Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-06
Remembered
His I08Chi|dren
In HiSWi||


One look at the fashiy dressed. porty customer,
who was showing his bulky body through the narrow
frame entrance and the store-owner grnned happily.
Quickly Strengthening his tie swapping his fingers
at his doing clerks the beamng merchant bounded for
ward to meet his rotund customer
Welcome Senior Ramirez!" The proprietor made no
effort to disguise his JOY More presents for the little
ba- bees?"
Isl, si-gifts a hundred ninos"
The wadded a counter and pulled
out thick notebook The three grinning clerks. nod
ding in unison echoed the proprietors greeting and
drew out their order books The little merchant rub
bling his hands together stood hepfaiy at his elbow.
to hacienda number the Quito Road" be-
gan the customer, send ten dolls six toy dogs three
drums, five games, a. dozen horns and whistles and
twenty pounds of candy That ought make the little
nnos happy Mark the packages for Pedro Maria Jose
james, Miguea, Carlos, Carmen Don Juan. Conchita
Doloresso",
For nearly hour, the customer continued to order
reading after out of his book When he had
finished with toys he started all again. Bolts of
cloth Jewery. Perfume. Everything conceivable to melt
feminine heart.
BY the time he had finished he had ordered pack
ages dispatched to less than nine Of his hacendas
and to his home in Quito The proprietor could hardly
contain himself the clerks busIy added up the bill
nearly 5000 pesos
Senior Ramirez took wad of bills from his pocket
and peeled off the necessary amount The proprietor
bowling nearly to the floor, accepted the cash. and
proudly escorted HIS bonanza-customer to the door.
Fantastic this may seem, 1t actually has
been happening in Quito, Ecuador approximately
each month the past decade Only recently stop
with the death of Don Jose Miguel Ramirez. Of
South Americas richest lawyers and father OF less
than 10s children.
Every three four weeks Senior Ramirez would
put his law work aside and make inspection trip Of
all his estates Before starting out, he would pop into
one of Qutos little department stores and nearly clear
the shelves in order that gifts would precede him.
Despite his many children. Ramirez had but
legal wife-who bore him nine The rest born
of wedock But to understand this famous Quito lawyer
and his host of youngsters is to understand Ecuadorean
lay with reference to the legal status of children
Unlike the laws of the United States, Ecuador has
regulations that provide for the Inheritance rights of
children born out of wedlock to bachelor fathers Such
children have equal rights with mans legitimate chill
born after he becomes married The Latin
American for such pre-marriage heirs are "nau
raes." However, once a man marries any children by
woman other than his wife known as flgitimos
Prior to his marriage, Senior Ramirez fathered So
naturaes After his marriage he became the father OF
nine legitimate children 10 "iligtimos" In his will
Gently filed Ecuadors father of fathers provided
handsomely all of his 0s children and their mothers
So great his estate that after all his heirs were paid
off, there still residue
The mothers Of his vast army of children pretty
bronze Quichua girls who lived a la harem style at
Ramrezs nine hacendas Practically all of his wives"
whom he selected from among his servants as fancy moved
him-ppeFe their teens.
AS Ecuadorean made provision for inheritance
by igitimos" lawyer Ramirez skirted that little tech
nicaly by giving every of the girls who bore him
child legal note Indebtedness. payable his death
When Ramirez recently died-in the arms one OF
his pretty Quchua girshe in his sos On his death
bed he gave all the jewelry that he had in his
possession, which worth about $4,000
1t Senior Ramirezs boast that while in his seven
he fahered offspring There are many close
friends of energetic lawyer who point out that would
probably be closer to the truth TO say that Ramirez
less than 500 children He provided for
all that he his blood but there were many
times this number that he could not be certain Of
Although Ramirez and tales Of his romantic prowess
the talk of the country he was highly respected and
looked TO- None of the Quichuas were ashamed of their
relations with him. and the contrary regarded 1t
honor to be selected member of his retinue
His knew his SO 'naturaes." but according to
lawyers settled Ramrezs estate, Sonora Ramirez
quite surprised of the provision for the Is
"igitimos" She made effort however, to block it.
THE AMERICAN WEEKLY