of his campaign.
When several gentlemen aspire TO the Presi-
dency at the Same time, as is generally the
case. everybody has lots Of money. There IL
mora money in Mexico to-day than In any other
country in the world. There is Carranza
money, Zapata money, Villa money and still
some of the old Diaz Msdero and Huerta
money.
Most Of il is trick money such as we see dis
PLAYED in sample billfolds in the windows OF
stationery stores. If you are standing across
the street from it Mexican currency looks al
most real
To 20 into an adobe tortilla joint and eat
square meal and then pay for the same with
Villa or Carranza money is the MeMcans idea
of a Joke. If man has a vanload OF 1t ne
can buy package of cigarettes perhaps But
the tobacconist must be very nearsighted or
the trick will fail.
In FL Paso person can get ham sandwich
with S45 worth of Carranza money, but II
takes S1O9 worth of Villa money. Carranza
money is quoted a little higher than Villa
money, but the market fuctuates, and next
week the quotations may be reversed. Villa
may find a new machine gun.
Mexicans generally stay pretty close home,
because they can't carry enough Of their money
to travel anywhere and get back. When man
dies owning barn full Of this currency his
friends have to pass the hat TO pay his funeral
expenses.
In Mexico the rich are growing richer and
the poor are growing poorer This is appar-
emily the only condition that Mexico holds in
common with other nations Of earth. All her
other embarrassments seem TO be purely
original.
Mexico's present trouble dates back TO the
conduering Of Montezuma and his Aztecs by
the Spaniards. The Mexicans haven't had any
Montezuma or mazuma since. If the Span
ards had stayed away from the Aztecs, Mex
leo might have been quite a country by this
time The Aztecs represented fairly elevated
order Of community life. They did nothing