Copight^?. 
 
 COPYRIGHT DEPOSm 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 The Library of Congress 
 
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M 
 
 PAS 
 
 I 
 
 FUTURE 
 
 
 REV. ROBERT E. TYLER 
 
 BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA 
 1912 
 
Copywrighfted by Kobert E. Tyler 
 19 12 
 
 gCLA320057 
 
TO THE MEMOEY 
 
 OF MY 
 
 FATHEK AND MOTHEE 
 
 KiCHARD LaWSON AND MaRY AnN TyLER 
 
 Who served their generation well and answered 
 
 "Eeady" to the Master's summons during my 
 
 term of service in Mexico, this volume 
 
 is affectionately inscribed. 
 
COUNTRY of mysterious origin and 
 vast antiquity; of noble scenery and 
 impressive history; of picturesque costumes, 
 and a life half Spanish and half Oriental; 
 The dwelling place of Aztecs and of Spaniards; 
 the battleground of Montezuma and of Cortez; 
 the realm of sunshine and of silver — Mexico. 
 — John L. Stoddard's Lecture on ^'Mexico." 
 
TABLE OF CONTENTS 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Cliff Dwellers 17 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A Missionary Itinerary Among Natives 23 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Hunting and Being Hunted 31 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Habits and Customs 39 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 Educational System and Progress 63 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 i/ Resources, Natural and Commercial , , 83 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Romanism vs. Evangelism 103 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 History — Ancient and Colonial 123 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 History — Independence . , 149) 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 History — Modern 173 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 Mexico's Tomorrovt^ 207 
 
 CHAPTER Xn. 
 Pyramids of Mexico . 228 
 
ILLUSTEATIONS. 
 
 Slkyscraper of Savages 16-17 
 
 Dens of Rockmen 16-17 
 
 Tent of E«ck 16-17 '^' 
 
 Dwelling in Original Cliffs 16-17 '' 
 
 Group of pupils of Durango Mission School. . 48-49 -^ 
 
 Strange Market 48-49 i-^ 
 
 Tunnel of Sierra Madre 48-49 ■ ' 
 
 Game 48-49./ 
 
 Preparing Meal by Wayside 48-49 
 
 Irrigated Corn 96-97 
 
 Hauling Telegraph Poles 96-97 ' 
 
 Durango Timber 96-97 
 
 Baisaiaich Fall 96-97 
 
 Crowd at Daily Climes 112-113 
 
 Holy Week Scene ^ 112-113 
 
 Patio of MacDonald Institute .112-118 
 
 Interior Mission Hospital, Monterey 112-113 
 
 Cathedral, Mexico City 172-173 
 
 Chepultepec, Mjesico City , 172-173 
 
 Plaza, Durango 172-173 
 
 Iron Mountain 172-173 
 
 Public Wash House 172-173 
 
 Madero 226-227 
 
 Pyramid of Sun 226-227 
 
 Pyramid of Moon 226-227 
 
 Women as Beasts of Burdeti 226-227 v 
 
m 
 
 INTRODUCTION. 
 
 LAND of romantic and historic interest 
 from the beginnings of Western civil- 
 ization, Mexico, during the past year, 
 has been the cynosure of the eyes of the world. 
 Nowhere have her recent revolutionary strug- 
 gles been watched with deeper interest than 
 in her great sister republic to the north of 
 her. Nowhere is her future a matter of more 
 vital concern than amongst the people of the 
 United States. Nor will our interest in all that 
 concerns the welfare of our neighbor republic 
 abate with the cessation of war and the estab- 
 lishment of civil order within her boundaries. 
 The immediate future is destined to bring these 
 ttwo countries yet closer together. With the 
 completion of the Panama Canal, the people of 
 the United States and the people of Mexico will 
 be drawn into such close neighborly relations, 
 that nothing which concerns the welfare of the 
 one can be a matter of indifference to the other. 
 Mr. Tyler's book is brought out at the psycho- 
 logical moment. It brings to us a more intimate 
 knowledge of a land that will be a veritable 
 treasure-house to the historian and novelist, to 
 the archaeologist and ethnologist of tomorrow; 
 a land in which new chapters of economic and 
 
12 Introduction. 
 
 political development are to be written; a land, 
 too, in which will be centered the interests and 
 activities of millions of Protestant Christians in 
 the United States whose missionary enterprises 
 there are now merely at their beginning. 
 
 The author has enjoyed exceptional oppor- 
 ttmities for a close study of his subject at first 
 hand. His service for a period of years as a 
 missionary of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 
 South, in Mexico, has carried him well over the 
 field of his investigations; and his student's in- 
 stinct has led him to a painstaking and analytical 
 study of conditions that have come under his 
 observation. The results of his studies in this 
 land, whose history runs backwards from the 
 renaissance of today to the romance and history 
 of Toltec and Aztec civilizations, will be read 
 with profit. 
 
 J. H. McCoy. 
 
 Birmingham, Alabama. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 ITH an earnest desire to aid in some 
 degree the study of Mexico's affairs by 
 Americans, the author has undertaken 
 tc give a brief, simple, connected story of 
 what he considers to be the most important 
 incidents of Mexican history, as well as to dis- 
 cuss in a simple^ fair, and unbiased manner the 
 habits and customs of the people, together with 
 what he believes to be the livest and most inter- 
 esting questions of the hour. He reduces to 
 writing his observations and careful study of 
 these questions after a residence in the country 
 of a number of years; but he feels that he is en- 
 tirely unprepared to do justice to the subject. 
 He will be many times repaid if tHis humble 
 effort should result in some one making a more 
 careful study of this important land. 
 
 Latin Mexico, lying between the United States 
 of America and the Panama Canal, is a country 
 of intense interest, and will grow to be of more 
 and more interest as her future unfolds. Neigh- 
 bors should visit, write to, and study each other 
 that they may understand each other better, 
 realizing that nine-tenths of their troubles are 
 ^hose that never come, or that come through 
 
14 Preface. 
 
 misunderstandings and misinterpretations. A 
 Mexican gentleman, a teacher, a lawyer and an 
 editor, said to the writer, "You Americans are 
 responsible for many of our faults for bragging 
 on us too much." The author has not refrained 
 from being critical, but at the same time has 
 tried to be fair. 
 
n 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 The Cliff Dwellers. 
 
 HE little people who inhabited the re- 
 gions along the Rockies and Sierra 
 Madre before the discovery of the 
 Western World, dwelling in the crevices of the 
 ragged clififs, or in cities stuck to the cliffs 
 by their magic hands, have left the world a 
 topic of wonder-study. The story of these inter- 
 esting little folk is not a subject of 
 W h o theory and fiction, but of fact and his- 
 W e r e tory. Specimens of this almost ex- 
 They? tinct race are still to be seen, some- 
 times exhibited as Aztecs; but Aztecs 
 were as large as the Indians of any other tribe. 
 These early little inhabitants of Mexico, in size, 
 color and physiognomy resemble more the 
 Japanese than any other race, and have as the 
 Aborigines of Mexico strengthened the theory 
 that Mexicans are Japanese in origin. But if 
 the Cliff Dwellers are degenerates of Japanese 
 stock, and it is true that the ridge of a mountain 
 chain now submerged in our western waters 
 
16 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 formed a dry bridge to the eastern continent, it 
 would still remain a mystery as to how these 
 degenerates were developed into large stalwart 
 Mexicans. No, they were of mysterious origin 
 and were exterminated like other early inferior 
 races. They did not, like the Aztecs, attain any 
 high degree of civilization. They knew nothing 
 of agriculture and letters, whereas the Aztecs 
 excelled some of the lower class Mexicans of 
 today in both agriculture and letters, and even 
 in ethics. The Cliff Dwellers only knew archi- 
 tecture and built houses and made a quaint 
 pottery. 
 
 These mysterious people were on an average 
 about two feet in height and weighed about 
 thirty pounds. They were as active as monkeys 
 
 and with the single exception that the 
 What top of the head resembled that of the 
 Were monkey, they were well developed 
 They? people, having; big, brown eyes, black 
 
 hair and perfect facial expression, and 
 exhibiting no stub of a tail. They lived in these, 
 to human mind, inaccessible places, subsisting 
 on roots, berries, flesh of wild animals and fish. 
 They attained renown in architecture, but made 
 no effort in a literary line. They left no hiero- 
 glyphics cut in stone or wood, although they 
 carved in. both. (In fact, "Toltec" becomes a 
 synonym for architecture.) The Cliff Dwellers 
 
■Ji 
 
Dens of the Roekmen. 
 
w 
 
 > 
 
The Cliff Dwellers ^^ 
 
 were numerous among the cliffs of the Sierra 
 Madra when the Toltecs from Arizona and Cal- 
 ifornia invaded Mexico about the middle of the 
 sixth century A. D. The exact date is unknown. 
 Thos. Brocklehurst in his Ancient History gives 
 the date as 500 A. D., while Prescott (Vol. I., 
 page 8) gives the date when Tula was established 
 as 648 A. D., possibly following date given by 
 Clavigero. But the three renowned Indian 
 scholars, Mendoza, SoHs and Ramirez, in their 
 criticism and correction of Chimalpopoca's mod- 
 ern translation of Anales de Cuautitilan when 
 they were connected with the National Museum 
 of Mexico placed the date at 674 A. D. It 
 was simply a question of the '^survival of the 
 fittest," and the little denizens of the mighty 
 rocks were soon exterminated. 
 
 The writer in October, 1908, made a hazard- 
 ous exploration tour of the ruins of a city built 
 by the Cliff Dwellers in the far interior of 
 Mexico. We started from the city 
 Vi s i t of Chihuahua, capital of the State of 
 
 To Their Chihuahua, one morning at seven 
 Dens. o'clock, by rail, due west, and reach- 
 ed the end of the line next morning 
 at ten o'clock, about one hundred miles over the 
 National Divide on the Pacific Slope. There we 
 procured mules and guides and started out 
 
18 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 through the hills in a northwesterly direction. 
 After two and a half days we came to the verge 
 of what is known as "Big Black Canon." After 
 shooting some deer and turkey that stoo i about 
 our camping place, we struck camp near by in 
 a tributary to this Black Canon. After resting 
 up, enjoying refreshing sleep and savory wild 
 meats, we started out with our guides the next 
 morning in search of the wonderful ruins of the 
 P.ockmen. For two hours we climbed up the 
 cliffs and at last we reached the very edge of the 
 g-reat rocks that protruded over the mighty preci- 
 pice that seemed like a cloud hanging out in the 
 sky. Down, down, a thousand feeF and more 
 beneath our feet, madly dashed along over rock 
 and precipice a beautiful river like splashing 
 silver from some volcanic furnace. Across on 
 the other side of the canon from where we stood, 
 in plain view, were the dens of the ClifTmen. It 
 looked like a picture — a dream it seemed! We 
 looked up and across to the horizon again, and 
 for half a mile the rugged rocks gradually sloped 
 towards us, and then a hundred feet of solid 
 perpendicular rock stood before us, then pro- 
 truding a hundred feet out over the canon, then 
 straight down again, then back under the hill for 
 a hundred feet, and then, below this on a little 
 bench about halfway down the perpendicular 
 precipice, we saw the strangest sight! Not as I 
 
The Cliff Dwellers 19 
 
 had imagined had these little fellows carved and 
 cut their dens in the cliffs, but like people they 
 had built them out of timbers and mud, shaping 
 them up into a beautiful architecture upon this 
 high shelf. Upon this high bench, seemingly in- 
 accessible to anything without wings, was built 
 a city, not in ruins, but in perfect order, room 
 after room, house after house, story above 
 story ! 
 
 We turned from this strange, vacated city to 
 our camp, to dream of the things and people 
 ^■hat used to be. One thing was certain, it was 
 
 not the home of robbers of 
 
 Construction later days, for these builders 
 
 of Houses. had selected the places of no 
 
 protection from rifle or arrow 
 or stone, and had built houses easily crumbled 
 even by falling stones, when perfectly protected 
 places v/ere near at hand. What could it mean? 
 It was simply a city built by intelligent people 
 at a place and after a manner to their liking in 
 peace and pleasure. The next morning we start- 
 ed out to visit the opposite side, the side on 
 which the buildings were located, knowing at 
 the same time that we would not get as good a 
 view as on the previous evening but hoping to 
 I e able to reach some one building in the suburbs 
 for closer scrutiny. Our expectations were more 
 
20 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 than realized, for from one protruding clifif we 
 could see one portion of the city at closer range, 
 and made some pictures of it. Finally we reach- 
 ed one building. The rooms were about eight 
 feet square and six feet to the ceiling. The 
 doors were about one and a half feet wide and 
 two and a half feet high. The windows were 
 about eighteen inches square and were placed 
 around promiscuously, showing the only sign of 
 irregularity in the entire structure. The corners 
 of the building were plumb and the doors set 
 plumb. The doors had wood jambs and the roof 
 had wood joists, seemingly cut with stone. The 
 wood in that dry climate will easily last two 
 thousand years. I noticed some joists that were 
 taken out of an old cathedral that had been 
 built in the town of Nombre de Dios, State of 
 Durango, one hundred years before George 
 Washington was born, and they were perfectly 
 sound — so much so that they were put into a fine 
 new building. The houses had no floors (but not 
 one in five that is built now in Mexico has a 
 floor). The walls were made of dirt, seemingly 
 a mixture of mud, gravel and straw, very similar 
 to the "adobe" that is in nine-tenths of the 
 houses of Mexico today. The plastered walls of 
 this straw-mud were skillfully executed and 
 seemingly eternal. 
 In this house we reached we found many bones 
 
The Cliff Dwellers 21 
 
 of skeletons of these people. The partial skel- 
 etons that we were able to put together showed 
 that they were about the size of 
 Bones and the few specimens now on ex- 
 Strange Gap hibition through the country — 
 In Doors. about two feet high. A strange 
 
 little gap was noticed at the bot- 
 tom in the center of each door, seemingly cut 
 about seven inches wide and four or five inches 
 deep. Some thought it had been worn there by 
 their feet passing in and out, but others 
 thought on account of the regularity that it was 
 cut there for some purpose. The doors in the 
 second and third stories of the buildings all had 
 the same gap. 
 
 They had built in the corner of the yard a cis- 
 tern in the exact shape and as perfect as those 
 ia use today. How strange it looked stuck to 
 the wall like hornets' nests, so in- 
 Cistern accessible to water! One house had 
 «nd Porch a beautiful porch in shape and style 
 of those of today. Along in front of 
 a row of two-story houses was built a nice yard 
 —all of this upon a bench where it seemed that 
 only beings with wings could have gone. 
 
 The ClifiF-folk did not always dwell in houses 
 made of stick and mud, but often lived in caves 
 
22 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 along the cliffs. In fact, when they were most 
 
 numerous in the country, pos- 
 
 Some Lived sibly the majority of them dwelt 
 
 Only only as other wild animals, in 
 
 In Caves. the holes in the hills, but as 
 
 they could, the most energetic 
 
 '•nd intelligent among them began to plan and 
 
 build houses. After all, they deserve more credit 
 
 than we, for having built houses in perfect order, 
 
 joined together, story above story, with doors 
 
 and windows, porch and yard, cistern, etc., all 
 
 without any kind of a model, when we have 
 
 theirs to copy from and improve upon. 
 
m 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 A Missionary Itinerary Among Natives, 
 
 S the writer's work in Mexico was con- 
 fined principally to American colonies 
 ^^^ there he did not have very many oppor- 
 tunities to do mission work among the natives. 
 However, after learning Spanish he often preach- 
 ed for them on special occasions and attended 
 Iheir revivals and prayer meetings. And during 
 the three years that he served as pastor of the 
 American congregation at Durango he had sev- 
 eral opportunities to make itineraries among the 
 Mexican congregations, assisting the presiding 
 elder in his strenuous work, as he lived some 
 seven hundred and fifty miles away in El Paso. 
 So on some occasions when he did not feel well 
 enough to make the 1,500 miles by rail and four 
 days by cart, the station pastor was asked to do 
 one or nore of these trips. Having made some 
 of these trips in company with the presiding 
 elder, and feeling inclined to do this kind of 
 
24 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 work, he was always eag^er for service of this 
 nature. 
 
 The author's first evangelistic itinerary among 
 the natives was a trip to Nombre de Dios, a 
 town more than three hundred years old, of three 
 thousand inhabitants, not one 
 Nombre de Dios of whom spoke a word of 
 (Name of God). English. He hired a four- 
 mule wagon, and, not feeling 
 equal to the Spanish task of really conducting a 
 Mexican quarterly meeting, which always pro- 
 tracted into a revival of several days' duration, 
 he asked one of the missionaries, Miss Mae 
 Treadwell, who had charge of the McDonell In- 
 stitute, to accompany him on this trip, as it was 
 during holidays. So after the work of Sunday 
 was over, Monday early in the morning the 
 driver reported at the parsonage with his team. 
 The writer with his family and two teachers from 
 the school started out on this mission with a 
 prayer on their lips that some good might be ac- 
 complished. Their first subject for spiritual in- 
 structions was the driver. This first experience 
 proved an easy task, for the coachero, although 
 very superstitious about the gringo's Protestant- 
 ism, on this occasion acquiesced in the teachings 
 of the simple gospel and was saved. 
 
A Missionary Itinerary 25 
 
 The illustration on another page gives the sit- 
 uation at the lunch hour about twenty miles out 
 from the city, preparing a meal by the wayside. 
 No opportunity for instruction was given here 
 as no one was encountered during this short 
 trip. 
 
 At Salto, the Niagara of Mexico (Salto means 
 a fall — see illustration), where camp was struck 
 for the first night, a splendid opportunity was 
 given for special work. This was the 
 First midway ''inn" from the City of Du- 
 Night rango to Nombre de Dios. This great 
 Out. camping place for all "passers-by" con- 
 
 sisted of three families, a large lot or 
 feeding place for stock, and a grand hotel of 
 two rooms without floor, chairs, tables or beds. 
 The one room here that was "to let" was very 
 familiar to the writer and his family, as on a 
 previous occasion they had found it necessary 
 tc pass the night there, and during the supper 
 hour were overcome by the gas from the Mex- 
 ii'an's charcoal cooking and came near losing 
 their lives. The writer on this later visit pre- 
 sented to this people the gospel, most of whom 
 accepted it freely and gladly. Some tracts were 
 left for distribution and a Bible was given to 
 one who could read on a promise that it should 
 he read to the guests who chanced to stop by 
 
?6 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 horn day to day. Hundreds passed that way 
 conveying precious metals from the mountains 
 to the railroad. With many a ''Gracias" and 
 "Adios" (thank you) and (goodbye), the party 
 departed early the next morning, arriving at 
 Nombre de Dios at three o'clock in the after- 
 noon and began to call the people of the mission 
 together for a series of services. The quarterly 
 meeting was held and revival services began im- 
 mediately. A goodly number of followers were 
 soon congregated, and singing, praying and 
 praising God started in the very first service in 
 a manner that easily prolonged the service until 
 the midnight hour. Such faith, consecration and 
 devotion as that congregation manifested was 
 indeed glorious. 
 
 During the progress of the meeting many 
 times the rabble who had gathered outside of the 
 building cursed and threw stones against the 
 
 walls. The writer must confess 
 Outside that he felt a little uneasy, as on 
 
 Disturbance, his previous visit to the town 
 
 with the presiding elder, which 
 occurred on the i6th of September (the Mex- 
 icans' Fourth of July), when the streets were full 
 of people drinking, they were forced to sit up 
 during the night with their Winchester rifle, 
 shot-gun and revolvers in hand, expecting every 
 
A Missionary Itinerary 27 
 
 moment for the door to give way under the 
 heavy pressure of the stones that were constant- 
 ly thrown against it. When morning came the 
 rabble were too drunk to cast stones and the 
 preachers could go about town without their 
 guns. 
 
 On this latter trip the rufBans who first began 
 to make trouble were soon brought under the 
 influence of the meeting and several of them con- 
 verted. A conference was held 
 Reconciled. with the priest of the city, a 
 young, progressive fellow, who 
 frankly admitted that his people would be im- 
 proved morally if the people were more equally 
 divided, saying that Romanism had encountered 
 no opposition until lethargy and immorality had 
 taken deep hold upon his people. 
 
 The party slept three nights in the little chapel, 
 turning rough benches together and spreading 
 blankets upon them. All the homes of the con- 
 gregation were open to the vis- 
 Slept In itors, but this was chosen as 
 The Church. being more comfortable for the 
 party, and because the people 
 were very poor and would be greatly incon- 
 venienced otherwise. After the "goodbyes" and 
 ''God bless you" and ''keep you through the 
 night," etc., were finally over, after midnight it 
 
28 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 was easy to sleep even on a hard rough board. 
 All knew the crowd would be back early next 
 morning ready to sing and pray through the day. 
 
 This devotion to God's house and appreciation 
 of His laborers sufficiently inspired one to his 
 greatest efficiency and even beyond the bounds 
 of his strength. It was on this 
 Inspiration spot that the sainted Robert 
 
 and MacDonell fell on sleep after 
 
 Opportunity his journey from Durango. Fri- 
 day morning the final "Adios" 
 had to be said, for it was necessary to reach Du- 
 rango for the Sunday service. The party started 
 on their return trip the next morning feeling 
 that the visit had been worth while. 
 
 On reaching home the first duty that the writer 
 and his wife faced was to look after their old 
 idol manufacturer, an aged Spaniard of some 
 ninety years who lived second door from the 
 parsonage, and who was seriously ill when they 
 left. Quite a friendship had sprung up between 
 Pascual (the idol maker) and the American pas- 
 tor and his family. Although thoroughly trained 
 in and wedded to the ways of Rome, and super- 
 stitious and ignorant, he had been taught by the 
 writer to look through and beyond his idols to 
 his Maker. They found him on their return in 
 a dying condition. Upon the re-appearance of 
 his American friends he rallied, and then, with 
 
A Missionary Itinerary 29 
 
 the cross of gold on his heart and the image of 
 the Virgin Mary held in front of his eyes, with 
 his hand holding that of the Protestant pastor 
 who prayed that he might have a true vision of 
 the Savior, and then whispering ''It is well, it is 
 well," a beautiful smile played over his face as he 
 closed his eyes in death. 
 
 The writer felt well paid for any and all sacri- 
 fices and services rendered in Mexico for testi- 
 monials in death like that of Pascual. Reflecting 
 on the happy days of service on this field in the 
 Master's business. Miss Treadwell, who was 
 often with the writer and his family in these 
 happy experiences, says in a recent letter: 
 "During the ten years of my service here, where 
 laborers are few and the harvest great, I have 
 known of no recruits who have brought us more 
 light and joy and help than the author and his 
 family; entering into all of our joys and sorrows 
 they won the hearts of natives and foreigners. 
 They did a great work. The MacFerren Me- 
 morial Parsonage, which stands beside Mac- 
 Donell Memorial Church here, as also our beau- 
 tiful stone church in Torreon (the finest in the 
 Republic owned by our Church), are monuments 
 to their ability, consecration and zeal." (Mae 
 Treadwell, apartado 103, Durango, Mexico, 
 January 15, 1912.) 
 
30 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Such expressions and letters from his pre- 
 siding elder there, often begging him to return, 
 causes the writer's heart to turn that way. In 
 fact, his letter to Bishop Candler asking to be 
 relieved of his work there on account of the ill- 
 ness of his wife was a sad, sad day. 
 
 Without the help of Miss Treadwell and Miss 
 Tydings, two of the best among those who have 
 labored in Mexico, the writer never could have 
 succeeded with his work. And he and his family 
 are indebted to them and many other kind 
 friends in Mexico for their many, many kind- 
 nesses. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 Hunting and Being Hunted, 
 
 D 
 
 T is said that all thinjs^s come to those 
 who wait. There are two experiences 
 that come to many American people in 
 Mexico. One of them is a great delight and 
 comes by choice, namely, to hunt; the other is a 
 great distress and comes unbidden, namely, to 
 be lost — to be hunted. It is easy to join the 
 Esau, Nimrod & Roosevelt crowd when in a 
 country full of wild beasts. 
 
 Not long after the writer had taken charge of 
 American work in Mexico one of his members, 
 Mr. Boyles, who lived seventy-five miles away 
 from his church out in the moun- 
 Ofif to tains, invited his pastor out to see 
 
 The Hills, him and take a hunt on the San 
 Bias Ranch, in which he had an in- 
 terest and superintended. It was a pleasant and 
 i-xciting trip. Mr. Boyles sent his trusted over- 
 seer, Jesus by name (most Mexicans have Bible 
 names), after his pastor with animals sufficient 
 for transporting the entire family. The trip was 
 
32 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 made in two days. Mrs. Tyler rode horse-back 
 m the only manner possible (astride) through 
 those mountains for the first time. Odette Tyler 
 rode a burro (donkey) the entire way, slipping 
 over his head twice going down the steep hills. 
 All were tired outright on reaching San Bias. 
 After two days of such experiences over hills 
 and sleeping on the hard ground at night, San 
 Bias was indeed a haven of rest. Mr. and Mrs. 
 Boyles, one of the first families of Ohio, who 
 had gone there to look after their ranch inter- 
 ests, intelligent, consecrated Meth- 
 San Bias, odists, made the preacher's family 
 feel at home. Mrs. Boyles said, "I 
 haven't been to church in two years, have seen 
 so few Americans, but I am happy! I am doing 
 Christian work among the natives on the ranch. 
 We are out of touch with the world, sending 
 only once every two weeks for the mail." 
 
 The first night Mrs. Boyles with her pastor 
 and his wife went down to a little hut on the 
 ranch to visit a woman who was seriously ill. 
 After administering to her physical necessities, 
 dividing with her their medicine supply, the 
 writer questioned her about her spiritual condi- 
 tion. She knew only Mary, THE MOTHER 
 OF GOD, but did not attribute to her Son 
 jesus any honor or praise. Finding her in 
 
Hunting and Being Hunted 33 
 
 almost a dying condition, the night was spent 
 there praying with her and ministering to her. 
 But when morning came she said to her family 
 in her fanaticism and desperation that she was 
 going to die and had to see a priest — that meant, 
 of course, that they (her family) would carry her 
 dead or alive to see one. They put her on a 
 mule several times, but each time she would 
 faint. Finally seeing that she could not sit up, 
 they fastened a blanket to two poles and started 
 with her to Durango seventy-five miles away, 
 not to see a physician for an operation for ap- 
 1 endicitis, but to have a priest bless her before 
 she breathed her last!! In her desperation now, 
 a Protestant even in presence could only harm 
 her. So with men, money and medicine they 
 were oflf to see the priest. 
 
 Mr. Boyles and the writer with Jesus and his 
 two pack-mules started out for a hunt. Mr. 
 Boyles said, "Jesus, carry us to the spot where 
 you killed the two black bears last 
 First week; I want to show Mr. Tyler their 
 Hunt. den, and maybe we will get the other 
 ones you saw." It was the most ex- 
 citing hour of this scribe's life. He had never 
 killed a deer nor charged a bear's den, and even 
 now a regular buck ague was on. After the first 
 deer had been killed and some turkeys the 
 
?4 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 writer's nerves quieted down and he got in some 
 good shooting, having killed five of the seven 
 deer and one of the turkeys seen in our illustra- 
 tion elsewhere. Every advantage, of course, had 
 been accorded him. The writer will not under- 
 take to describe the attack upon the bear's den; 
 sufifice it to say that he did not always take ad- 
 vantages which were offered him, finding it 
 difficult to remain at a given stand still and long 
 enough for the bear to put in his appearance. 
 In fact, once having been given the best gateway 
 to guard, on seeing the Mexican across the 
 Canon motion that the bear was coming out at 
 that gate, he found himself out of control of his 
 legs which were walking off with him, feeling 
 that the bear could be easily killed at a much 
 greater distance (he had been warned that it 
 would not do to wound the bear, but that it was 
 necessary to kill him). If the animal came out 
 by that gate it was not observed; possibly the 
 moving around there had caused it to turn back 
 as this hunter was beginning to hope it would do. 
 The joke now was on Odette's daddy, as he had 
 constantly teased her for being afraid of get- 
 ting out of the house after having been shown 
 an eagle's wings and claws that had been killed 
 there a little while before while killing a colt, 
 and which could easily have carried away a child. 
 
Hunting and Being Himted 35 
 
 She did not only determine to remain inside, but 
 was very much worried over having her burro 
 exposed to such dangers. 
 
 Next morning Jesus strapped five of the deer 
 ?nd some turkeys on two pack-mules and all 
 mounted and started back to Durango expect- 
 ing to overtake the parties carrying the woman 
 on the stretcher. Strange to say the woman 
 livd through the trip, was blessed by the priest, 
 and got well; but it was the Protestant's bottle 
 oi oil and not the blessing of the priest, as she 
 thought that did the work. Possibly all com- 
 bined. 
 
 Two of the most impressive incidents in the 
 life and experience of the author were being lost 
 himself and searching for the lost. If the reader 
 
 has never been lost it will be impossible 
 Lost, to appreciate fully its meaning. The 
 
 writer was lost — fearfully lost, while on a 
 mission of mercy. He was one of a party carry- 
 ing a desperate wounded man from a mine sev- 
 eral days' journey to the city. One afternoon 
 the patient suffered so intensely that it became 
 necessary to strike camp about two o'clock. 
 The doctor asked the writer to ride out a little 
 Vsray from the Mazatlan Trail and kill something 
 to eat. He had not gone far until he came across 
 some turkeys and soon found that in following 
 
36 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 them he had lost his bearings. Every direction 
 tried only brought disappointment, for in less 
 than half a mile's distance a bottomless canon, as 
 far as human eye could reach, stood in its awful 
 ghastliness before him. To turn and try the op- 
 posite direction was only to find within less than 
 a mile a similar experience — stopping upon the 
 edge of a precipice and looking down thousands 
 and thousands of feet of perpendicular rock 
 sides only to hear the moaning and sighing of 
 the breezes among the rocks of the deep canon, 
 the tumbling stones as they were turned over by 
 the hands of the black bear searching for bugs 
 and worms for an evening meal and the mourn- 
 ful howling of the wolves like requiems over a 
 lost world. After hours of fruitless effort the 
 horse was finally given the reins for a trial that 
 he seemingly had been wanting to make. He 
 puckered up his ears and started out a new way 
 and succeeded in going a little further than 
 usual, but finally stopped and stuck his ears over 
 a cliff that must have been two thousand feet 
 straight up in the air. 
 
 With horse and rider both completely pu-zzled 
 and hemmed in a small place, with a deep canon 
 i.11 around seemingly, out of hearing of all sig- 
 nals, night already on, a desperate effort was 
 made to find water, but in vain. The rider dis- 
 
Hunting and Being Hunted 37 
 
 mounted to rest himself and animal, feeling that 
 since he had not traveled very far, being hem- 
 med in, he would be found early the next day, 
 remembering at the same time that some Ameri- 
 cans had been lost in there and never found. 
 
 Before trying to sleep any, as had been his 
 custom from early childhood, the rider looked up 
 "to the hills from whence cometh all our help." 
 About midnight the sky cleared 
 Help up (it had been cloudy during 
 
 From Above, the afternoon and night), and 
 he took his bearings from the 
 stars, mounted and started out straight to a 
 star, knowing that unless an intervening canon 
 stopped him the trail must be crossed not far 
 from camp. Sure enough the evidently narrow 
 neck of the trap was passed, and on and on 
 until at last from the top of a high ridge the 
 light of the camp could be seen straight on be- 
 fore. Light signals were exchanged and later 
 from the low lands rille shots, and soon camp 
 was reached and all searchers called in. 
 
 On another occasion during an exploration of 
 a canon for Clif¥ Dwellers two of the party were 
 lost from the guides and could not find their way 
 to camp. They were out two days 
 Searching and a night without water or food. 
 For Lost. At night the writer directed the 
 
38 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 search, going with the guide to every high peak 
 in the surrounding country, building bonfires and 
 shooting, but with no success. No one lived in 
 that wild country for hundreds of miles. The 
 next day a wider search and a more desperate 
 effort were made to find them, knowing that un- 
 less they were found that evening they would 
 likely lose their minds and run away from us 
 into the canon if found. The guide finally gave 
 up, saying that they could not be found, when 
 something said to the writer who prayed for di- 
 rection, ''Go on to the top of that great range 
 of mountains." They were scaled and at three 
 o'clock in the afternoon the lost were found- 
 One of them was more or less composed but the 
 other had gone to pieces. It looked at first dan- 
 gerous to approach them, as they had their guns. 
 In fact, after full recognition was effected and 
 food and water administered, they were still en- 
 raged with the guide and would have killed him 
 but for the pleading of the writer that if they did 
 so none of us would be able to find the way 
 back to camp (which was true). 
 
 A word of caution to all who go into the big 
 woods: Never go without a native guide, and 
 never risk yourself away from the guide even to 
 do some small place. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 Habits and C ii s torn s. 
 
 HE peculiar customs of Mexico are full 
 
 of interest to the average American, 
 
 especially if he has never seen an adobt 
 
 nor a well packed burro. Stepping over 
 
 the border line from the United States, he 
 
 seems at first to be walking in his sleep, the 
 
 sights are so unreal and strange to him. 
 
 The black-robed women, with shawled heads, 
 the lagging, indolent men, lashing their half- 
 starved horses into a forced trot over the rough 
 cobbled streets of cities, conveying the 
 In the better class to and from their business 
 Street. points; the poor abused burros plod- 
 ding the streets with burdens so heavy 
 and so immense that only their little hoofs are 
 visible beneath their heavy loads to assure one 
 that they are real beasts and not automatic ob- 
 jects moving along. Then the screeching of the 
 cracked-voiced vender of ''dulces" (candies) on 
 every corner; the lazy policeman in laundried 
 white standing as motionless and almost as use- 
 
40 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Jess as a barber pole; the sleepy mule of the 
 street-car creeping along at a pace that an Amer- 
 ican would scorn and walk on ahead; the scarcity 
 of well dressed men and women in the streets 
 and the monotonous sameness of the peculiar 
 aress of the poor people, the bumping and jost- 
 ling on the sidewalks, for one never knows which 
 way a Mexican will turn, and they often take the 
 entire walk, stopping in the midst of it to wave 
 an "adios" to passing friends. It is strange to 
 call out "goodbye" to persons along the street 
 v/hom one has scarcely met. These and many 
 other novel sights hold the attention of the 
 .'American, when at last he is aroused from a 
 dream by the tremendous clanging of the harsh 
 and discordant bells of the cathedral. These 
 bells hang high in the tower and are rung vigor- 
 ously by men pulling ropes. They all clang to- 
 gether, some ten or twelve, without time or 
 rhythm or decent tone. Their principal object 
 seems to be noise. They are rung many times a 
 day to call the sinful passer-by to enter the 
 church door, which stands open at all hours, 
 and say his prayers to the Holy Mother. 
 
 The most of the people when passing a church 
 reverently lift their hats in respectful recognition. 
 Many of their religious customs seem to 
 be mere habit, vet to the Mexican they 
 
Habits and Customs 41 
 
 Some have some significance, possibly. 
 
 Religious But their slavish subjection to the 
 Customs. priests is disgusting to the average 
 American, as he sees the rag-tag of 
 the town running along the streets kissing the 
 hands of the priests as they hold them at a suffi- 
 cient distance lest their fine robes should be 
 soiled. And it is not always confined to the poor. 
 1 have seen a rich and apparently well educated 
 merchant leave his store and kneel down upon 
 the sidewalk and repeatedly kiss the hands of a 
 passing priest. 
 
 All enter the church, both rich and poor, in 
 S'mple raiment, the women with shawled heads, 
 and devoutly in form perform their services. 
 
 All through the year they observe many 
 
 ^'fiestas." The one of greatest importance is the 
 
 Guadalupe Day, or Fiesta of Nuestra Sra de 
 
 Guadalupe This is a week of re- 
 
 Guadalupe ligious ceremony, when the great 
 
 Day. pilgrimage takes place, and people 
 
 far and near throughout the Re- 
 public find their way to the place where is built 
 the famous Church of Guadalupe in the sa- 
 cred town of the same name. It is a suburb of 
 the City of Mexico. The church is built on a hill 
 overlooking a beautiful valley and surrounding 
 mountains. It is shrouded in a kind of mystery 
 
42 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 which endears it to the superstitious and ig- 
 norant people. 
 
 They beheve in the old legend which tells how 
 an Indian once crossing the mountain knelt to 
 pray, and when calling upon the name of the 
 Holy Virgin, she appeared to him 
 Old and presented to him a bunch of 
 
 Legend. flowers. He bowed himself humbly 
 before her, but when he arose again 
 she had disappeared but had left Eer photograph 
 plainly imprinted upon his ''tilma" or loose 
 cloak which he wore. He hurried to present his 
 story and bunch of flowers to his priest, who 
 blessed them, and priest and people were so 
 aroused by this wonderful thing that they built 
 a church upon the spot where the Virgin had ap- 
 peared, and it has been a sacred shrine for pil- 
 grim worshipers since that time. 
 
 The Indian tillma has been preserved till this 
 d.ay and may be seen in the church. A fac simile 
 of that impression is tacked over nearly all the 
 doors of the homes in the Republic 
 Credence today, and some of the wisest of the 
 Given people seem to think it simply a 
 
 miraculous occurrence. This decept- 
 ive miracle working way has often been the 
 method of Rome. Anything to excite the people 
 and make them pour out their abundant treasures 
 
Habits and Customs 43 
 
 in the coffers of the Church. By this cieception 
 iilone millions have been poured upon that spot — 
 bleeding the people. The altar and railings of 
 the church, it is said, are made of soHd silver. 
 Great oil paintings hang upon the walls, and 
 many other novel features make it an interest- 
 ing place to visit. 
 
 There is a quaint old cemetery on the hill near 
 
 by this church, and here, as is their custom in all 
 
 cemeteries on this day, the people take their 
 
 families, and dressed in black they 
 
 AH Saints' go to spend the day among the 
 
 Day. g-raves in the cemetery, fasting, 
 
 weeping and praying for departed 
 souls. Many bring great candles, some five feet 
 h^'gh, decorated in gilt, and place them burning 
 at the head and foot of the graves. Natural and 
 artificial flowers are also used in great profusion, 
 and many symbols are placed upon the graves of 
 their loved ones; but there seems to be no se- 
 riousness connected with the affairs of the day, 
 all of it being simply a picnic. 
 
 Another "fiesta dia" of importance to the Mex- 
 icans is the week preceding Easter Sunday, This 
 is observed in the church by mass and mourning, 
 with constant religious ceremonies, up 
 Easter to Friday when the crucifixion took 
 Week. place, then, leaving the church, the 
 
44 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 people rush into the streets with loud shout- 
 ings and excitement and proceed to burn 
 in effigy the body of the treacherous Judas. 
 
 This is an image made of straw and dressed 
 in a suit of clothes to resemble a man. It is car- 
 ried through the streets with loud shriekings 
 
 and mockings from the rabble that 
 Burning follow close on the heels of the 
 Judas. bearer. When a sufficiently large 
 
 crowd has gathered to witness this 
 spectacle, it is saturated with petroleum and 
 hoisted on high, after which the frenzied mob 
 fj.re upon it with well loaded pistols, thus setting 
 it in a blaze. It wobbles feebly about in a pitia- 
 ble manner, so realistic that, as they work them- 
 selves up to a fury, they almost imagine it to be 
 the real Judas. Finally, when it falls half burnt 
 they rush upon it furiously and tear from it the 
 entrails and strew them upon the ground, stamp- 
 ing and cursing like madmen. When it is torn 
 to shreds and stamped into the earth, with a tri- 
 umphant yell they scattter through the streets 
 and their sorrow is turned to rejoicing. Usually 
 as a result of these protracted solemnities the 
 solemn days are followed by drunkenness and 
 revelry. Even the Day of Guadalupe, which is 
 to them the purest and most sacred of all, is 
 followed by a great reaction. 
 
Habits and Customs 45 
 
 Christmas is not a feast day, but a day of 
 prayer, and is not usually observed in any way. 
 Christ is a very insignificant creature where 
 Mary and saints are worshipped. 
 
 Their minor feast days are the birthdays of 
 the saints, and persons bearing the same name, 
 as, for instance, John or Johanna (Juan or 
 Juanna), celebrate the day of 
 Minor their patron saint. They are 
 
 Feast Days. given a party and friends and 
 relatives enjoy the day with them. 
 They are aroused early in the morning by strains 
 of sweet music on harp and guitar and the sing- 
 ing of carols; then the friends go from house to 
 house, bringing gifts and congratulations 
 through the entire day, adding to their number 
 each time another name-sake of the saint. Wine, 
 champagne and refreshments are served at each 
 home, and guests must never refuse to partake 
 of them; so they become quite merry as they go 
 the rounds, and the evening is spent in dancing 
 and merriment. 
 
 The national sport of the Mexican, the "bull 
 fight," is becoming well known. So much has 
 been written of the professional fights, I will tell 
 only of the amateur bull fighting. 
 Bull Fights The week preceding this event is 
 and one of great excitement, especially 
 
 Cock Fights, among the young people, as it is 
 
46 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 well known that the young senors of the place, 
 at least the clerks and employees of business 
 houses, are to be the bull-fighters. 
 
 The business men put their money up in much 
 the same way as in horse racing. They bet large 
 sums of money, from fifty dollars to five thousand 
 dollars. The day of the bull fight, 
 Much which is always on Sunday, the most 
 
 Betting, elegant turnouts of the city are to 
 be seen carrying to the game the in- 
 terested senors and senoritas handsomely dress- 
 ed for the occasion. 
 
 The favorite senoritas, dressed in filmy, gauzy - 
 and tinseled garments, with long white veils, oc- 
 cupy the grand stand, as they have been chosen 
 to be queens and must be prepared 
 
 Queens to bestow upon these brave young 
 Of Honor. heroes the badge of honor. The 
 amphitheatre is crowded to the 
 utmost; multitudes of brilliantly dressed peo- 
 ple in plumes and ribbons await eagerly the 
 coming of their friends. Presently when the 
 music announces the entrance of the procession 
 there is a momentary silence and the heroes 
 come forth in all their glory, clad in their bril- 
 liant colors of white and gilt, pink, blue or red, 
 each color denoting some degree of rank in the 
 game. They march proudly in; there are two 
 mounted picadors for each matador; these and 
 
Habits and Customs 47 
 
 the banderilleros all take their places in regular 
 order, when with a call from the bugle the gate 
 flies open and in trots a frightened 
 The young bull, looking wildly about for a 
 
 Fight. place of escape; he seems to think him- 
 self in the wrong pasture, and is only 
 too willing to escape without molesting any one. 
 The youths advance without much fear, for the 
 animal has had the sharp points of his horns 
 sawed off and he seems as harmless as a big 
 young dog. They begin waving the red cape to 
 excite him to fight, but the poor frightened little 
 fellow refuses to do anything but toss his head 
 and trot to the fence in a vain efifort to jump it. 
 When the picadors have succeeded in getting 
 near enough to have the bull turn and gore 
 t^eir blindfolded, helpless horse, the horse is 
 dragged away and another takes his place. They 
 have by this time stuck the poor bull full of 
 poisoned hooked banderillas, so that he is frantic 
 with pain, and fights with the blood streaming 
 over his head and shoulders, until he becomes 
 v^eak from the loss of blood and finally falls an 
 easy victim to the cruel sword-thrust. He is also 
 dragged out by mules, and another animal just 
 as harmless and as helpless is turned into the 
 ring. This is repeated until six bulls have been 
 
48 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 cruelly tortured to death in a manner too bar- 
 barous to describe. 
 
 Usually from four to six blindfolded horses are 
 killed, and sometimes a two-legged animal. 
 While the bull is being dragged away the band 
 plays tumultously and the shouts of the crowd 
 are deafening. The would-be bull-fighters, on 
 entering the ring, march proudly up to the grand 
 stand and receive from the queens a broad band 
 of ribbon with artificial flowers attached, which 
 is worn throughout the game, and often this 
 blood-spattered rag is sold or kept as a souvenir 
 by those who love to witness this barbarous 
 spectacle. 
 
 The amateurs are exactly like the professionals 
 as to methods, except that the professional is 
 out for business and the amateur for sport and 
 charity, as they are gotten up often to increase 
 the funds of a hospital or church building. The 
 sale of tickets is large and the dead bulls are sold 
 and given for food to the inmates of the hos- 
 pitals, while in the professional fights each week 
 the meat goes to the soldiers. 
 
 A person who has never visited this country 
 can scarcely imagine how strong a hold such a 
 thing as a bull-fight can get on a peo- 
 ple. The pens are crowded every Sunday 
 
o 
 
 o 
 o 
 
 
 O 
 
 o 
 
 w^ 
 
 Q 
 
A strange market. Selling images of Judas 
 filled with iireworks for the purpose of being 
 blown up. 
 
P2 
 
 ^«. 
 
 P 
 
 
 ^ 
 
 ' ^ 
 
 >-i 
 
 
 ro 
 
 
 OJ 
 
 
 rj 
 
 
 H— 1 
 
 
 c+- 
 
 
 o 
 
 
 h-h 
 
 
Preparing- a Wayside Meal. 
 (Author's family and some Missionary teaciiers.) 
 
Habits and Customs 49 
 
 Hold on the entire year, in the main by 
 
 The People, poor people who give a fifth of 
 their week's salary to see the 
 same thing over and over again. They have cul- 
 tivated a thirst for seeing blood flow until they 
 have no feeling for human blood. I noticed a 
 crowd on coming out from a fight, when two 
 men quarreled over the bet and cut each other 
 ?lmost in twain with long- knives that they nearly 
 always carry (about twelve to eighteen inches 
 long), stand oflf and laugh heartily at their writh- 
 ing, bloody bodies in the streets. 
 
 It is sad to see the young people being so 
 wrongly educated in these amateur fights, but, 
 I am sorry to say there are many Americans 
 who regularly patronize the game, and who seem 
 a«? fond of it as the Mexicans. It is a greater 
 shame to them, for they have not been brought 
 up in this atmosphere of barbarous cruelty, and 
 should not so easily slip away from their better 
 teaching. The cock fight is another popular 
 game of the people. It is a betting game, attend- 
 ed by men only, and many thousands of dollars 
 are won or lost over these fights every Sunday. 
 
 The ball of the better class of Mexicans is re- 
 garded as a formal and important event. Here 
 assemble the elite of both sexes. There are no 
 introductions, the parties being supposedly a 
 
60 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 select company. The Senor- 
 Social Customs — itas attend, escorted by 
 The Ball. Mama or a chaperon; they 
 
 take their places on one side 
 of the room and the Senors on the other. When • 
 the music begins, the gentlemen advance, pre- 
 sent their cards to the ladies, the lady accepts 
 graciously, as she must never refuse when in- 
 vited to dance; she places her name upon the 
 card by her partner's, and they enter the merry 
 whirl. Probably not a word is spoken between 
 them during the dance. There is a respectful 
 and reserved demeanor between them, until the 
 banquet; then after partaking of champagne and 
 wine the conversation and merriment begin. 
 
 The Mexicans are very much like the French 
 in their love of outward display, showy equip- 
 ages, dressing, and hours spent upon the boule- 
 vard or promenade. Their "paseo" 
 Plazo of the City of Mexico is a scene of 
 
 and Paseo. brilliancy which can be appreciated 
 only when seen. They drive in the 
 cool of the evening, and far into the night. The 
 ladies usually in company with other ladies, the 
 gentlemen with gentlemen friends. 
 
 Senoritas are dressed in the daintiest of fabrics 
 and colors, and their gowns and hats are often 
 imported from Paris, They and the matrons who 
 
Habits and Customs 51 
 
 accompany them have the most feminine 
 Dress, of wearing apparel, and wear it as a 
 queen wears her jewels, gracefully, and 
 as though it were an outward expression of 
 their love of femininity and beauty. No Mexican 
 Miss ever rode astride or did anything at all 
 masculine. 
 
 There are many beauties to be seen on these 
 drives, and it is one of the customs of the city 
 +o drive through the length of the boulevard and 
 back again, thus travelling many miles over the 
 same street, sitting back at ease, to be admired 
 by a vast throng of gentlemen lined up on either 
 side the "paseo," who stand gaping or bowing 
 as the coaches pass, and even sometimes using 
 opera glasses for closer observation even at 
 close range, which is embarrassing to the Se- 
 norita who is a stranger to these gentlemen, and, 
 of course, not there to be admired. She is only 
 taking her evening drive with Mama, and has 
 never thought of a man! For Mama has 
 brought her up to think she must never be seen 
 in company with one, nor ever speak to one upon 
 the street, except to give a bow or ''adois" at a 
 distance. 
 
 But there is another way known to the young 
 people whereby they may become better ac- 
 quainted: a very peculiar way for well pro- 
 tected young girls, I must say. I have 
 
52 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Plaza seen these crowds of people so 
 
 Promenade, closely packed in the promenade 
 that often they have to come to a 
 stand-still, being unable to advance another step. 
 Sometimes in these mix-ups the Senoritas, 
 among others, are rudely jostled and glared at by 
 a mongrel mixture of Mexicans, Chinese, Cre- 
 oles, Japanese — anything that chanced to make 
 ftp a part of the mass — and are sometimes in- 
 sulted right in the presence of their anxious 
 chaperones. 
 
 These plazas are usually laid out with band- 
 stand in the center, brilliantly lighted, and a 
 preen park of trees and flowers, with fountains 
 and statues to make it an attractive place. The 
 music of the Mexican band allures everybody to 
 the promenade. The men take the outside and 
 the women the inside, and here they promenade 
 in opposite directions, facing each other. In 
 this way many little flirtations go on unobserved 
 by the average person, and many a coquet makes 
 a conquest here and brings captive to her win- 
 dow a sighing lover. 
 
 When a fellow admires a certain young lady 
 
 he will slip into her hand as they pass in the 
 
 promenade some little token, usually a flower, 
 
 sometimes a note. If she wishes 
 
 Courtship, to encourage him, she afterwards 
 
 sends him a little missive by mail. 
 
Habits and Customs 53 
 
 and he answers by appearing on the outside of 
 her iron-grated window, where she awaits him in 
 fi^my laces, flowers and perfumes, and there in 
 the moonlight 'neath the flickering shadows of 
 the peppers and the sheltering fans of the palms, 
 h? softly murmurs his fond dream, or tinkles 
 gently on his guitar a lover's song expressing 
 his own feelings of hope or fear. This window 
 courtship the audacious American has bluntly 
 named "playing the bear." When the Senorita 
 has told her careful Mama, and if Mama approves 
 of the Senor, they may correspond. In a few 
 months they may become engaged, after which 
 the maiden is supported by her lover. The en- 
 gagement present is a bracelet, although the 
 ring is also placed upon her hand at the wedding, 
 /.fter this novel courtship, during which time the 
 lover has never been admitted to the home of 
 the maiden, the marriage takes place. 
 
 They are married at the home of the bride by 
 a civil judge. Relatives and friends are in- 
 vited guests. A wedding supper is served and 
 
 marriage gifts presented. The 
 Marriage. bride receives a dower of from fifty 
 
 to thousands of dollars from the 
 groom in silver. The next morning, after a 
 n'ght of dancing and music, the ceremony is per- 
 formed by the priest at the church, just before 
 daybreak. They are now consecrated to the 
 
64 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 church by mass and prayer. This wedding is 
 oublic, and persons interested may attend. The 
 ceremony sometimes lasts two hours, during 
 which the couple are upon their knees before the 
 altar. 
 
 The marriage is followed by feasting and danc- 
 ing, which lasts from one to eight weeks. They 
 sometimes go upon a wedding tour, when upon 
 their return they immediately set up house- 
 keeping. 
 
 The home life among the better class of Mex- 
 icans is, to them, ideal. The husband is a good 
 provider, and the wife very domestic in her tastes 
 and content to remain in the home, 
 Domestic looking after her family — her first and 
 
 Life. only duty. She takes little part in so- 
 
 cial afifairs, but gives her almost undi- 
 vided attention to her husband and children. 
 Although the authority of the husband is su- 
 preme, and he is in truth her ^'lord and master," 
 she can, with tact, very nearly have her own way 
 in matters of her household. She eeps servants 
 galore; they are cheap, and she is simply to be a 
 jxood manager, and her domestic machinery will 
 move along smoothly. Their families are usually 
 large, being from six to twelve children, and the 
 husband requires nothing of his wife except to 
 keep beautiful and be true to him (not universally 
 
Habits and Customs 55 
 
 obeyed, but truer to him than he is to her), and 
 rear his children well. 
 
 The aim of every Mexican mother is to guard 
 
 her children from evil, especially her girls, whom 
 
 she keeps very close to herself, and 
 
 Parental very early surrounds them with the 
 
 Training. influence of religion (an object 
 
 lesson for Americans.) 
 
 The maidens usually follow in the footsteps of 
 their mother; they are taught the religion of 
 their forefathers, while yet in the cradle; and 
 later are so carefully chaperoned that they have 
 little chance to become perverse; besides they are 
 for the most part naturally docile and reserved. 
 And when they marry, as they generally do, very 
 young, they expect to retire from society, and are 
 content to give their entire attention to their 
 homes under the security, protection and love 
 that satisfies. 
 
 The divorce question is scarcely ever raised 
 among them, as it is looked upon as a disgrace, 
 pi)d the church forbids it. So their lives move 
 on, peacefully for the most part, and 
 Divorce, if their lord (the husband), because 
 he is lord of his household, shows a 
 little superiority now and then, it does not mat- 
 ter with his wife, as she looks upon him as her 
 superior, and leans upon him as a dependent. 
 
 The Mexican mother is extremely, even fool- 
 
56 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 ishly indulgent. She can scarcely school herself 
 to say no, which seems to her a very harsh word 
 to use to a child. She has very 
 No Force sentimental notions concerning 
 of children, and creates much trouble 
 
 Character, for herself because of them, for 
 children will take advantage wher- 
 ever they discover weakness. She admits, if she 
 talks English, that she is too ''soft" with them, 
 meaning "easy." And when she has taken them 
 over the baby period, she still continues to look 
 upon them as babies, until at last, realizing her 
 mistake, she often employs an American gov- 
 erness to teach them more practical methods 
 and ideas. 
 
 When they are in their first teens, she usually 
 places them in a convent school, frequently in 
 the United States, for better education. Yet 
 they spend much time at home with their 
 mother. 
 
 Unfortunately, the boy is not so carefully rear- 
 ed as his sister. He is made to feel that being a 
 boy, he may have more freedom, even license. 
 He, therefore, roams about and in- 
 Boys. dulges in things that he would be bet- 
 ter off without. And even if he grows 
 to be a man of impure morals, it is looked upon 
 very lightly and excused by home and society 
 s-mply because he is a man. And so it often 
 
Habits and Customs 67 
 
 happens that the devoted and domestic little wife, 
 who gives her entire life and love to her home 
 and family, is often deceived by her unworthy 
 lord; but rarely does she know, or appear to 
 know, that he is other than wholly true to her. 
 This home relationship is not so happy and sat- 
 isfactory among the poor, the masses of the peo- 
 ple. Few of them are married — were not able to 
 marry under Romish rule. Some live together 
 happily, some fall out and pair off with others. 
 C)ften the woman supports her husband by tak- 
 ing in washing. They live in a loose way. In 
 fact, it is difficult to cultivate virtue where a 
 family of fifteen have to live in a room fifteen feet 
 square without a chair, bed, table, back corral, or 
 anything, like half of them do. 
 
 The Mexicans frequently marry among their 
 relatives. Very often cousins marry, and now 
 and then an uncle and niece will become lovers 
 and finally marry. This is done to 
 Marrying keep the family name and inheritance 
 Relatives and is not looked upon as evil in 
 any. In fact, it is often planned by 
 the parents for their children from babyhood. 
 
 There is a constantly growing tendency, how- 
 ever, for the Mama to consent to an American 
 "e s p o s o" (husband) for her daughter, who 
 considers it quite an honor to win the 
 
 ^jaSiyvV'.rsvv.'.' 
 
58 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Marriage love of "im Americano"; but Mama 
 with takes care to see that he has a 
 
 Americans, good bank account or mining 
 stock, so these marriages now are 
 not infrequent, especially if the American re- 
 mains some time in Mexico without returning to 
 the United States. 
 
 Mexico's business habits and customs weary 
 an American. The whole thing looks like play. 
 Everywhere, in shop, factory, office or store, no 
 
 one seems to pay mucli attention to 
 
 In his business, nor seerns to care very 
 
 Business, much whether he does any business 
 
 or not. If you go in a store to pur- 
 chase an article the clerk will come to you and 
 shake hands with you and ask you all about the 
 health of your family, etc. When you get his at- 
 tention turned to his goods he acts as if he 
 thought that if he sold you anything it would be 
 a great accommodation— a special favor to you- 
 There is no use to get mad and go to the next 
 .^tore, for you will only have to repeat all the 
 first again. It is the same way in the offices. 
 If you buy a piece of property it will take much 
 time and cost enormously to close the deal and 
 fix the papers. 
 
 Office hours throughout the country are gen- 
 erally from 9 a. m. to 12 m. and from 3 to 5 p. m. 
 
Habits and Customs 69 
 
 All stores generally close two or three hours in 
 midday. It takes them over an 
 Short hour to eat, and then the 
 
 Office Hours, "siesta" (nap) after dinner is 
 more important than the din- 
 ner. They also have a holiday every week or 
 two, and sometimes one or two, and even three 
 in one week. Stores and offices are closed so 
 much until you can't tell when you can get in 
 without going to see. After all, the Mexican 
 idea in this may be wiser than that of the am- 
 bitious American. No doubt the hustle and rush 
 of business have cut oflf the happiness and length 
 of many a life. 
 
 It is a peculiar thing that the Mexican will 
 
 give the last quarter he has to ride across town 
 
 or get a boy to carry his satchel a few steps. 
 
 One of otat preachers borrowed 
 
 Won't Walk enough money to get to a confer- 
 
 Nor Work, ence, first gave a boy twenty-five 
 
 cents to carry his one little grip 
 
 to the hack, then the cochero fifty cents to drive 
 
 him across a few blocks, and then a cargador 
 
 twenty-five cents to put it on the train; he then 
 
 bought a second class ticket! Americans all carry 
 
 their own grips and buy first class tickets. Clerks 
 
 will work all day for a dollar and give half of 
 
 that to the cochero to drive them across three 
 
 blocks home and back. 
 
60 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Nearly everybody smokes cigarettes, women 
 
 and all. In fact, there are very few women, 
 
 especially among the lower class, who do not 
 
 smoke. Mexicans, however, never, 
 
 Smoking never chew tobacco. The most of the 
 
 and men drink, and it is a common oc- 
 
 Drinking. ctirrence to see women drunk. Al- 
 cohol is cheap and there is a cantina 
 Hittle saloon) on almost every corner. Mexican 
 pfiople as a rule are not so boisterous and dan- 
 p^erous when drinking and drunk as Americans. 
 A man is much safer walking around at night in 
 Mexico than in the United vStates. The reason is 
 not that the Mexican people are better morally, 
 but are simply indiflferent — never planning nor 
 scheming nor caring about anything. They have 
 no individuality, and that makes you or your 
 f?mily safe most anywhere in Mexico. — much 
 more so than among Southern Negroes. 
 
 It is providential that the poor can get for a 
 few cents all they seem to care to eat: beans and 
 mashed hominy, pepper and goat milk. They 
 a^e not only satisfied with a six-cents meal of this 
 kind, but the providential thing is that these 
 cheap articles are strengthening and they can 
 v/ork year by year on them. And so they are not 
 caring nor thinking. Thev are content to let 
 others do that for them. 
 
Habits and Customs 61 
 
 "What is the use to worry, 
 
 Until you have to pay? 
 We let the gringo hurry — 
 
 It's better to delay. 
 W^hat is the use to borrow 
 
 Of trouble far away? 
 Come, put off till tomorrow 
 
 What you can do today. 
 
 "What will be surely will be 
 
 To make the what-has-been. 
 Our languid eyes can still see 
 
 What comes may come again. 
 Ah venga una cigarro, 
 
 Is ours the hand to pay? 
 No, put off till tomorrow 
 
 What can be done today. 
 
 "Then let us lie together 
 
 Like lizards in the sun — 
 As lazy as the weather — 
 
 And dream of deeds undone. 
 Such thoughts need not bring sorrow, 
 
 But rather smooth the way 
 To put off till tomorrow 
 
 What can be done today." 
 
APTKR \. 
 
 Bdiicatic:. ' System and Progress 
 
 isa 
 
 ri!WO has not bei^n altogether lacking 
 lU her txiucational facilities. Niuety 
 
 years before the landing of the HI- 
 
 i:ni\v> .11 Plymouth Kock ^lexico had her "liar- 
 yard"; tor eight years after the City of ^lexico 
 fell into the hands of the conquering Spaniards 
 (1521) the.o \\\is founded there the CoHegt^ ot 
 San Juan de l.etran. In the year 157^; the colle.aces 
 oi San llregorio and San IJdefonso n\ cMc^ found- 
 c\l. rUe latter has been modernised into tho 
 Xaiional Preparatory School, In the Urst sixi\ 
 tive years of the historv of Xt^w 
 Anttqiiitv Spain (Mexico'* sovcti soaas ot 
 L^t Sa'a.vV.s higher learning were estabUshed. 
 In Mexico. Mexico City was spoken of as the 
 **Athens" of thu^ Now \\\m'.v!. 
 producing men and women of brpad learning, in 
 some instances Hke Don Juan Ruiz Alarcon and 
 Juana Tno - uo la Cvxxz. The first medical v^chool 
 estabhsh.cd m the ?\ew World discovered by Ov^ 
 lumbus \\'as n chair of medicine in the UniversuN 
 of ^lexico in t!\c year 1578. It doubtless would 
 have been established earlier but for tbe fact that 
 
64 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrozv 
 
 medical men had not been considered men of 
 true science. 
 
 Throughout the several hundred years of 
 Spanish rule, French intervention, revolution and 
 civil commotion, schools shut down and opened 
 
 up from time to time, and 
 Good Modern after the smoke of the suc- 
 
 Schools on Sites cessful revolution cleared 
 Of the Old. away, still greater schools 
 
 sprang up out of the ruins of 
 the old. The building occupied by the first uni- 
 versity in America (1551) is now occupied by the 
 National Conservatory of Music. Where Fray 
 Pedro de Gante founded the first common school 
 in America (1524) now the National Academy of 
 Art (Ancient Academy of San Carlos) stands. 
 The National Preparatory School is now situated 
 at the old Jesuit College of San Lldefonso, built 
 in 1749 at a cost of $400,000. The old home of 
 the Inquisition, built in the year 1732, with its 
 four famous hanging arches at the corners, was 
 converted into the National College of Medicine 
 when Independence put out of business the Holy 
 ^■'Colegio de la Paz" (College of Peace), better 
 Office in America. There is a fine military school 
 located on the grounds of Chepultepec. The old 
 known as the "Viscainas/' founded in 1734 at a 
 cost of two millions, has been converted into an 
 establishment for the education of young women. 
 
Bducational System and Progress 65 
 
 The School of Mines and Engineering is located 
 in the splendid building of Chiluca, built by Tolsa 
 in 1793 at a cost of three millions. The Royal 
 Mint, erected in the year 1731 at a cost of one 
 million, is now the National Museum; while the 
 famous old Church of San Augustin is now the 
 National Library with more than 200,000 vol- 
 umes, 
 
 Humbold said as late as 1824, "No city of the 
 New Continent, not excepting those of the 
 United States of America, present scientific es- 
 tablishments so great as those of the capftal of 
 Mexico." Of course that could not be said now. 
 
 Mexico's mistake in education seems to have 
 been in putting too much stress on simply tech- 
 nical training, teaching boys and girls to do pro- 
 fessional work mechan- 
 More Common and ically, without any good 
 
 Industrial Schools and common school educa- 
 Fewer Technical. tion as a basis or man- 
 
 ual training. And the 
 result is, the country is full of doctors and law- 
 yers and all kinds of professional men with no 
 one to practice on. As soon as one is sent to 
 school he at once becomes a professional man, 
 leaving none in the common file and rank but 
 the absolutely ignorant and poor. 
 
 That ereat Mexican leader that comes forth 
 to teach the upper class how to harden their 
 
66 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 hands will confer an everlasting benediction upon 
 the Mexican commonwealth. But, possibly, 
 such an undertaking has seemed 
 Hard Hands so far such a stupendous task 
 Versus that it has been thought easier 
 
 Hard Heads, to prepare to sharpen the in- 
 tellect and wake up the senti- 
 ments of those who by nature have been forced 
 to hard hands. And so the Federal Congress of 
 Mexico passed a law in 1896, which was promul- 
 gated on June 3rd of the same year, placing^ pub- 
 lic education under the control of the govern- 
 ment and forcing all children to attend. Since 
 that date Mexico has been giving her atttenion 
 to the education of the common people, who are 
 her real strength and power. 
 
 And so today Mexico's interest in popular ed- 
 ucation really amounts almost to a reformation. 
 In this new phase of her educational activity is 
 seen one of her brightest stars of 
 The Hope hope. No nation can remain weak 
 Of Mexico. and insignificant if she educates 
 her common people. Today some 
 of the most splendid normal schools to be found 
 anywhere on the American Continent are being 
 inaugurated in Mexico. These schools are being 
 furnished with the best equipment that money 
 can buy and the most competent teachers that 
 can be secured, Many of these have been edu- 
 
Educational System and Progress 67 
 
 cated in foreign countries and are well equipped 
 for their work. The young Christian men and 
 women who complete their course in our Church 
 normal schools are always in demand in these 
 State institutions. The results of these thousands 
 of boys and girls sitting at the feet of trained 
 Christian leaders cannot be estimated. Tlie pos- 
 sibilities for a greater statehood, stronger gov- 
 ernment, and a wider usefulness are great. No 
 character thus trained and enlightened can 
 easily be narrow and little. And schools like 
 these, manned by broad, liberal Christian char- 
 acters is, and will be more and more the best in- 
 dication of Mexico's greatness. 
 
 Mexico h.is not simply put her money in these 
 magnificent buildings and furnished well equip- 
 ped teachers, but forces all children between the 
 ages of seven and eighteen to at- 
 Compulsory tend. Each child, therefore, 
 Education. v/hether rich or poor, is being 
 taught to read and write, an ac- 
 complishment which their parents rarely at- 
 tained. 
 
 The public school system is worked out on 
 plans similar to those of the United States, ex- 
 cept that the schools for boys and girls are 
 almost always separate. The course 
 System. of study extends from the first to the 
 sixth grade? the grades having about 
 
68 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the same significance as in the States. The plan 
 is to be thorough. No child is allowed to pass 
 to a higher grade without having passed a sat- 
 isfactory examination in the lower grade. The 
 discipline is rigid, although the rod is not allow- 
 ed by law. Other methods, commonly known 
 among all people, are used freely. The police- 
 man and jail for the school is a method used often 
 and effectively. Keeping in after school hours 
 and standing in the corner are the methods most 
 commonly used. This splendid public school sys- 
 tem, built up in recent years, promises to be one 
 of the most potent factors in developing a broad 
 and liberal citizenship by implanting in the minds 
 and hearts of the rising generation the great 
 principles of freedom of conscience and liberty of 
 speech and action so essential in a land cursed 
 with Popish serfdom and ecclesiastical bigotry. 
 Realizing to the fullest extent this priestly 
 slavery, and that the emancipation of mind was 
 among the first things needed in Mexico, all the 
 evangelical denominations that have 
 Mission gone there to do missionary work be- 
 Schools. gan at once to establish great institu- 
 tions of learning. And it is well to 
 state that the missionary effort there is not in- 
 truding. The workers are there by invitation 
 from Mexican gentlemen high up in Mexican 
 affairs, and the good work goes on with their 
 
Bducatioml System and Progress 69 
 
 highest approval. Hon. Enrique Creel, Governor 
 of the State of Chihuahua, and Ambassador to 
 the United States (1908), whom I count it an 
 honor to number among my personal friends, is 
 a gentleman of the highest order, and is not too 
 big nor too little to visit our own church school, 
 '•Colegio Palmore," and make the commence- 
 ment address and deliver the diplomas. With 
 encouraging and complimentary words as well 
 as with cold cash he is commending our work to 
 his countrymen. This Palmore College, situated 
 in the city of Chihuahua, the capital of the State 
 of the same name, was estabhshed in the year 
 1890 by our Woman's Foreign Mission Board. 
 The school, under the efficient management of 
 Miss Lizzie Wilson, has turned out preachers, 
 teachers, and sucessful business men and women 
 
 of various vocations and pro- 
 Graduates of fessions. The young men and 
 Mission Schools women that graduate in the 
 In Demand. professional department, as 
 
 well as in other departments, 
 are in demand, the president having many more 
 calls than she has been able to fill for equipped 
 young m^en and women. This school has enroll- 
 ed some years nearly one thousand pupils. What 
 has been said of this school can be said of many 
 more. The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, 
 alone has successful schools in the cities of Du- 
 
70 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 rango, Saltillo, San Luis, Monterey, Pueblo, 
 Guadalajara, Chihuahua and Mexico City. Other 
 denominations are represented in all the cities of 
 any size, and all have wisely begun in the school 
 room. These Christian institutions of learning 
 are giving scores and hundreds of young men 
 and women the full state course together with 
 the business and Christian training that is need- 
 ed in building up honorable and successful busi- 
 ness enterprises. These young people go out to 
 fill those lucrative positions that await them and 
 at the same time unconsciously diffuse the know- 
 ledge of Truth and Light among those with 
 whom they come in contact. 
 
 The proportional growth in Protestant schools 
 is phenomenal. A study of the following statis- 
 tics for the years of 1876 and 1903 as given by 
 Mallen's "Mexico," is interesting. You will note 
 
 that the Protestants had 
 Growth of climbed from one-twentieth to 
 
 Mission Schools, one-third — an increase that is 
 
 marvelous in a Catholic coun- 
 try. And when you take into consideration that 
 the majority of the thousands in these special 
 schools and public schools are Protestants at 
 heart, the argument of a predicted landslide for 
 Evangelical Christianity is strengthened. 
 
Educational System and Progress 71 
 
 
 1876. 
 
 
 
 Cath. 
 
 Prot. Priv. Public, 
 
 Primary schools 
 
 103 
 
 10 797 4542 
 
 Pupils, male 
 
 3861 
 
 271 I 1367 101748 
 
 Pupils, female 
 
 2779 
 
 137 8031 48981 
 
 Secondary schools 
 
 24 
 
 I 8 173 
 
 Pupils, male 
 
 1389 
 
 65 217 10654 
 
 Pupils, female 
 
 
 
 1903. 
 
 20 3316 
 
 ' 
 
 Cath. 
 
 Prot. Priv. Public. 
 
 Primary schools 
 
 332 
 
 102 I 155 9546 
 
 Pupils male 
 
 15229 
 
 2970 27919 383381 
 
 Pupils, female 
 
 108 1 1 
 
 5473 24127 248134 
 
 Secondary schools 
 
 37 
 
 23 44 351 
 
 Pupils, male 
 
 15229 
 
 2970 27919 383381 
 
 Pupils, female 
 
 497 
 
 421 559 16446 
 
 This table was prepared under the authority 
 and direction of the Mexican government for the 
 World's Fair and Exhibition of the Centennial 
 of the Louisiana Purchase, held in St. Louis in 
 1904. For that reason, although a little old, it is 
 given here as being entirely trustworthy. The 
 same rapid increase of Protestants over Catholics 
 has gone on these other years, only more rapid- 
 ly, until a safe estimate would be half. 
 
 The Mexican mind is not dull. The children 
 
72 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 like to attend school and they make good stu- 
 dents. The ignorance prevalent among them is 
 more the result of the teaching 
 Mexican Mind of Romanism and the need of 
 
 Is Apt. an opportunity than from any 
 
 indisposition on the part of the 
 people to learn. And so, as these public schools 
 and church institutions are opened up on every 
 hand, and since the compulsory law has been put 
 into effect for the last few years, a much larger 
 per cent, not only attend school, but they are 
 making marvelous strides of progress. In fact, 
 the Mexican mind seems to be apt in grasping 
 theories. As a rule it is more theoretical than 
 practical. 
 
 With this natural endowment and gift in learn- 
 ing, together with all the advantages that Mex- 
 ico has today to enlighten the common people, 
 they are sure to rise to their op- 
 Opportunities portunities. The Protestant de- 
 Increasing, nominations are extending their 
 assistance through all their edu- 
 cational plants, and this is being seen and appre- 
 ciated more and more by the Mexican people, 
 The public schools, their thousands of news- 
 'papers, their hundreds of public libraries with 
 their hundreds of thousands of volumes, their 
 large number of museums for scientific and edu- 
 cational purposes, and several meteorological in- 
 
Educational System and Progress 73 
 
 stitutions give help today to the Mexican mind 
 that has never been enjoyed before. 
 
 They not only have all advantages today, but 
 their ideals are high. Their leaders, the states- 
 men, realize that a commonwealth built upon anv 
 other foundation than that of 
 Mexican Ideal a righteous and intelligent cit- 
 Not Low. izenship is built upon sinking 
 
 sand, and that the perpetuity 
 and growth of the repubhc depend upon 
 the enUghtenment of the masses, an in- 
 teUigent love of country and conception of 
 the proper relationship they bear towards each 
 other, their own government as well as foreign 
 lands and people. 
 
 The masses of the people do not realize any 
 social obligations whatever. Aside from divid- 
 ing a meal with one hungry, which is one re- 
 deeming trait among them, some seem to feel 
 
 that they have a perfect right 
 Do Not Know to take anything from an- 
 Rights of Men. other as long as they can do 
 
 it secretly. They do not seem 
 to have any conscience on the subject at all. It 
 is largely the lack of education. They do not 
 understand their rights one towards another. 
 The writer has on several occasions been com- 
 pelled to buy over and over articles that have 
 been stolen from him. One day in talking with 
 
74 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 a pawnbroker, it dawned upon him that the man 
 really believed it one's duty to repurchase all 
 articles that were secretly taken from him. It 
 is said that these pawnbrokers often keep men 
 and boys employed gathering up these things. 
 The writer believes that this mania among the 
 Mexican poor for taking things that do not be- 
 long to them is not so much a moral defect as 
 an intellectual difficulty. They simply do not 
 have a proper conception of the rights of pos- 
 session in many cases. 
 
 As the masses of the ignorant poor are edu- 
 cated to a realization of their reasonable duty to 
 themselves, their God, and their fellow men, will 
 
 the soil be prepared and en- 
 Must be Taught riched in which all the Christ- 
 To Think Right, like virtues grow. '^Fcr as a 
 
 man thinketh in his heart 
 so is he." When they begin to think right they 
 will do better. It is true that the difficulty is not 
 generally found in not knowing, but in failing to 
 do as well as we know. But among the masses 
 of the ignorant in Mexico a telescope is what is 
 needed. They have been hoodwinked and driven 
 long enough. What they want now is an "eye- 
 opener — a text book, blackboard, a righteous 
 lecture. 
 
 The Mexican government realizes this great de- 
 ficiency and today thousands of school houses 
 
Educational System and Progress 75 
 
 and teachers are telling the masses they have 
 minds and rig^hts. The country is 
 Mind aroused to the fact that her defence 
 
 Investment is not in a forced soldiery of ex- 
 A Great convicts, not in bayonets and in 
 
 Defense. guns, but in brains — material and 
 
 intellectual development. The 
 growth along this line for the last few years has 
 been wonderful. But Mexico will never rise to 
 her true greatness until she goes a step further 
 tlian that. 
 
 The wrecks of dismembered nations that built 
 upon foundations like that, lie thick in the path 
 of the past. Material greatness and intellectual 
 power cannot win without moral 
 History worth. The warning finger of history 
 Warns. points us to the once magnificent city 
 of Babylon, whose ruins today are 
 the home of the bat and owl and are the shelter 
 of wild beasts whose doleful howls warn us 
 against indolence, licentiousness, and vice. 
 Proud Rome, once the mistress of the world, 
 fell in the very zenith of her glory, and has not 
 yet risen out of her material luxury, social 
 degradation and immoral religion. 
 
 But the history of the past is also full of ex- 
 amples of a glorious civilization. There is illus- 
 trious Greece, whose art, literature, culture and 
 
76 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 refinement have made her 
 Soul Investment the pride of the historian, 
 Greatest Defence, the subject of artists, and the 
 History lyric bard. And today the 
 
 En,courages. songs of her Homer, the elo- 
 
 quence of her Demosthenes, 
 and the philosophy of her Plato are murmuring 
 gentle requiems to the memory of a nation that 
 was made famous by moral and intellectual de- 
 velopment. But for an example of true soul- 
 worth look at England, look at America, where 
 the Pilgrim Fathers dedicated the soil to the 
 treedom of conscience and religious thought. 
 Look to the great characters of the Reformation : 
 Luther, Zwingle, WyclifTe, Latimer, Knox, and 
 to those of later developments : The Wesleys and 
 Whitfield, the fiery, fervent prayers, songs and 
 sermons of those immortal Christian characters 
 woke up the sentiments of nations, teaching them 
 that their chief defence was not in material great- 
 ness — not in guns and good gunners, not in ships 
 and swords, nor yet in free schools, but in soul- 
 investment. These high ideals and inspire'd songs 
 of those grand old heroes and prophets cannot 
 die so long as there are any hearts to love them, 
 any lips to sing their praises, any lives to live, 
 and any nation to build upon them. They shall 
 not die! 
 
Educational System and Progress '77 
 
 ^'On fame's eternal camping ground 
 
 Their silent tents are spread, 
 And glory guards with solemn round 
 The bivouac of the dead." 
 
 But where is '^fame's eternal camping ground," 
 may I ask? In the hearts of the people, and un- 
 til a nation strikes at the heart and soul it will 
 not find its chief defence. 
 
 God speed the glorious day when Mexico, with 
 the other Christian nations of the earth, shall 
 teach the common people, not only that they have 
 minds, but that they have souls 
 Bible Rule also! From an open Bible, God's 
 Of Right great Law and Rule of Con- 
 duct to man, on the ^esk, let 
 her teachers tell them of God and of the 
 divine demands upon them, and thus she 
 will build fortifications about her right- 
 eous nation and people that swords cannot de- 
 stroy. One song of Charles Wesley on the lips 
 and in the life of an humble citizen of any nation 
 will make him a safer subject and neighbor than 
 all the codes on the statute books of the land. 
 'Xet me make the songs for the children and T 
 care not who makes the laws of the land.' 
 (Quien Sabe): 
 
78 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Christian influence planted and endowed the 
 great universities of the past. It will continue to 
 wield its influence in every happy land of the uni- 
 verse. Our Harvard (1638) 
 Early Schools the first great university 
 
 Founded on founded among the colo- 
 
 Christian Principles, nies, was founded by a 
 
 minister, John Harvard, 
 who gave half of his estate to it. One of the first 
 rules of that school was: "Let every student be 
 plainly instructed and earnestly pressed to con- 
 sider well that the main end of his life and studies 
 is to know God and Jesus Christ, which is eternal 
 life, and therefore to lay Christ in the bottom as 
 the only foundation of all sound knowledge and 
 learning." They put on the college seals, ''In 
 Gloriam Christum" and ^'Chri^to et Ecclesiae." 
 Yale (1700) the next great university, was 
 founded by Protestant Church influences, and you 
 will find in the preamble of their colonial charter 
 noble words like these: "Several well-disposed 
 and pubHc-spirited persons, of their sincere regard 
 to and zeal for upholding and propagating of the 
 Christian Protestant Religion by a succession of 
 learned and orthodox men who have expressed 
 by petition their earnest desires that full libertv 
 and privilege be granted unto certain undertakers 
 for the founding of, suitable endowment, and 
 ordering a suitable Collegiate School within hi.^ 
 
Educational System and Progress 79 
 
 Majesty's Colony of Connecticut, who through 
 the blessings of Almighty God may 5e fitted for 
 public employment both in Church and Civil 
 State!" For more than a hundred years both of 
 these schools had at their heads ministers of the 
 gospel. 
 
 And so were the colleges of William and Mary, 
 Princeton, Columbia, Hampden Sydney, Brown, 
 Rutgers and Dartmouth, founded by Protestant 
 churches. In fact, the colleges of the land have 
 been born out of Protestant Faith and Hope; 
 Protestant soil is where they grow and prosper. 
 Education is not narrow. It does not fetter 
 thought, but emancipates mind. It does not im- 
 pede investigation, but flings wide the doors of 
 mental hospitality, and gives the broadest com- 
 mission to intermeddle with all knowledge." — 
 (Bishop Charles B. Galloway in his '^Christianity 
 and the Nation.") 
 
 Just as the great institutions of learning In the 
 United States of America have sprung from a 
 liberal Christian Protestantism, and vice versa; 
 just as these same institutions have taught and 
 promulgated these same high and righteous 
 
 tenets will institutions of 
 Protestant Faith learning grow out of and 
 
 Means Schools, strengthen the Protestant 
 
 And Good Schools cause in the Republic of 
 
80 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Mean More Mexico. As Protestantism 
 
 Protestants. develops and grows will 
 
 splendid Christian schools 
 be fottnded, and all these Christian institutions 
 will have a reflexive, healthy influence on Protest- 
 ant Evangelism. Schools must be broad as well as 
 high in their teaching. None of the high schools 
 of the Roman Catholic Church are really broad. 
 No doubt there are thousands turning from their 
 schools because of their narrowness and entering 
 the public schools. This is to be deplored. Not 
 that the liberal education of the public schools 
 is inferior to that received in the Catholic schools, 
 for it is not, but it is always a pity for the Church 
 to turn over to the State the education of her 
 children. 
 
 Somebody must educate. If the Church won't 
 the State must. The restless, blinded, staggering, 
 naturally unsatisfied multitudes want a guide. 
 
 The Church oughOo 
 Duty and Opportunity answer that c a 1 1. 
 Of Church in Education. There never was such 
 
 an opportunity for the 
 Church of God in an educational field as presents 
 itself in Mexico today. And never was there such 
 a responsibility. Of all periods of the world's 
 history, today is a dangerous day to educate out 
 from under the Church. It is a day of uncertainty 
 and doubt— a day when old doctrinal standards 
 
Educational System and Progress 81 
 
 are attacked and subject to repudiation. Many- 
 are uneas)^ as to the certainty and stability of our 
 social order; while some are striking at the foun- 
 dation of the home, the granite rock upon which 
 rests all government. The laboring class as well 
 as the capitalists are distrustful one of the other. 
 It is a transitional period. The antagonism of 
 classes and races, the v/ant of confidence between 
 man and man, show the discontent of the day. 
 
 What is needed is something that the State is 
 not giving, and the Catholic Church not only re- 
 fusing to teach but hiding and concealing. We 
 'must put the Bible Creed in the hearts and lives 
 
 of the people. We want on 
 Bible Must be the lips of the capitalist, 
 
 Taught in Schools. ''Thou shalt not oppress the 
 
 hireling in his wages nor 
 disregard the interests of the poor and the la- 
 borer." Then we want on the lips and in the lives 
 of the laborers, ''Thou shalt do no violence and 
 wrong." Then upon the lips of all concerned, 
 "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 
 To implant this in the lives of the people, 
 the Church must teach the children. Let us 
 rise to our duty ! Prophetic voices are sounding 
 through the land, "The kingdom of heaven is at 
 hand! Today is the day of salvation." God's 
 voice can yet be heard crying, out of heaven to a 
 terinsr Church, ^*Go forward!" The murmur-' 
 
h2 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 ings of the oppressed, discontented and immoral 
 thousands of those who wander in moral midnight 
 is but God's voice still calling through the 
 prophet to the Church of God, "Arise, shine, and 
 the Gentiles shall come to thy Hght, and kings 
 to the brightness of thy rising." 
 
CHAPTER VL 
 
 Resources, Natural and Commercial 
 
 EXICO'S natural and commercial re- 
 sources are abundant. Of the natural 
 
 resources we begin with the location of 
 
 the country itself. Being so close to the Panama 
 Canal, or the very center of the world, it is a most 
 important land. 
 
 Mexico is in the shape of a cornucopia. Its con- 
 cave side that faces the Atlantic Ocean, touching 
 the Gulf of Mexico and Carribean Sea, is one 
 thousand, seven hundred and twenty-nine miles 
 long, while its convex side facing the Pacific is 
 four thousand, five hundred and seventy-four 
 miles long. Its orography and hydrography are 
 such that, although it reaches from the thirty- 
 second down to the fourteenth degree of north 
 latitude, it has every variety of climate, and hence 
 every kind of product. The land is traversed by 
 two ranges of mountains almost parallel with its 
 coasts. The range on the east, as in other coun- 
 tries, is situated quite a distance from the sea and 
 reaches its summit gradually, while the range on 
 
84 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the west is steep and near the sea. The average 
 height of the Sierra Madre range is ten thousand 
 feet, reaching an elevation of seventeen thousand, 
 live hundred and forty feet at Popocatepetl. 
 
 The country is thus divided :'nto the hot low- 
 lands, the temperate medium elevation, and the 
 cool plateaux. The varying rainfall resulting 
 
 from such a diversified altitude gives 
 Climate, all varieties of climate. Mexico is 
 
 not hot as the latitude would suggest. 
 Although tropical it is much cooler, in the main 
 than in the United States. The little strips of ter- 
 ritory along the seas are hot, ranging from sixty 
 to one hundred degrees Fahrenheit, but only five 
 per cent of the population live there. In the tem- 
 perate zone or medium elevation of from three to 
 five thousand feet, where about thirty per cent of 
 the people live and cultivate and grow everything 
 indigenous to a temperate zone, the temperature 
 runs from sixty-two to seventv-five degrees F. 
 On the plateaux at an elevation of from five to 
 eight thousand feet, where the most of the people 
 live and grow wheat, apples, oats, potatoes, etc., 
 the mean temperature is from fifty to sixty-five 
 degrees F. 
 
 Mexico's wonderful resources, therefore, be- 
 gin with the configuration of the country itself. 
 Some of the most beautiful scenery in the world 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 85 
 
 is found in Mexico. The Basa- 
 Configuration ciacic fall^ nine hundred and 
 
 and Beauty, eighty feet high, cannot be sur- 
 passed in the world. L^ake Patz- 
 cuaro, next on the continent to Yellowstone Lake 
 in elevation, with its tall mountain peaks just pro- 
 truding above its glassy surface, is indescribable. 
 From Mexico City you can see all zones from 
 torrid to frigid. You can see the mountain cap- 
 ped with eternal snow, the wheat just springing 
 from the ground, and harvesting going on in the 
 same sweep of vision. This means that you can 
 plant and reap every day in the year where you 
 can obtain water in the dry season. You can go 
 on horseback in four or five hours from the tor- 
 lid to the temperate zones. For instance, in go- 
 ing by rail from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico 
 you will notice the natives at the little Indian 
 town ''Maltrata" selling their tropical fruits to 
 passengers, and when the train leaves to climb 
 the Central Plateau, nine thousand feet high, 
 they start out on foot and reach the first station, 
 *'Esparanza," long before the train arrives and 
 sell the same passengers fruits of another clime. 
 
 That the reader may see these zones in beauti- 
 ful contrast we quote from Mr. Charles Dudley 
 Warner's description of the fifty miles by rail or 
 twelve miles by wagon from the City of 
 
86 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Cuernavaca Mexico to Cuernavaca. "Cuerna- 
 the vaca is distinguished as tHe actual 
 
 Beautiful. meeting place of the pine and the 
 palm. It lies only a little more than 
 fifty miles south of the City of Mexico, but in 
 order to reach it there is a mountain to be cross- 
 ed which has an elevation of over ten thousand 
 feet. A railway climbs up this mountain, over the 
 summit, to a wind-swept plain, in the midst of 
 pine forests, called Tres Marias, marked by the 
 sightly peaks of the Three Mary's. By long loops 
 and zigzags it is crawling down the mountain on 
 the other side to Cuernavaca. Mexico City has 
 an elevation of seven thousand five hundred feet, 
 Tres Marias of about ten thousand, and Cuerna- 
 vaca of five thousand. The descent by the wagon- 
 road is in length only twelve miles, but the drop 
 in that distance is five thousand feet, so that the 
 traveller passes very quickly from temperate to 
 tropical conditions. From the heights Cuerna- 
 vaca seems to lie in a plain, but it is really on a 
 promontory between two barancas, and the whole 
 country beyond is broken till the terraces fall off 
 into more tropical places where the view is bor- 
 dered by purple mountains. Indeed, the little city 
 in the midst of this tumultuous plain is surround- 
 ed by lofty mountains. The country around, 
 and especially below to the south is irrigated, 
 and presents a dozen contrasts of color in the 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 87 
 
 evergreen foliage, the ripening, yellow crops of 
 sugar-cane and grain, the clusters of big trees 
 here and there about a village or hacienda, and 
 the frequent church towers. All this is loveliness, 
 a mixture of temperate and tropical grace, but 
 there is grandeur besides. Looking to the east, 
 say from the Palace of Cortez, over the fields of 
 purple and green and yellow and brown, where 
 the graceful palms place themselves just as an 
 artist would have them in the foreground of his 
 picture, the view is certainly one of the finest in 
 the world. There is on the left the long moun- 
 tain range with the peaks of Tres Marias, and 
 along the foot of it haciendas and towns, cones of 
 extinct volcanoes and noble rocky promontories. 
 To form the middle distance, mountains come into 
 the picture, sloping tog^ether to lead the eye 
 along from one "value" to another, violet, purple, 
 dark or shining as the sun strikes them, while on 
 the left is a noble range of naked precipices of 
 red rock, always startHng in color. It is some 
 two thousand feet up the side of one of these red 
 cliffs that there are the remains of an ancient city 
 of Cliff Dwellers, almost inaccessible now, but 
 once the home of a race that understood archi- 
 tecture and knew how to carve. The lines of this 
 natural picture, the fields, the intervening ledges, 
 the lofty mountains, all converge to the spot the 
 artist would choose for the eye to rest, and there, 
 
88 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 up in the heavens, are the snow-clad peaks of 
 Popocatepetl and Iztaccihuatl, about seventeen 
 thousand five hundred feet above the sea, volcanic 
 creators of the region, and now undisputed lords 
 of the landscape. In the evening these peaks are 
 rosy in the sun ; in the morning their white immo- 
 bility is defined against the rosy sunshine." 
 
 Mexico is rich in fruits and flowers. Horti- 
 cultural and all kinds of agricultural products, as 
 well as fine timber on the mountains, are abund- 
 ant. The wildwoods in some places look like a 
 flower garden. 
 
 Mexico produces some of the finest timber in 
 the world. Out on the mountains there are mil- 
 lions of acres of splendid oak and pine, and in the 
 hot country many other varieties. 
 Timber. This timber land can be bought often 
 for from one to three dollars per acre. 
 There are one hundred and fourteen varieties of 
 building and cabinet woods — oak, pine, fir, cedar, 
 mahogany, etc. There are twelve species of dye- 
 woods, eight of gum trees, viz: cacao, india- 
 rubber, copal, liquid-amber, camphor, turpentine, 
 pine, and mesquite. There are seventeen varieties 
 of oil bearing trees and fifty-nine species of 
 medicinal plants. 
 
 Very few of Mexico's best fruits are known in 
 the United States, and those shipped there are of 
 an inferior grade, as they are gathered green. 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 89 
 
 There are twenty species of 
 Fruits Not Known bananas. Some large purple 
 In the States. ones grow fifteen inches 
 
 long and from one to two 
 and three inches thick. The reason that none of 
 the fruits except the most common ones, as the 
 pineapple, banana and cocoanut, are never sent to 
 the States is that they are not in demand, and 
 being unknown it would be necessary to cultivate 
 an appetite for them. The mangoes, mamey, 
 zapote, and papoya are distinctive Mexican fruits 
 that are deHcious. Oranges, limes, shaddocks, 
 apples, peaches, plums, pears and quinces grow 
 in great numbers. 
 
 Wheat, oats, cotton, rice, potatoes, onions, 
 sugar-cane, alfalfa and all common crops do well 
 at some elevation in Mexico. Cotton grows well, 
 
 is a fine staple and sells at a 
 Common Products good price. The import 
 Do Well. duty on cotton, and the con- 
 
 sumption being double the 
 production, make it a good crop. It is the chief 
 industry in the great Laguna district. It will 
 grow on from year to year without re- 
 Cotton, planting, but the best results come from 
 replanting. La Esparanza is the larg- 
 est cottonseed oil mill in the world, and next to 
 the largest soap factory. It is situated in Gomez 
 Palacio, in the center of this great cotton belt, 
 and clears its millions annually. 
 
90 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 You will find wheat fields In Mexico that re- 
 quire almost half a day to pass through them on 
 the train. They raise from thirty to fifty bushels 
 to the acre. Their mills make a fine 
 Wheat and grade of flour that sells for twenty 
 Corn. dollars per barrel. Corn is a good 
 
 crop. It will grow in some placas 
 almost sown, produce well, and sell at about two 
 and one-half dollars per bushel. 
 
 Mexico is a great alfalfa country, as you can 
 get five and six cuttings, and it will 
 Alfalfa, sell at from forty to sixty dollars per 
 ton. 
 Agricultural and horticultural industries in 
 Mexico, like many other things, are about a 
 thousand years behind the times. 
 Behind the They could have all kinds of nice 
 Times. fruits if they were to mix them up 
 properly and cultivate them. The 
 most common plow used today (191 1) is the forked 
 stick with iron point drawn by the ox, being tied 
 with rawhide to his horns. Their plowing looks 
 more like play than anything else. And this pet- 
 ox-forked-stick farming is not confined to the lit- 
 tle farms of the poor, but is in general use among 
 the rich, on farms that cannot be bought at any 
 price. It is not for lack of funds to buy the best 
 but lack of intelligence to know how to use im- 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 91 
 
 proved tools on the part of the laborers. I saw 
 on one large rich hacienda all kinds of latest im- 
 proved tools and machinery laid aside in a corner, 
 discarded, while hundreds of stick plows were 
 scratching over miles of beautiful, rich, level, 
 rootless, rockless soil. They were using some of 
 the single plows after having reconstructed the 
 tops by knocking off both handles and extending 
 only one straight stick from the center, in the 
 shape of the native plow. It would be out of the 
 question to employ both hands, as they need to 
 play and roll cigarettes. On many other rich ha- 
 ciendas, however, they have adopted the 
 "gringo's" methods together with his tools and 
 are bringing things to pass. 
 
 The agave is an important Mexican plant that 
 grows wild and is also cultivated. It resembles 
 what is known as the century plant. Portions of 
 Mexico are literally covered with it. It yields a 
 large quantity of a milky juice that is 
 Agave or used in various ways. It contains 
 Maguey. about seven per cent, alcohol. When 
 it is first milked from the leaves it is 
 sold as "agua miel," which has an acid taste. It 
 soon ferments and at diflferent stages is sold un- 
 der various names. The plant is a very hardy 
 one and does not seem to need any rain at all. 
 It will yield about one hundred and twenty-five 
 gallons to the plant. They mature the eighth 
 
92 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 year, giving milk about five months. It grows 
 wild, thick, on all the arid limestone hills, but 
 v/hen they are cultivated the plants are trans- 
 planted in their third year, placing them about 
 fifteen feet apart. 
 
 Henequen is a species of the agave, but has a 
 much finer fiber and is being cultivated on a large 
 scale. The fiber industry from agave 
 Henequen. and henequen is assuming large pro- 
 portions. The plants will yield more 
 than a thousand pounds to the acre. The ''hene- 
 quen hemp" is well known in the United States. 
 
 The cactus is one of the commonest of Mexican 
 plants. Although this plant contains in its thick 
 green leaves more water than any other plant, it 
 seems to be entirely independent of rains. It yields 
 a much-prized fruit resembling" the prickly pear. 
 The fruit is used in many ways. Often 
 Cactus, the leaves of the cacti are chopped up 
 and sold in the market for a vegetable. 
 They will also furnish food for cattle in winter, 
 while wild animals, out a hundred miles from wa- 
 ter, will live year after year by sipping water or 
 moisture from its leaves. If our California friend, 
 Mr. Burbank, succeeds in replacing the Mexican 
 cactus with the thornless the possibilities cannot 
 be estimated. 
 
 Large quantities of chicle (chewing gum), 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 93 
 
 canaigre, ginger, peppermint, and 
 Chicle yuca (an important starch plant), 
 
 And Others are raised in Mexico. The annual 
 
 chicle crop alone is worth some- 
 thing over two million dollars. 
 
 On the lowlands many varieties of grasses 
 grow, and in this moist, fertile soil the grass so 
 completely covers the ground that all thistles and 
 weeds are choked out, affording excellent condi- 
 tions for stock raising. Upon the plateaux in 
 the high woodlands the wild 
 Grasses grasses grow in abundance the 
 
 and entire year as there are no 
 
 Stock Raising, frosts and snows to kill them. 
 Cattle thrive through the year 
 without feeding. Cattle raising is already quite 
 an industry, but is only in its incipiency. The 
 difficulty so far is that the cattle are too small for 
 the market. The average Mexican steer weighs 
 only from eight hundred to a thousand pounds, 
 while the Liverpool market would not consider 
 anything under an average of twelve hundred 
 pounds. Mexico's trade in cattle with the United 
 States increased a thousandfold within only a few 
 years under the liberal provisions of the ''Wilson 
 Bill," which taxed cattle twenty per cent, ad 
 valorem. But this trade can be entirely destroyed 
 by a high protective tariff. There is a wide open 
 fidd for this industry in MexicOj as the weight o! 
 
94 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the cattle can easily be brought up to twelve hun- 
 dred pounds. Stock raising in general should pay 
 v/ell in Mexico. Grazing lands in Mexico are 
 cheap, fine horses are in demand at fancy prices, 
 and where cured ham is worth seventy-five cents 
 or a dollar per pound, when it can be raised as 
 cheaply as anywhere, business demands a trial. 
 Sheep and goat raising is already a thriving in- 
 dustry. 
 
 For hundreds of years Mexico has been a great 
 mining country. It has gone through the experi- 
 ence of every mode of mining. The wild Indian 
 tried his hand in his day. The Span- 
 Mining iard during colonial rule worked all 
 Industry, the known mines that were rich in 
 gold and silver near the surface, but 
 when they struck copper, as they knew nothing of 
 the modern processes of milling, shut down. 
 Some of the richest mines in Mexico today are 
 those old Spanish claims opened up under mod- 
 ern processes. 
 
 For the last decade the mining industry has 
 grown marvelously under the liberal policy that 
 President Diaz inaugurated and 
 Mining Laws maintained towards foreign capi- 
 Are Liberal. tal. Foreign companies have de- 
 nounced hundreds of prospects, 
 and bought hundreds of other prospects and 
 mines from the natives for a song. The policy of 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 95 
 
 the government has been to try to encourage for- 
 eign capital in every way possible, until now some 
 of the "high mucks" are getting uneasy lest the 
 country gets into the hands of foreigners, and 
 so they are proposing some stringent legislation. 
 Article 144 of their proposed new mining law, 
 which prohibits foreign corporations from enter- 
 ing Mexico, or foreigners from owning anything 
 only as they incorporate as Mexican companies, 
 may yet become a law with so much agitation on 
 the subject, even if Diaz did veto it. 
 
 With the agitation on the subject sooner or 
 
 later something of the kind will be effective. 
 
 While there is truth in the contention that all 
 
 companies doing business in a 
 
 New Law land should be required to in- 
 
 Backward Step, corporate under the laws of 
 that land, and while it is true 
 that foreigners are purchasing from ignorant na- 
 tives rich claims for packages of cigarettes, still 
 such a policy will retard woefully the mining in- 
 dustry of the country. There are thousands of 
 American, English and German seekers digging 
 holes in the hills all over the country, some of 
 them putting all they have into them with the hope 
 of getting more out. Ninety out of every hundred 
 of them go broke, but the ten who get rich do not 
 want to organize as Mexican companies. It is 
 more convenient for them to incorporate under 
 
96 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the laws of some State where it is easy to do so, 
 and since there are so many places where capital 
 can find this easy way, it will naturally seek it. 
 
 Mexico sells to the United States annually an 
 immense amount of lead and copper, and more 
 than thirteen million dollars' worth of gold in ore, 
 bullion and coin is imported into the 
 Exports. United States from Mexico annually, 
 according to United States bookkeep- 
 ing, but only about eight millions according to 
 Mexico's books. However, the discrepancy is 
 easily understood when you remember the large 
 percentage of undervaluations and amounts used 
 in the fine arts. Discrepances in commercial sta- 
 tistics between countries may also occur in one 
 country estimating values in mixed ores — un- 
 extracted metals. Estimating that one-fourth of 
 Mexico's silver production was not coined, a fair 
 estimate when you remember that on one church 
 altar alone, Guadalupe, in Mexico City, so it is 
 said, there are twenty thousand dollars in silver. 
 This would place the silver production at nearly 
 seven billion pesos, or one-half of the world's pro- 
 duct. Mexico exports to the United States an- 
 nually five million pounds of sugar, eight million 
 pounds of hides, and one and a half million pounds 
 of wool. 
 
 There are more than twenty-three thousand 
 kilometers, or about fourteen thousand miles, of 
 
Irrigated Corn on San Jiian de Miches. 
 
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 A-> 
 
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 B 
 
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 SH 
 
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 bf) 
 
 
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 'brj 
 (5 
 
L ^ - 
 
 Durango timber of J. S. McCaiiglimim, of 
 San Manuel. 
 
Baisaiaich Falls, 980 feet high, in the State of 
 Chihuahua, Mexico. 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 97 
 
 railroads already built in Mexico, connecting 
 every important city and town, crossing moun- 
 tains twelve thousand feet high, and 
 Railroads, netting annually eighty million dol- 
 lars. The roads are owned by the 
 government and foreign capital — about half and 
 half. The government is trying to get complete 
 control of the roads. While many of the roads 
 make very good time, the service as a general 
 thing is very poor. Like almost everything else 
 in Mexico, it is of low grade. Being an easy, slow 
 going country one has to be satisfied with the very 
 ordinary. They use first, second and third class 
 cars, but the first class is worse than any negro 
 car or smoker of the United States, but the Pull- 
 man car is up to date. A railroad man said 
 when asked hov/ he liked railroading in Mexico, 
 "Very well, indeed; down here they are not so 
 particular ; a fellow can do any kind of an old way 
 and never have to account for it." The gringo, 
 however, holds all the important places, and com- 
 mands a much larger salary than the natives. 
 This, of course, incites the natives to wrath and 
 breeds a hatred for Americans. And in their 
 unions they try to demand the wages paid to 
 Americans, although they do not do the work. 
 "Mexico for Mexicans!" is one of their mottoes. 
 But the gringo will be needed a number of years 
 yet. 
 
98 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 There are two thousand five hundred postoffices 
 with twelve thousand employees that net annually 
 three and a half million dollars. While wonderful 
 progress has been made in the mail 
 Postal system during the last few years, the 
 Service, service is still very poor. If you go to 
 the general delivery there and present 
 }Our name and call for your mail, they will ask 
 you on what day of the month your letters came 
 and from what direction- They do not put up the 
 mail in alphabetical order, but keep each day's 
 mail to itself, and list it, and put it up on the wall. 
 So when you go and search the hall, keeping data 
 of dates and directions, and whether letters or 
 papers, you will finally give him the list, and then 
 begins a long search. 
 
 There are seventy thousand eight hundred 
 miles of telegraph and telephone wire in use in 
 Mexico that earn more than three million dollars 
 annually. This service is also poor. 
 Telegraph. We have known every wire between 
 capital cities to be down twelve 
 days, just because a swollen river washed a 
 bridge away. In the United States the wire would 
 have been connected in two hours, and passengers 
 transferred within a few hours. But in Mexico I 
 had to go from the city of Chihuahua to the city 
 of Durango via El Paso and Eagle Pass or wait 
 three weeks. I had to travel a thousand miles to 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial 99 
 
 get home from my District Conference. In these 
 last three public services, however, — railroads, 
 postal and telegraph services — no country can 
 claim so much improvement during the last 
 twenty-five years as Mexico. 
 
 The industrial and manufacturing resources of 
 Mexico are growing into wonderful proportions. 
 A score of big smelting and re- 
 Manufacturing fining companies, steel plants, 
 
 Industries. factories of every kind, soap, 
 glycerine, cotton and woolen 
 mills are being established on every hand — gen- 
 erally by foreign capital. 
 
 The public lands are taken up by denounce- 
 ments similar to those made in the United States, 
 at about one dollar per acre at present. It was as 
 low as five and ten cents. The 
 Public Lands — owner of the surface never owns 
 
 Ownership. the mineral right without spe- 
 cial denouncements which cost 
 about five dollars per acre each year, and 
 denouncements of mineral claims are never 
 made only as mines are thought to be 
 discovered. Any one has a right to make 
 mineral denouncements on any one's surface 
 light and owns them in fee simple as long as the 
 annual tax is paid. This liberal mining law has 
 been a great incentive to double diligence among 
 the many foreign seekers of the '^shiny stuf?»" 
 
100 Mexico, Y ester day , Today and Tomorrow 
 
 The most unfortunate thing, possibly, for the 
 country is her immense tracts of land owned by 
 
 single individuals and families. 
 
 Special In the first place, one-third of the 
 
 Land Grants, public lands were given to the 
 
 surveyors for their work. This 
 put a large part of the land of the country in the 
 hands of a few. Then during the wars the govern- 
 ment had no money to properly pay the great 
 leaders of the army, and land being plentiful, it 
 was dished out to the generals by states, or the 
 conquering general took it as spoils of conquest. 
 It is said that General Louis Terreras owns near- 
 ly all the land from the city of Chihuahua to El 
 Paso, Texas, nearly a day's ride on the train. 
 And such is the case throughout the country at 
 large. If these large tracts were divided up 
 thousands of families could have prosperous little 
 farms and the country would blossom as the rose. 
 But the large haciendas of tHe rich families are 
 their worlds. They live all to themselves and have 
 no care nor concern for the outside world. They 
 do not read and keep up with the times — do not 
 care about improvements and modern advance- 
 ment — in fact, in some places bitterly oppose any 
 reform or advancement. Their little worlds are 
 just Hke they want them, and they do not wish to 
 be disturbed. On some of these ranches the cor- 
 rupt rich old king is so surrounded by hundreds 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial. 101 
 
 of families in perfect slavery, ready to serve him 
 in any capacity that will please him, and for just 
 beans enough to keep body and soul together, 
 that he fears that the coming of enlightenment 
 or civilization might play havoc in his palatial 
 court and fair domain. One of these rich old fel- 
 lows who owned a few hundred miles square of 
 territory objected to the building of the railroad 
 into the country (although it would serve him 
 more than any one else, from a money considera- 
 tion). He charged the country ten dollars for each 
 of the thousands of bushes they cut on the right 
 of way. But when the government took that as a 
 basis upon which to calculate his taxes, and be- 
 gan to count bushes, he agreed to donate the way. 
 (Diaz knew how to handle them.) Christian en- 
 lightenment will work a great reform and some of 
 them do not want any. In some of these rich fam- 
 ilies they scarcely ever marry outside their own 
 relatives. 
 
 But Mexico's chief resource lies in her intelli- 
 gent brown-eyed boys and girls. The possibilities 
 that lie back of these educated and trained heads 
 and hands cannot be estimated. As 
 Ethnology, a nation her greater greatness and 
 wider usefulness will be felt as are 
 harnessed these higher powers of trained hands, 
 educated brains, and warmed (enlarged) souls. 
 The money must be transmuted into manhood 
 
102 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 before her greatest resources and opportunities 
 are brought to light. The republic contains fifteen 
 millions of inhabitants, twenty per cent, of whom 
 are of European, forty-three per cent, of mixed, 
 and thirty-seven per cent, of Indian descent. 
 There are one hundred and eight languages: 
 thirty-seven of the first order or languages poly- 
 syllabic, of sub-flexion; forty-two of the second 
 order, or polysyllabic, of juxtaposition; twenty- 
 three of the third order, or polysyllabic, synthetic; 
 and five of the fourth order, or quasi-monosyl- 
 labic. 
 
 The principal languages spoken in Mexico to- 
 day are the Nahuatl, with six dialects; the Seri, 
 with two; the Papago, with six; the Apache, with 
 
 seven; the Otomi, with five; the 
 Spoken Huaxtec, with Totonac; the Tar- 
 
 Languages, rascan, with Matlalfzincan ; and the 
 
 Mixtec, with four dialects. Most 
 all the natives, however, speak a little broken 
 Spanish. When it comes to foreign tongues, it is 
 difficult to tell which you hear most on the streets, 
 English, French, German, Italian, Chinese, Japan- 
 ese, or what not. You can find anybody or hear 
 anything — the resources are truly wonderful and 
 opportunities startling. 
 
CHAPTER Vll. 
 
 Romanism vs. Evangelism. 
 
 E have here two religious systems which 
 to some appear not to disagree enough 
 to warrant an invasion of the territory of 
 one by the other; nevertheless, from a historical 
 and moral standpoint, their aims and results ap- 
 pear in striking contrast. One is a religion of 
 love, the other a religion of law — by force. 
 
 The Roman Catholic religion was sent to Mex- 
 ico simply as a conquering system — not to give 
 place to other teachings, habits and customs, but 
 where moral suasion failed at the 
 A Conquering cannon's mouth to tear down all 
 Religion. existing forms and habits of wor- 
 
 ship, some of which were as 
 dear to the ignorant Aztec heart as any that have 
 ever carried joy and peace to a heart that has 
 beat in human breast. After the storm of con- 
 quest was over, fortimately for the sake of a little 
 peace in the country, the Indians did not show 
 much disposition to resist, and only occasionally 
 rebelled against the Roman Catholic religion. 
 They were put under the care of **Encomenderos" 
 
104 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 that taught them the catechism, together with 
 many automatic devotional practices. 
 
 The new reHgion was very easily adopted by the 
 Indians as it appeared only to the outward senses, 
 without requiring any exertion at all on the 
 part of their spiritual natures. Hence, repentance 
 and regeneration were unnecessary 
 A Religion and unknown. The Indians knew 
 of Form. nothing of experimental Christian- 
 ity — knew only what they saw, and 
 often as a matter of convenience fell into line with 
 the new order of things. Consequently their re- 
 ligion became simply habit and custom. And so 
 with its prejudices and superstitions it has come 
 en from generation to generation down to the 
 present time. 
 
 It is true that the moral standard may have 
 
 been raised a little. To a certain extent some of 
 
 the most inhuman practices were abolished, but 
 
 Rome did not destroy idolatry, 
 
 Little and many writers have claimed 
 
 Improvement, that she increased it. Thousands 
 of the Mexican people are today 
 in reality bowing down and worshiping stocks and 
 stones in different forms. Thousands really be- 
 lieve that images and bones are capable of per- 
 forming miracles. It is a common thing to see 
 people carrying articles to the priest to be blessed 
 sc that they may have the protection and miracu- 
 
Resources, Natural and Commercial. 105 
 
 lous powers that it would subsequently possess. 
 Rome pulled down some of the ugly Aztec idols, 
 but only placed others in their stead, possibly a 
 little fairer. The famous Sanctuary Hill of Guad- 
 alupe was but a shrine of an old Indian goddess. 
 
 The Roman Catholic religion in Mexico is a 
 religion of feasts. The idea was to overcome the 
 sadness of the captive Indians, deprived of all their 
 goods and their wills as well. To have 
 Holiday them gather by thousands and march 
 Festivals, in long procession, with the gorgeous 
 banners and priestly robes, with can- 
 dles and sky-rockets, and all kinds of amusements 
 and intoxicants, in a perfect hurrah all the time, 
 until they forgot their disagreeable surroundings. 
 These holiday festivals come every few days, and 
 (-ach one is celebrated more elaborately than the 
 Fourth of July with Americans. The poor people 
 under the perfect intoxication of excitement re- 
 main in complete idleness and plan from one feast 
 to the other almost, giving no place to sober up 
 and earn something to keep themselves respecta- 
 ble. When St. John's Day is over they begin to 
 prepare for St. Peter's Day, and so they live in a 
 continual strain of excitement all the time. 
 
 Some of their practices on some of their holy 
 or feast days are ridiculous in the extreme. On 
 
306 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 "All Saints" and "All Souls" days the cemeteries 
 are dressed up with every color, 
 Degrading while candles are burned around 
 and the graves by friends and relatives. 
 
 Debasing. They make a regular picnic of the 
 whole thing. During Holy Week 
 the scenes are exceedingly ridiculous. A 
 man to represent Judas is chained and 
 kept in an iron cage in the churches while 
 thousands pass by and gaze at him as though 
 there were no doubt that he was the real Judas. 
 Finally on Friday a mob hangs him in effigy in 
 several different public parks, shoot into the 
 stuffed body, and then madly tear him to pieces. 
 A full-sized image of Christ crucified lies with 
 blood on it in the churches from day to day wKile 
 thousands pass by groaning and kissing its feet. 
 On the saints' days they will have bull fights and 
 cock fights in honor of and named after the saints. 
 They use no kind of sense of propriety. Every 
 boy and girl has a saint, and therefore a saint day. 
 For example all Johns have St. John's Day, and 
 Marys St. Mary's Day, with all kinds of ridiculous 
 proceedings. And thus this corrupt system hides 
 some of their sorrows, making a great impression 
 on the ignorant individuals. (See Chapter V.) 
 
 Some writers have been loud in praising Ro- 
 manism as compared with the early religion of the 
 
Romanism vs. Evangelism. 107 
 
 Aztecs, based upon humanitarian traits and 
 claims, as against the cruelty of the 
 Intolerance, early Mexican practices. It is true 
 that the bloody sacrifices of the 
 Aztecs to a certain extent were suppressed 
 by Rome; but was it not also true that Rome lit 
 the fires of the Inquisition that consumed men and 
 women? This Roman tyranny not only perse- 
 cuted and put to the flames warriors and enemies, 
 but many peaceful citizens as well, leaving entire 
 families destitute by acts of confiscation, and in 
 many cases in their wretchedness they were con- 
 fined in prison. If it is argued that the victims 
 v/ere fewer in number than in the Aztecs' day, 
 attention is called to the fact that the corporal 
 chastisement of colonial inquisition days was the 
 least part of their fearful doom. If only hundreds 
 were put to the fire or steel of the tormentors, 
 thousands might have chosen death, where mil- 
 hons of wills and souls were enslaved, ''driven as 
 dumb cattle" without energy or aim to a choice- 
 less, purposeless destiny. Romanism had aspired 
 to conquer the Indians by blindfolding them, and 
 to rule by making them idiots; it had done its 
 best, its work was finished. 
 
 Nearly all the stories of carnage have led to 
 some glorious advancement of the conquering 
 army of our Lord. God's eye was upon the scene 
 
108 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 while Rome was playing its role with the early 
 
 Mexican mind and soul, and sug- 
 
 Transitional gested a new scene — the glorious 
 
 Period. war of independence. This war 
 opened up new ways by arous- 
 ing the sleeping and deadened sensibilities of 
 an enslaved race, holding before them hope and 
 aspiration by hanging stars out in their dark 
 night; but the consummation of the war was not 
 all. On account of the power of the clergy, and 
 the many evils that the people had acquired by 
 inlieritance and practice that were contrary to an 
 Evangelical Christianity, the evolution was neces- 
 sarily very slow. It simply meant a constant, per- 
 sistent struggle on the part of their great leaders, 
 whose cry for complete deliverance — song of per- 
 fect freedom, — could not be hushed by anything 
 less than a liberty for the Mexican people that 
 would reach the mind and touch the soul. To gain 
 this high and cherished place meant revolution 
 after revolution, until they reached a climax in 
 the "three years' war," the righteous War of the 
 Reformation, when the Liberal Party unconscious- 
 ly prepared the way for the entrance of Evangel- 
 ical Christianitv. 
 
 The Church of Rome had ruled the country for 
 three hundred years. Everything had been sub- 
 
Romanism vs. Evangelism. 109 
 
 ject to her will. The people were teachable and 
 the authorities had not failed to 
 Protestantism teach them their doctrines and 
 Necessary, methods. The unbounded riches 
 of the land were at her disposal. 
 What an opportunity for uplifting and enlighten- 
 ing the people! And yet the results of her bane- 
 ful teachings and practices and complete domin- 
 ion are an object lesson for the world. Truly, 
 Eome could not uplift the country or she would 
 have done it ere this. When the wise farmer sees 
 only in Mexico today by invitation of Mexicans, 
 that his sowing has failed to take hold and sprout, 
 and that thistles are coming up instead, he plows 
 up the weeds and sows again Our Lord is a wise 
 husbandman and desires that his laborers prepare 
 the soil and sow good seed. And if the tree does 
 not produce he wants us to cut it down, if we 
 can't make it produce by digging about it, and 
 plant over again. Our blessed Evangelism is not 
 but by order of God himself. It is there digging 
 3bout some old trees, in some instances making 
 them produce— so one of the Roman Catholic 
 priests tells me. But in general it is preparing the 
 soil over again and sowing some better seed. The 
 soil has been watered by the blood of martyrs 
 which is the seed of the Church. The first Protest- 
 ant martyr was John L. Stephens, who was mur- 
 dered by Roman Catholic fanatics in the town of 
 
110 Mexico^ Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 >^hualulco in March, 1874. As in the days of the 
 original first martyred Stephen there were some 
 standing by who raised no objection, for the mur- 
 derers of two commercial travellers were appre- 
 hended and summarily shot while those of Ste- 
 phens were condemned to death but allowed to 
 escape. The soil has received the seed of the 
 b'ood of the martyrs and the sowing has contin- 
 ued. For the cultivation of the crops is given 
 muscle, sinews and brain of some of the Church's 
 most consecrated. The fertile field today looks 
 promising under the tears and smiles of loving 
 heaven as it is watered by showers and kissed by 
 loving sunbeams. Already some harvesting has 
 been done, but the field is large and the laborers 
 are few. 
 
 Protestantism was well adapted to the needs of 
 Mexico. It exactly filled the long-felt want, for 
 it appealed to the mind and spirit, whereas Ro- 
 manism had only sought outward 
 Protestantism submission, and practiced out- 
 Adapted to ward forms. Protestantism se- 
 Mexico. cured the exercise of the whole 
 
 being. While it taught the peo- 
 ple outward forms, like taking the holy sacrament 
 of the Lord's Supper, it was teaching them not to 
 take bread that did not belong to them after they 
 left the church, appealing to their moral sense of 
 right and wrong and teaching them God's word 
 
Romanism z's. Bvangelism. Ill 
 
 upon the subject. Romanism, on the other hand, 
 withheld the Bible from them and did not appeal 
 to the realm of spirit. It taught them that if they 
 stole anything to go to the priest and he would 
 forgive them ; and thus the fundamentals in an in- 
 telligent Christianity, Conviction and Repentance, 
 were unknown. And even the untrained Aztec 
 mind and heart felt this sense of an aching void 
 within that all the forms and promises of the 
 priestly order could not fully fill and satisfy. Pro- 
 testantism not only appealed to mind and spirit, 
 and thus exercised the entire being, but in the sec- 
 ond place it was not intolerant. Its methods were 
 better suited to the wishes of the people in that it 
 sought to spread the "good tidings" by teaching 
 and preaching without intruding upon the sanc- 
 tity and in the home of the conscience by any 
 forced method. It was better suited to the peo- 
 ple's needs, in the third place, in that it engender- 
 ed a democratic spirit among them. It stirred up 
 mdividualism and brought out the dignity of 
 rr;anhood and womanhood, teaching them that 
 they were akin to God and that their faithful 
 ^'padre" was only a brother equal with them, and 
 rot a god to forgive sin. But above all, through 
 the instrumentalities of Protestant Evangelism 
 they were actually saved from their sins, and then 
 they knew experimentally that the new songs of 
 joy upon their lips and expression of gladness in 
 
J 12 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 their hearts could not be manifestations of mis- 
 chievous pranks of a corrupt earthly priesthood. 
 Not much was done in Evangelical work in 
 Mexico before the seventies. A few colporters 
 had made their way through the country at great 
 risk of life to sell a few Bibles 
 Introduction of and preach the gospel here and 
 Protestantism. there to single individuals. The 
 most of the Evangelical 
 Churches entered Mexico in 1872 and 1873, and 
 before the end of the century there were seven 
 hundred congregations with fifty thousand ad- 
 herents. The good work has steadily gone on 
 until today there are possibly as many people in 
 Mexico who have been influenced by Protestant 
 Evangelism, to a certain extent, as there are 
 strictly Catholic communicants. It was hard at 
 first. There was bitter opposition on every hand, 
 but the different congregations began to build 
 churches and schools, open up hospitals and cure 
 the sick, preach the gospel and sell Bibles and 
 scatter tracts until Garcia Cubas, the illustrious 
 geographer, said that the Protestant religion had 
 opened its way especially among the honest 
 artisans' and working men, ennobling them. 
 
 The mill of Protestant Evangelism grinds out a 
 

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Romanism 7js. Evangelism. 113 
 
 very different product from that of Romanism. 
 
 A man may be a good Catholic in Mex- 
 Some ico, although he cheats and steals and 
 Results, lies and kills, if only he confesses, 
 
 prays to Mary, and pays. One fel- 
 low, bad fellow (I might say fool fellow), was 
 given a "signed up through ticket," didn't have to 
 lie over in purgatory at all, for putting an iron 
 fence around the church! But wherever the glo- 
 rious gospel of Jesus Christ has entered some 
 precious souls have been redeemed from sin and 
 vice. The genuine Christian convert is a miracle 
 of grace just the same in Mexico as in any other 
 land. Drunkenness, cheating and vice have been 
 cast forever from many a life due to the direct in- 
 fluence of Christian Evangelism. And these souls 
 that have been thus redeemed are worth more 
 than all the effort, money and men that have been 
 employed in this crusade. 
 
 It is needless to say that one of the most potent 
 factors of this Christian Evangelism is found in 
 our church schools. This agency is ideal from the 
 fact you have through it a much easier access to 
 the people, for all classes that truly love progress 
 and good morals are in easy touch 
 Evangelical with our schools, although they 
 Education, might not be able to pass by a Pro- 
 testant church without crossing 
 themselves and uttering a little prayer to Mary to 
 
114 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 save them from eternal perdition. We are not only 
 able to reach the people better through the school 
 agency, but the high standard of mission schools 
 has had a healthy effect upon all Catholic schools, 
 and especially is it rapidly placing its stamp on all 
 public schools, furnishing teachers for them in nu- 
 merous cases. As an Evangelizing agency it has 
 been a mighty factor, and its contribution to the 
 general progress of the country has been recog- 
 nized by the government. These mission schools 
 have reached out a helping hand to the helpless 
 and taught them by deed as they taught them by 
 word the essential virtues of the Christian re- 
 ligion. Hundreds of orphans and destitute chil- 
 dren have thus been raised up to decency and re- 
 spectability, while well-to do families, seeing an 
 opportunity to educate their children in a moral 
 atmosphere of kindness like that, prefer our 
 schools to either the Catholic or state institutions, 
 and sometimes crowd them. 
 
 The Bible and tracts have been among the 
 most effective agencies in the crusade of Evangel- 
 ism. The patient colporter has crossed the moun- 
 tains from shore to shore selling his 
 Colporters. Bibles and scattering tracts in 
 every city, village and on ev- 
 ery farm, and has thus contributed to the diffusion 
 of the knowledge of the "Tree of Life" in every 
 part of the land. The Bible has a warm place in 
 
Romanism vs. Evangelism. US 
 
 many Mexican hearts ; a gift of a Bible has led to 
 the conversion of many. One will loan his Bible 
 to another, or read to him, and he will soon be 
 converted. It has induced many an old man and 
 woman to learn to read. One Bible was sent to a 
 n:an who read it and was converted, who in turn 
 read it to fourteen of his neighbors who were con- 
 verted, and they organized a little church. Other 
 religious books and periodicals have enlightened 
 hundreds of souls. There are many Christians 
 who relate in their experience the reading of a 
 leaflet as the first step in their Christian life. 
 Thousands of Bibles are sold annually arid many 
 ether good books. There are twenty religious pe- 
 riodicals printed in the Republic and they have a 
 large circulation. 
 
 The Protestant Church was the first to call the 
 attention of the Mexican people to the good cause 
 of temperance. Did Rome say one word during 
 the three hundred years of her un- 
 Temperance. disputed lordship and perfect con- 
 trol of Mexico on the question of 
 temperance? She was too busy collecting fees for 
 the births, baptisms and deaths of her people, the 
 three things that all, rich or poor, had to do and 
 pay for, and where the parties were able they 
 paid the large marriage fee; but this was one fee 
 they could get around by not marrying, and pos- 
 sibly not more than one-third of the people have 
 
116 Mexico, Yesterday J Today and Tomorrow 
 
 ever been married. Yes, the Protestant Church 
 started the agitation of temperance, and her voice 
 has not been in vain. Even the government and 
 many individual sympathizers are now fighting the 
 demon drink. From the Sunday school, pulpit 
 and press is heard the voice of Protestant Christ- 
 ianity in no uncertain sound. The country is 
 aroused; temperance societies are being organ- 
 ized; the cantina has been put. out of the railroad 
 eating houses; and the question is being agitated 
 from one end of the country to the other. But 
 who ever heard of Romanism leading a fight of 
 that kind, or even entering the fight until Protest- 
 antism had pushed it on them, until they had to 
 take sides for or against it? Temperance is there- 
 fore a strong arm of Protestant Evangelism vs. 
 Romanism. 
 
 The great argument that the Roman Church 
 has against Protestantism, they say, is that it is 
 divided into numberless sects. I'hey say that that 
 
 is conclusive evidence that the people 
 Union, are not to read the Bible; that the 
 
 right interpretation thereof is difficult 
 and should be undertaken only by the head of the 
 church, and that all the rest of the people should 
 receive it through their priests; that if each one 
 reads for himself, there will be differences of 
 opinion, which is not best. There is nothing, of 
 course, in their contention, as all minds of equal 
 
Romanism vs. Evangelism. IIT 
 
 caliber have the same privileges, and an agreement 
 or union reached over strictly ignorance could not 
 be justified before man or God. But that there 
 are too many and useless divisions the whole 
 world is beginning to believe. No one feels the 
 loss of effectiveness in useless divisions, and knows 
 the strength and value of Christian fellowship, 
 like a missionary on a mission field. It is a healthy 
 sign that the spirit of union is being cultivated in 
 many of the branches of Protestantism today, 
 especially in the mission fields. Protestantism 
 needs to get together. In Mexico the divisions 
 ?re many and unnecessary. The idea of having 
 two mission Methodist denominations in one city ! 
 The Sunday schools and young people's societies 
 of Mexico have contributed of late years much to 
 a better understanding and fuller fellowship 
 among the Evangelical denominations, by meeting 
 in conventions in the large cities of the Republic, 
 with one purpose and aim. The discussions in 
 these gatherings of the furtherance of the King- 
 dom of God has impressed the country with the 
 Oneness of the Evangelical idea and promoted a 
 friendly feeling between the churches. 
 
 There are about a thousand congregations in 
 the country, reaching from Sonora to Yucatan, 
 each one a burning light and living protest against 
 
118 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tofuorrow 
 
 idolatry, superstition and vice. The people are 
 poor and not very many churches 
 
 Self are self supporting. Some one has 
 
 Supporting, asked if we ever get any of the 
 higher class into the Evangeli- 
 cal churches. Sometimes, but not often. 
 What we are doing is taking a low class 
 and making a higher class out of them. 
 Self-support is a thing that is now being 
 emphasized through the country. Quite a num- 
 ber of churches are paying the salaries of their 
 pastors this year. And this idea will grow more 
 popular and the churches grow more able. Pro- 
 testantism is in Mexico to remain, notwithstand- 
 ing the hatred and opposition it has to encounter. 
 It is sending its roots out in every direction, 
 taking firm hold in Mexican soil, and is felt in re- 
 ligion, in education and in social life. Its branches 
 will grow higher and extend wider until under its 
 strong protection the weak will find safety and the 
 strong more strength. Evangelical Christianity is 
 what Mexico needs; it will lift the Republic as it 
 has every land that it has touched up to a higher 
 plane. That it is to be the future religion of the 
 land of Hidalgo and Juarez no sane man can 
 any longer doubt. 
 
 In this chapter on Evangelism a presentation 
 of the American problem in Mexico will not be 
 
Romanisni vs. Bvangelism. 119 
 
 out of place. Mexico's American problem is a 
 great one. Americans are pouring in 
 America! from everywhere, and as a rule they 
 Problem, are a sinful class coming only in search 
 of gold or safety from a sheriff. Skill- 
 ed workmen are needed in all the departments of 
 industry aid Americans have been in demand. 
 They have not only filled the most important 
 places, but by virtue of their skill and means, 
 have succeeded in getting control of railroads, 
 large mines and manufacturing establishments 
 throughout ihe land, until Mexico is a little anx- 
 ious lest the- own and control too much. But the 
 problem tha confronts us is their moral welfare. 
 When our boys leave home with their faces turn- 
 ed westward they not only set their hearts on 
 gold, but toe often on pleasure — a good time — as 
 well. Boys Yho were Sunday school pupils and 
 pretty punctial church goers at home have said 
 by their acticis when they crossed the Rio 
 Grande, "Godbye God, I am going into Mexico!" 
 Their adventirous aspirations had been for years 
 to break awa; from the old associations of their 
 childhood andgo into the wild world to *^get rich 
 quick" and dmk until intoxicated by pleasure's 
 happiest dreaiis — to sow their season of wild 
 oats, then to rturn home and be men, etc. They 
 felt a kind of 2 relief when they got out from un- 
 der the shadov of the old home church tower — out 
 
120 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 / 
 
 of hearing of the old home bell and almost beyond 
 the reach even of a mother's prayers, to sip the 
 yet unexperienced sweets from sin's great garden. 
 They left their father's house; they clitibed the 
 Mexican plains; they sinned; they put their money 
 in a mine; they lost all. And one here and there 
 today is sitting in a corner of a saloon ivHispering 
 to himself, "My father's house— plenty!" One 
 who has been turned down by the woijd, but who 
 still has something in him that is gooi, as his old 
 mother well knows as she sits on thesteps in the 
 late eventide, with her face turned westward, sing- 
 ing "Oh where is my wandering boyfonight? He 
 was once all right ; go search for hiq if you will, 
 and when you find him . don't forgej to tell him 
 that I love him still!" Now, these ^re our own 
 boys. Romanism will only lead th^ further in 
 sin. Christian Evangelism alone w)l save them. 
 What they need is some one to gdto them and 
 tell them in their mother's tongu^ to ''cheer 
 up, there is a brighter day"; to l^d them into 
 forms of service that are famiHar,|and many of 
 them will be saved from sin. The Churches are 
 answering this need the best they in. They are 
 planting American churches in eveif city, and the 
 good they do cannot be measured At the close 
 of my service one morning I call^ for member- 
 ship. A lady came forward weepit^ and told me 
 
Rommiism vs. Evangelism 121 
 
 that she was a Methodist preacher's daughter, but 
 had not been to church for a number of years and 
 wanted to join the church again. One day my 
 family physician came to see me and said that a 
 Mexican had just brought him a note stating that 
 one of our townsmen had gotten one of his legs 
 mashed to pieces while putting up a stamp mill 
 over on the Pacific Slope. As the Mexican had 
 been four days getting in, the doctor said that it 
 would be seven or eight days after the accident 
 before he could possibly reach him, and he ex- 
 pected to find him dead. He wanted me to go 
 with him and we would at least give him a Christ- 
 ian burial. After two hours renting and arrang- 
 ing our pack animals and riding horses, we start- 
 ed out over the roughest of the Sierra Madre 
 Mountains. We reached him in time to save his 
 life and brought him back with us on a stretcher 
 the hundred miles over the mountains to Du- 
 rango. Only one who could have spent one of 
 those nights with us, under a dirty little tent in 
 the rain, with that man more dead than alive, 
 could really know the value of Christian Evangel- 
 ism in this country. The American people here 
 are few, comparatively speaking, and badly scat- 
 tered, and as a general thing uninterested in 
 Christian work. But that makes their needs the 
 greater. This is a work that claims and demands 
 
122 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 our attention. In the first place, the Mexicans 
 will always point to the Americans as representa- 
 tives of onr country and religion. In the second 
 place, they are lost human beings and need a Sa- 
 vior. But above all, they are our own boys. 
 
D 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 History, Ancient and Colonial 
 
 N THE length of an ordinary essay 
 touching the past of a land as old 
 and as full of interest as Mexico, 
 it is, of course, impossible to mention more 
 than the important incidents of great epochs 
 without entering into the details of any. 
 
 The past of Mexico can easily be noticed under 
 the special topics, Ancient, Colonial, Independent 
 ard modern Mexico. 
 
 The early history of Mexico attracts our atten- 
 t:on from the fact that the intelligence of its an- 
 c-ient inhabitants— its primitive civilization— ex- 
 celled that of any other North Amer- 
 Ancient ican race, judging from the only cri- 
 Mexico. terion we have, viz: the intelligent 
 look of the standing monuments of 
 that dead civilization. 
 
 In the study of the ancient epoch no attempt is 
 made to solve the problem of the origin of the 
 Mexicans, nor to examine to any extent their pre- 
 
124 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 historic age. This special theme has received con- 
 siderable attention from different 
 Prehistoric writers. Some have devoted one- 
 Mexico, fourth, others one-half, and some, 
 as Senor Gregoria Garcia their en- 
 tire book space to this special theme. The results 
 of all this investigation have been about like Se- 
 nores Adalberto Esteva and Adolfo Dublan said 
 touching the same question in their introduction 
 to their "Hlstoria Patria," one of the public school 
 text-books written in the year 1903: ''So many 
 opinions have been expressed that the question is 
 left in greater obscurity." 
 
 Whether a close study of the architectural re- 
 mains and ancient fine arts force you to accept 
 the Roman or Grecian theories; or the analogies 
 in speech, color, etc., lead you to believe in the 
 Japanese or African theories; or whether the tra- 
 ditional stories of a land-way 
 Theories Very leading from island to island 
 Speculative. across the Pacific (now sub- 
 
 merged), and that of the famous 
 submerged "Atlantis Continent" that Plato spoke 
 of in his "Timaeus" translated and published by 
 Chavero in his "A Traves de los Siglos," by Ban- 
 croft in his "Native Races," and by Foster in his 
 ''Prehistoric Races," should make you believe in 
 the correctness of the Atlantis theory; or the cor- 
 rupt morals in the fine arts as sculptured in mar- 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 125 
 
 ble that adorn most of the plazas in Mexico, of 
 ''half man and beast" point you to the Phoeni- 
 cian, Baal, or Moloch worship, and lead you to the 
 Phoenician theory— these or any of the other of a 
 score or more— none of which are definite enough 
 to furnish the base for a secure conclusion. 
 
 Nearly all historians agree that the later and 
 principal tribes, the Toltecs, Chichimean and Az- 
 tecs, came from a northerly direction, from Ari- 
 zona and CaUfornia. The Toltecs 
 Toltecs. came about the middle of the sixth cen- 
 tury. While little is known of them, 
 since their'written records have perisned, it Is un- 
 derstood that they were well instructed in agri- 
 culture, architecture, etc. In fact Toltec now is a 
 synonym for architecture. They built their cap- 
 ital at Tula, north of the Mexican valley. Many 
 evidences of their extensive buildings remained 
 until the time of the Conquest. For four hundred 
 and fifty years the Toltecs held sway, but after 
 famine and pestilence they left the country about 
 1116A. D. 
 
 Next in order came the Chichimean from the 
 
 same direction and began to build up a still higher 
 
 civilization. Their empire began about 1170 A. D. 
 
 and lasted until 1521 A. D., ac- 
 
 Chichimean. cording to Lord Kingsborough's 
 
 valuable works. That is, they 
 
 were one of the tribes to hold out to the end of 
 
126 Mexico^ Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Ihe Spanish Conquest. Their civilization, while 
 exhibiting traits of barbarism, showed that they 
 had chiefs and governors, and that they worship- 
 ped the sun. They were extremely religious. 
 
 The Aztecs were the last of the migrating tribes 
 to reach the country from the north. They came 
 in the year 1196 A. D., and settled in the same 
 valley of Mexico. After some eight 
 Aztecs. years of feuds and battles they began 
 to intermarry in royal families, and 
 then was formed that remarkable league that 
 Prescott thus describes in his "Conquest of 
 Mexico": 
 
 *^It was agreed between the empires of Mexico, 
 Tezcoco, and the neighboring little kingdom of 
 Tlacopan, that they would mutually support each 
 
 other in their wars, of- 
 Remarkable Indian fensive and defensive, and 
 Peace Conference. that in the distribution of 
 
 spoils one-fifth should be 
 assigned to Tlacopan and the remainder to be di- 
 vided among the others. It is said that a century 
 passed and they had not quarrelled over the 
 spoils." 
 
 In this Aztec civilization, or early Mexican 
 confederation of Vv^hich the Aztecs were the lead- 
 ers, a judicial and military system was 
 Judicial inaugurated. Although a monarchy. 
 System, and therefore despotic, the judicial sys- 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 127 
 
 tern was possibly better than legislative halls. 
 Among a crude and ignorant people it is 
 easier to make laws than to enforce them. And 
 it is better to enforce them without having them 
 than to have them without enforcing them. Under 
 the Aztec system each city had its judge appoint- 
 ed by the chief. This judge had absolute juris- 
 diction in all cases. No appeal could be taken, 
 not even to the throne. The judge held office du- 
 ring life, and if he was ever guilty of being bribed 
 he was punished with death, although it is not 
 known just how this verdict was reached. 
 
 They had a regular system of taxation. The 
 revenues for the support of the government were 
 gathered by appointed collectors. A 
 Taxes, system of assessment of all crowned 
 heads and all agricultural and manufac- 
 turing products was arranged and proper col- 
 lections made. Any default in a collector was 
 punished either by slavery or death. 
 
 Communication was carried on by couriers 
 stationed about six miles apart. These runners 
 
 sometimes ran as far as 
 Communication and one hundred and fifty miles 
 Military Afifairs. in a day. Their armies were 
 
 divided into companies of 
 eight thousand, subdivided into squads of four 
 hundred, each squad with a special commander. 
 
128 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrozv 
 
 The Aztec civilization was easily far in advance 
 of all the other early tribes of North America. 
 
 The colonial history of Mexico properly begins 
 with the beginning of the Spanish Conquest. 
 A few years after Christopher Colum- 
 Colonial bus had discovered the West India 
 History. Islands, one of the servants of the 
 house of the Columbuses, Diego Ve- 
 lasquez, was appointed colonial governor of the 
 Island of Espanola in the year 151 1 A. D. Some- 
 time afterward he was transferred to the Island of 
 Cuba. But he was not satisfied to occupy him- 
 self with the affairs of Cuba and began at once 
 to explore all the surrounding islands and shores 
 of the New World. 
 
 Velasquez having heard much of the shining 
 
 metal and opportunities for booty on the main 
 
 land of Mexico, decided to send 
 
 Velasquez an expedition to search out this 
 Sends Cortez. land on his own responsibility 
 and for his personal gain, with- 
 out any connection whatever with the home land. 
 So he fitted out a crew and sent them under the 
 direction and command of his private secretary, 
 Don Hernando Cortez. 
 
 Cortez with his vessels, five hundred soldiers, 
 
■ History, Ancient and Colonial 129 
 
 one hundred and ten marines and several hundred 
 Indians and horses, armed with 
 Cortez Lands muskets, cross-bows, four fal- 
 In Vera-Cruz. conets, and ten pieces of artil- 
 lery, landed in San Juan de Ulua 
 (Vera Cruz) the last of February, 15 19. 
 
 Moctezuma, the Aztec emperor, Mexican king, 
 had heard of the coming- of the Spaniards and 
 wished to prevent any interference with the af- 
 fairs of his empire. So he ar- 
 
 Royal ranged a royal reception with many 
 Reception, costly presents, consisting of a disc 
 of gold as large as a carriage wheel 
 representing the rays of the sun ; another of silver, 
 with all kinds of fabrics, curtains and laces of fine 
 hand needle work. Cortez made them a speech, 
 telling them that he represented the greatest 
 king of the earth who had sent him to visit them 
 and arrange some important affairs among them. 
 He asked for an audience with the Emperor. 
 The Aztec representative replied tliat he had 
 listened with pleasure to what he said about the 
 greatness of his king, but that he knew that his 
 king, Moctezuma, was not less bountiful and 
 great, and doubted if there existed in the world 
 andther greater /and more powerful than he. 
 But he said that he would communicate the mess- 
 age of Cortez to his king and hoped he would 
 grant his request and arrange a meeting. 
 
130 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 This was poor diplomacy on the part of Moc- 
 
 teziima, for gold discs like that (worth $100,000 
 
 according to reliable estimates) 
 
 Poor were not calculated to turn the 
 
 Diplomacy. Spaniards easily away from a land 
 
 so rich in precious metals. It was 
 
 the wrong kind of bait for Cortez, for it is said 
 
 that he acknowledged having that kind of a 
 
 disease. 
 
 Cortez at once set up an independent colony 
 with a row of skulls for pickets. He cut loose 
 from all connections and responsibility 
 First whatever with his superior^ the Em- 
 Colony, peror of Cuba, and to keep his dissatis- 
 fied soldiers from deserting him for his 
 disloyalty, sank all his ships except one little one 
 to use in sending to Spain presents and news. 
 He told his men the boats sank from injuries 
 received from insects in those tropical waters. 
 
 Several friendly messages were exchanged be- 
 tween the Emperor Moctezuma and Cortez, one 
 of the messages being accompanied by an elabo- 
 rate present to Cortez, which he 
 Messages and sent to Charles V., opening up 
 Presents. communication direct with the 
 home land in the hope of reaping 
 the honors of conquest for himself and not an- 
 other. This elaborate gift was sent in July of the 
 same year and consisted, according to Bancroft, 
 
' * History, Ancient and Colonial 131 
 
 of "two wheels ten hands in diameter, one in gold 
 with the image of the sun, and the other of silver 
 with the image of the moon upon it; both formed 
 of plates of these metals, with different figures ot 
 animals and other things in basso-relievo, finish- 
 ed with great ingenuity and art; a gold necklace 
 composed of seven pieces with one hundred and 
 eighty-three small emeralds set in it, and two 
 hundred and thirty-two gems similar to small 
 rubies, from which hung twenty-seven little bells 
 of gold and some pearls. Another necklace of 
 four pieces of gold, with one hundred and 
 two red gems like small rubies, one hun- 
 dred and seventy-two emeralds and ten fine 
 pearls set in, with twenty-six little bells 
 of gold. A head-piece of wood covered with 
 gold and adorned with gems, from which hung 
 twenty-five little bells of gold; instead of a plume 
 it had a green bird with eyes, beak and feet of 
 gold; a bracelet of gold; a little rod like a scepter 
 with two rings of gold at its extremities set with 
 pearls; four tridents adorned with feathers of 
 various colors, with pearl points tied with gold 
 thread; several shoes of the skin of the deer sew- 
 ed with gold thread, the soles of which were made 
 of blue and white stone of ItzH, extremely thin; 
 a shield of wood and leather with little bells hang- 
 ing to it and covered with plates of gold in the 
 middle on which was cut the image of the god of 
 
132 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 war between four heads of a lion, a tiger, an 
 eagle and an owl, represented alive with their 
 hair and feathers; several dressed skins of quad- 
 rupeds and birds with their plumage and hair; 
 twenty-four curious and beautiful shields of gold; 
 four fishes, two ducks and some other birds of 
 cast gold; a crocodile girt with threads of gold; 
 a large mirror adorned with gold and many small 
 ones; several miters and crowns of gold and feath- 
 ers ornamented with pearls and gems; several 
 large plumes of beautiful feathers of various col- 
 ors fretted with gold and pearls. Several fans of 
 gold and feathers together; a variety of cotton 
 mantles, some all white, others checkered with 
 white, black or red, etc. ; a number of waistcoats, 
 handkerchiefs, counterpanes, tapestries and car- 
 pets of cotton of finest work." 
 
 Cortez eviden!Iy meant to attract the attention 
 and gain the confidence of the Spanish throne in 
 his field of conquest. Feeling no doubt that his 
 
 first little presents would place him 
 Conquest right in the sight of the throne, and. 
 Begun. hurried on by his greed for gold, 
 
 Cortez started out from Vera Cruz 
 on the i6th of August, 15 19, on his mis- 
 sion of conquest. He first passed through 
 the RepubHc of Tlascala, a state or tribe 
 that was now ready to fight Moctezuma 
 and were keen to join in with the Spaniards to 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 133 
 
 march against him. When they finally arrived at 
 the city of Moctezuma they accepted a friendly 
 entrance, but Cortez felt as they passed the draw- 
 bridges that they were easily in a trap. Mocte- 
 zuma met and embraced Cortez, giving him many 
 rich gifts, and assigned his army quarters. 
 
 Almost immediately after they had made their 
 camp, and while they partook of their meal, Moc- 
 tezuma called without any pre- 
 First arranged date. He enquired care- 
 
 Conference, fully into all the interests of Spain, 
 . collecting data of all names and 
 ranks of leaders in the islands and on the main 
 land of Mexico. Cortez said little, only dropping 
 a hint that he had come to visit him and to preach 
 the Christian faith to him. 
 
 The Spaniards celebrated their arrival in the 
 city the first night by many cannon salutes. Cor- 
 tez wanted to augment the superstitious ideas of 
 the Aztecs that the white foreign- 
 First Powder ers held the Hghtnings and thun- 
 Burnt in ders in their hands. The next 
 
 New World. morning Cortez went to return 
 the call of the Emperor. He was 
 kindly received in the royal palace. This visit 
 was taken up with Cortez trying to persuade the 
 Emperor from the religious errors of his ways, 
 telling him that the idols that he worshipped were 
 Satan in different forms. He told him that the 
 
134 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 bloody sacrifices that he offered were unneces- 
 sary; that a simple rite of mass — eating the 
 broken body and drinking the shed blood of the 
 Lord — was all that was necessary. But Mocte- 
 zuma, steeped in the barbarism and superstition 
 of his day, evidently thought that it was no 
 greater offense to eat the flesh of a human being 
 than it would be to eat that of the Lord, and so 
 he failed to be converted. 
 
 Days passed; they had now been in the city a 
 week with no progress made. Cortez knew that 
 the Emperor would soon become tired of such an 
 expense, and especially of the presence and enter- 
 tainment of those he hated as he 
 
 vSlow hated the Tlacalas. He knew that 
 Progress, the soldiers would be hard to control 
 if unemployed; especially had he no- 
 ticed the restlessness of his Indian allies. He had 
 heard also of trouble back in the new colony, 
 where several Spaniards had been killed, and that 
 Moctezuma was responsible. Something had to 
 be done. He called a council of war. Some 
 wanted to retreat from the city at night; others 
 to retreat by day with the approval of the Em- 
 peror. But to leave the city nothing would be 
 gained, Christ's banner would not be set up, and 
 more especially, no gold would be obtained. 
 
 Cortez resolved upon the most daring under- 
 taking known in the annals of time. He proposed 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 135 
 
 to kidnap the King— to march to the royal palace 
 and bring Moctezuma to the Spanish quarters, 
 
 by friendly methods if possible, 
 
 Kidnaped the but by force if necessary. He 
 
 King. stationed his soldiers about the 
 
 avenues leading to the palace, 
 went in alone to engage the Emperor in a friend- 
 ly talk. But had arranged with twenty-five of his 
 trusties to drop in, as if by accident, two or three 
 at a time. During the friendly and sportive con- 
 versation the Emperor had given Cortez, as 
 usual, many nice presents, including one of his 
 daughters in marriage (which Cortez declined). 
 When enough of the trusties had come in, Cortez 
 changed the tone of conversation by informing 
 the Emperor that some depredations had been 
 committed down in Vera Cruz at his suggestion. 
 The Emperor stoutly denied any knowledge of 
 the affairs, and calling to him his page ordered 
 that the best corps of detectives at his court be 
 sent immediately to the scene to bring the of- 
 fenders to him. Cortez told him that that looked 
 like innocence, but that it would be necessary for 
 him to go with them to the Spanish quarters until 
 it was settled. The Emperor protested against 
 such a disgrace to the palace and people, and of- 
 fered one of his sons and a daughter as hostages. 
 But after much discussion and an impatient ad- 
 dress by one of Cortez' mantled soldiers, inform- 
 
J 36 Mexico, Yesterday , Today and Tomorrow 
 
 ing the Emperor in rough tones that they did not 
 want any more talk, that if he resisted further he 
 would run his sword through him, he quietly went 
 with them. 
 
 The news of the capture of the Emperor spread 
 through the Aztec city. Mobs gathered all 
 around, but Moctezuma climbed upon the wall 
 and told them that he was there of 
 Effect on his own will only on a friendly visit, 
 People. and they dispersed for the time being. 
 There were hot battles from day to 
 day, with the Spaniards always conquering. The 
 Emperor was given an easy life in camp, being 
 offered his freedom, which was refused. He had 
 an interview with his nobles and swore allegiance 
 to Spain. 
 
 A sudden break occurred in the progress of the 
 
 conquest when Cortez heard that the Spaniards 
 
 were after him. Velasquez, colonial governor of 
 
 Cuba, had determined to seek 
 
 Velasquez revenge on Cortez for having 
 
 Seeks Revenge, thrown oflf his authority and 
 treating direct with Spain. So 
 in March, 1520, he disatched to Mexico a crew 
 under the leadership of Narvez to capture Cortez. 
 This small army landed at Vera Cruz in April. 
 So it was necessary for Cortez to leave the work 
 now well in hand and look after this new foe. 
 He accordingly put Alvarado in charge of the sit- 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 137 
 
 nation in the capital, and with a picked little army 
 went to meet his Spanish foe — something new on 
 his unwritten program. He experienced no diffi- 
 culty in gaining allies along the way, and soon 
 began to exchange messages with Narvez. He 
 always succeeded in bribing the embassies 
 sent to him by Narvez. The story of gold 
 wedges had Narvez's army conquered by 
 silver swords before they met. They finally 
 met in battle at Cempoalla where Narvez was 
 wounded and captured without much fighting. 
 Cortez dismantled all the ships that Narvez had 
 brought over, allowed his soldiers to enter his 
 (Cortez) army ranked as before, and all hurried 
 back to the capital, where trouble was brewing. 
 On returning to the City of Mexico, Cortez 
 
 pressed the battles. One day when 
 Death of the mobs were storming the bar- 
 
 Moctezuma. racks Moctezuma, at the earnest 
 
 solicitation of Cortez, climbed to 
 the top of the wall and made them a speech. He 
 said, according to Bancroft: ''Why do I see my 
 people here in arms against the palace of my 
 fathers? Is it that you think your sovereign a 
 prisoner, and wish to release him? If so, you 
 have acted rightly. But you are mistaken: I am 
 no prisoner. The strangers are my guests. I re- 
 main with them only from choice and can leave 
 them at will. Have you come to drive them from 
 
138 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the city? That is unnecessary. They will leave 
 of their own accord if you will open a way for 
 them. Return to your homes and lay down your 
 arms. Show your obedience to me who has a 
 right to it. The white men shall go back to their 
 own land and all shall be well again within the 
 walls of Tenochtitlan." 
 
 But this speech only m.ade the people more fu- 
 rious to think that he was a friend to their foes, 
 and during a spirited attack Moctezuma was 
 struck in the head with a stone from which he 
 died, having refused all medical aid, on June 30, 
 1520. He expired in the arms of his own nobles 
 after committing his children to the care of Cor- 
 tez. 
 
 There seemed now only one course to pursue — 
 to leave the city. But just how and when was 
 the question. That ever-present astrologer, who 
 still tells people when to plant water- 
 Flan to melons, was there and told them to 
 Evacuate, start at midnight. They were all 
 more or less superstitious, and the 
 suggestion of the mysterious astrologer, Botello, 
 took like magic. They did not have time to get 
 ready, for Cortez built only one portable bridge 
 when he should have built three for the three 
 canals in the causeway that led out of the city. 
 
 They prepared to leave the city at midnight, 
 July T, 1520, A. D. Mass was said by Father 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 139 
 
 Olmedo. The special corps of soldiers took up 
 the portable bridge and start- 
 Noche Triste. cd out ahead, followed by 
 (Sad Night.) the picked guard with the 
 rich treasures. C o r t e z told 
 the soldiers who looked wistfully at a large 
 heap of gold and silver bullion they had 
 left because of its weight, to take for themselves 
 all they wished, but to remember that *'he travels 
 Scjfest in a dark night who travels lightest." 
 They soon reached the first canal and threw the 
 portable bridge across. As they began to pass 
 over some Indian guards stationed there sent up 
 a "warwhoop" that woke the city and brought 
 down through every street and splashing through 
 the lake ten thousand oars and clubs and cross- 
 bows. Hundreds were thrown from the causeway 
 into the lake, pierced with a javelin or beaten 
 with a club. The Spaniards had no time to fight, 
 but madly pushed on in their difficult way. The 
 advance guard soon reached the second canal, 
 the center of attack, where thousands awaited to 
 fight. They halted and called in vain for the port- 
 able bridge. It took time for several thousand to 
 pass where only ten or fifteen could go abreast. 
 At last, with fierce fighting on every hand, those 
 not killed were over. The special corps attempt- 
 ed to lift the portable bridge to cut off the enemy 
 as well as to place it over the canal in front, but 
 
140 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 they could not move it. It was fast stuck in the 
 mud. In vain they tried until they died. In de- 
 spair a wail of woe rent the air that drowned the 
 splash and noise of battle. People, wild, passed 
 forward tramping upon each other. The leaders 
 with the treasures leaped into the second breach, 
 some to sink forever, others who swam across 
 fell backward or were pushed by the enemy from 
 the steep, slippery banks into the water to strug- 
 gle and die. In a few moments the struggling, 
 dead and dying people and liorses, carts and can- 
 non filled up the gap over which the rest hurried- 
 ly passed. Hotly pursued and fought they soon 
 reached the third and last canal, where a similar 
 bridge of flesh, carts and treasure let some over 
 to rush on from the maddened enemy. 
 
 After several skirmishes and one hard fought 
 battle at Otumba they arrived at Tlascala where 
 
 a warm reception awaited 
 Hearty Reception them. This was the home of 
 
 in Tlascala. their first allies. Here they 
 
 took a rest, and received 
 many aliles and recruits and provisions from over 
 the sea. 
 
 On the death of Moctezuma his brother 
 Cuitlahuac took the throne and ruled for four 
 months, when he died of smallpox. Then his 
 nephew, Guatemozin, was chosen. 
 Afitairs in He was young, being only 
 
 The Capital. twenty-five years of age, a white 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 141 
 
 man hater, but brave as a lion. He began at 
 once through spies to ascertain the whereabouts 
 and movements of the Spaniards. 
 
 After resting and being recruited, on the 24th 
 of December, 1520, Cortez reviewed his army of 
 a hundred thousand strong, sent most of them to 
 Vera Cruz to build ships for future operations 
 c'nd make a living for themselves, and took the 
 trained and truest and turned his face 
 Back to again to the capital of Aztec Mexico. 
 Mexico. Along their march they had practically 
 no opposition. The towns were imme- 
 diately evacuated on their arrival. The last of 
 May, 1621, A. D., they reached the city. 
 
 On their approach to the city they fought a 
 fierce battle over the aqueduct that carried water 
 from the royal streams of Chepultepec to the city, 
 and succeeded in cutting it off. They 
 Blockade, stopped all supplies from entering the 
 city, thus the siege began. But too 
 impatient to wait on a blockade, Cortez ordered 
 a simultaneous attack. For hours the Spaniards 
 won at every point, but at last the horn of Guate- 
 mozin sounded and the Aztecs rallied and drove 
 *hem from the city with heavy loss. On the out- 
 skirts of the city' they rested eight days, while 
 Guatemozin exhibited the heads of some of Cor- 
 tez's best men and thus induced some of the allies 
 to return to their homes. The blockade was 
 
142 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 easily kept up, however, and the city was at once 
 famine-stricken. There was left only one thing 
 for the city to do, but the Emperor could not see 
 it. In vain Cortez tried to get Guatemozin to see 
 the doom of his people and surrender, but nothing 
 but death would satisfy them. So on August 13, 
 1 52 1, A. D., they re-entered the city, and having 
 all advantages, tried again to get the 
 Fall of haughty monarch to surrender, but to 
 Capital, no avail. Then began one of the 
 bloodiest battles the New World had 
 yet seen. The Emperor Guatemozin was cap- 
 tured and fighting ceased. An eternal stain will 
 remain on the name of Cortez for the treatment 
 of this royal prisoner. When put to the torture 
 with one of his friends, who groaned pitiably un- 
 buked him by saying, "Do you think that I am 
 taking my pleasure in my bath " They did not 
 tell where the large gold discs were, however. 
 
 The Conquest being over, they went to settle 
 
 other colonies, to rebuild their 
 
 Reconstruction, desolated cities, and to open up 
 
 rich mines and farming lands. 
 
 The three hundred years of Spanish rule after 
 
 the Conquest, under the seventy-one distinct 
 
 leaders or cabinets, contains little of real interest 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 143 
 
 or progress. About all you can say 
 Progress of the happenings during the major- 
 Backward, ity of the terms of the Viceroys is 
 that Popocatepetl belched forth 
 some fresh lava or Rome gave birth to a new Bull. 
 (Bull-fights were thoroughly established.) To 
 spill so much blood over tearing down an idol to 
 place another in its stead is hardly justifiable be- 
 fore a civilized court. 
 
 Some of the first Viceroys were better than 
 those who came later. Antonio de Mendoza, the 
 first, reigned sixteen years and did 
 Mendoza. some things worthy of notice. He 
 printed the first book in Mexico, 
 in the year 1636 and coined the first silver and 
 copper. He founded some of the principal cities. 
 The second Viceroy, Luis de Velasco, reigned 
 fourteen years and liberated one hun- 
 Velasco. dred and fifty thousand Indian slaves. 
 He also founded some good schools. 
 The first Bishop of Mexico, D. Juan de Zu- 
 maraga had all the old Indian 
 Unpardonable records burned, an unpardonable 
 Deeds. sin against history and civili- 
 
 zation. 
 The fourth Viceroy had the dishonor of estab- 
 lishing the terrible Inquisition in 1571 A. D. 
 This was D. Martin Enriquez de Almanza, who 
 
144 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 was the first of the Inquisitors. Directly from the 
 throne civil to the ecclesiastical 
 Inquisition, throne shows how well cemented the 
 two were. Of all the horrors of the 
 Inquisition we cannot speak, but some of the 
 most inhuman acts accredited to man on the 
 pages of history were committed in these years. 
 Marcos Lopez de Rueda, the twentieth Viceroy 
 and Bishop of Yucatan, had fifteen people burned 
 as heretics among whom was the noted Tomas 
 Trevino. '^The Inquisition was the apotheosis of 
 autocratic tyranny. It not only attacked the right 
 of the individual to civil liberty, to freedom of 
 person in the material concerns of life, but car- 
 ried the havoc of an unfeeling tyranny into the 
 still more sacred realm of the spirit." — (Dr. G. B. 
 Winton, in his New Era in Old Mexico). "For 
 three hundred years the clergy governed Mexico 
 by means of bishops and archbishops seated on 
 the thrones of the Viceroys. They even held the 
 lay viceroys in their power under the threat of ex- 
 communication. The clergy served as friendly 
 arbiters among the peoples recently converted. 
 They legislated in their very missions. They mo- 
 nopolized public education. They became cap- 
 italists and in their acts of usury far surpassed 
 the Shylocks of the Middle Ages. The Jesuits 
 were their secret police and the Inquisition was a 
 living tomb. They raised cathedrals of mocking 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 145 
 
 splendor and built great convents and churchly 
 retreats, hile the Viceroys built jails, mints, and 
 lax offices. They fixed civil time to the exigences 
 of numerous feasts and religious practices. They 
 mingled the Indian and Spaniard in one flock, 
 and merged God and the pope into two invisible 
 sovereignties." — (Speech of Ignacio Ramirez be- 
 fore the Lyceum of Mexico City). 
 
 The colonial days pointed the people to God 
 through images other than suffering, bloody hu- 
 man sacrifices, and in this lifted 
 Colonial the country to a higher humani- 
 
 Days Close, tarian plane, but by the horrors 
 of the Inquisition tried to de- 
 grade the people into mummies. And while 
 they were throwing off the shackles of phys- 
 ical slavery from thousands of their sub- 
 jects, they were through the horrors of the 
 Inquisition saddling onto the same liberated 
 treemen a slavery a thousandfold worse — that of 
 mind and conscience. We do not wonder that 
 such a liberator as Hidalgo, while under such 
 infamous charges as that of "reading books," 
 should resent punishment with a firm determina- 
 tion to liberate his country from such diabolical 
 crimes, even with his blood. 
 
146 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Chronological List of All Colonial Governors and 
 High Courts from the Triumph of the Conquest 
 to the Triumph of Independence — Three Hun- 
 dred Years of Spanish Rule, 1521 to 1821, A.D. 
 
 Conquerors and Courts. A. D. 
 
 1. D. Fernando Cortez 1521 
 
 2. Luis Ponce 1526 
 
 3. D. Marcos Aguilar 
 
 4. D. Alonzo Estrada y Gonzalo Sandoval 1527 
 
 5. Gonzalo de Sandoval 
 
 Nuno de Guzman. 
 
 6. Juan Ortiz Matienzo, First High Court 1528 
 Diego Delgadillo. 
 
 Sebastian Ramirez de Fuenleal. 
 Juan Salmeron. 
 
 7. Alonzo Maldonado, second High Court 1529 
 Francisco Ceynos. 
 
 Vasco de Quiroga. 
 
 Viceroys or Colonial Governors. 
 
 D. Antonio de Mendoza 1535 
 
 Luis de Velasco • 1536 
 
 Gaston de Peralta 1550 
 
 Martin Enriquez de Almanza 1568 
 
 Lorenzo de Mendoza 1580 
 
 Pedro Moya de Contreras 1584 
 
 Alvaro Manrique de Zuniga 1585 
 
History, Ancient and Colonial 147 
 
 8. Luis de Velasco (the second) 1590 
 
 9. Caspar de Zuniga i595 
 
 10. Juan de Mendoza 1603 
 
 11. Luis de Velasco (second time) 1607 
 
 12. Fray Garcia Guerra 161 1 
 
 13. Diego Fernandez de Cordova 1612 
 
 14. Diego Carrillo Mendoza 1621 
 
 15. Rodrigo Pacheco Osorio ,..1624 
 
 16. Lopez Diaz de Armendariz 1635 
 
 3 y. Diego Lopez Pacheco 1640 
 
 18. Juan de Palafox y Mendoza 1642 
 
 19. Garcia Sarmiento 
 
 20. Marcos Lopez de Rueda 1648 
 
 21. Luis Enriquez de Guzman 1650 
 
 22. Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva ....1657 
 
 23. Juan de la Cerda 1660 
 
 24. Diego Osorio Escobar 1664 
 
 25. Antonio Sebastian de Toledo 
 
 26. Pedro Nuno de Colon 1673 
 
 27. Fr. Payo de Rivera 
 
 28. Tomas Antonio de la Cerda 1680 
 
 29. Melchor Portocarredo 1686 
 
 30. Caspar de la Cerda 1688 
 
 31. Juan Ortega Montanez 1696 
 
 32. Jose Sarmiento y Valladares 
 
 33. Juan Ortega y Montanez (second time) 1707 
 
 34. Francisco Fernandez de la Cueva .... 
 
 35. Fernando de Alencastre 171 1 
 
 36. Baltasar de Zuniga 1716 
 
148 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 37. Juan de Acuna 1722 
 
 38. Antonio Vizarron 1734 
 
 39. Pedro de Castro y Figueroa 1740 
 
 40. Pedro Cebrian y Agustin 1742 
 
 41. Francisco Guemes y Horcasitas 
 
 42. Agustin Ahumada 
 
 43. Francisco Cafigal de la Vega 1760 
 
 44. Joaquin de Monserrat 
 
 45. Carlos Francisco de Croix 1766 
 
 46. Antonio Maria de Bucareli 1771 
 
 47. Martin de Mayorga 1779 
 
 ^S. Martias de Galvez 1783 
 
 49. Bernardo de Galvez 1785 
 
 50. Alonzo Nunez de Harro 1787 
 
 51. Manuel Antonio Flores 1787 
 
 52. Juan Vicente Guemes de Pacheco 1789 
 
 53. Miguel de la Grua Talamanca 1794 
 
 54. Miguel Jose de Azana 1798 
 
 55. Felix Berenguer de Marquina 1800 
 
 56. Jose de Iturrigaray 1803 
 
 57. Pedro Garibay 1808 
 
 58. Francisco Javier Venegas 18 — 
 
 59. Pedro Catani, presidente de la Audencia 1810 
 
 60. Francisco Javier Venegas 
 
 61. Felix Calleja 1813 
 
 62. Juan Ruiz de Apodaca i8i6 
 
 63. Francisco Novella 1821 
 
 64. Juan O'Donoju 
 
n 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 History — Independence. 
 
 T HAS been said by one that ''the history 
 of a country is the history of her 
 heroes." This fact is certainly true in 
 regard to the history of the Independ- 
 ence of Mexico. It is impossible to know Mexi- 
 can independence without studying the life of 
 Hidalgo. It is impossible to understand the 
 
 reformation without a know- 
 Hidalgo, Mexico's ledge of the ideals of 
 Washington. Juarez, and peace and pro- 
 
 gress in Mexico could not 
 be thought of unlinked with the name of Porfirio 
 Diaz. The heroes of Mexico, like the eaglets, 
 were nested high up in the bosom of the moun- 
 tains. And to understand a great man you must 
 know his mother. If we could transport our- 
 selves back to the year one thousand seven hun- 
 dred and fifty-three, and to the city of Guan- 
 ajuato, we would find resting on the lap of a 
 young mother a little boy whose eyes were as 
 blue as the sky above him and whose character 
 and will were to be as grand and as sturdy as the 
 
150 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 granite hills that surrounded him. The eighth of 
 May was his birthday and hijs cradle the ranch of 
 San Vicente. His mother could neither read nor 
 write, but by the influence of her life and the 
 purity of her soul, she engraved forever in the 
 tender heart of her offspring the words "patria" 
 and "libertad." Milton said "The boy is father 
 to the man," and another writer has expressed 
 the same thought in '^The boy shows the man 
 like the morning shows the day." It was so in 
 the case of Hidalgo. He was a revolutionist 
 from the earliest period of his childhood to his 
 glorious death. While in school he was called 
 *'E1 Zoro" (The Fox) on account of his shrewd- 
 ness and wonderful intellect. And later when he 
 became president of his alma mater he changed 
 the text-books and introduced new methods of 
 teaching, thus challenging the wise and proud 
 Spaniards. 
 
 According to the ideals of the Roman Church, 
 as a priest Hidalgo was a failure. The stupid 
 routine of the priesthood had no place in his pro- 
 gram. He would rise very early in 
 A Failure the mornirxgs and go out over the 
 as Priest. country from farm to farm, dressed 
 not in the garb of the priests but in 
 plain cittizen's dress, with a shining, pleasant face 
 under a wide-brim hat, to give to all his neigh- 
 bors practical lessons on farming, and at thti 
 
History — Independence. 151 
 
 same time to sow in the hearts of the future he- 
 roes of Anahuac the seeds of Hberty and inde- 
 pendence. Socially he was interesting and charm- 
 ing. He had read widely and thought deeply, 
 and when he spoke people were ready and eager 
 to hear him, for he never failed to feed them, 
 and to feed them on something new and interest- 
 ing, for they had not read for themselves. 
 
 This wide reading, however, cost him dearly. 
 The Santo Tribunal, as the Inquisition was called, 
 fixed its eyes upon him and a secret suit was 
 brought against him. He was 
 Church Court accused of having denied the 
 Charges. existence of hell; of having said 
 
 that he was a follower of Lu- 
 ther, and that one of the popes was in hell; that 
 he did not believe in the story of the Bible and in 
 the ministry of Mary. And so they said that he 
 was a heretic and deserved the most cruel pun- 
 ishment that could be imposed upon the worst 
 impostors. 
 
 His answers to these charges were prompt and 
 
 pointed. ''How can I," said he, "deny that there 
 
 is such a place as hell, and later state that one of 
 
 the reverend fathers is in hell? It 
 
 His Wise cannot be possible for me to be the 
 
 Answer. follower of Luther and to deny the 
 
 Bible, for he claimed to follow it. 
 
 And about the heresy of which I arn. accuseds I 
 
152 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 would like to know the new dogma that compels 
 me to be a slave in order to be a Roman Cath- 
 olic." 
 
 In the year 1810 this venerable old hero was 
 kept busy in his curacy (parsonage) at Dolores, 
 taking every precaution while he 
 Secret manufactured arms; and by 
 
 Preparations, means of secret societies he was 
 preparing his leaders for the 
 great work of independence. Queretaro was the 
 headquarters of the revolutionists. The wife of 
 the mayor of the city, of whom it has been said 
 that she was the mother on whose lap Mexican 
 independence was rocked, ofifered her home for 
 all their secret meetings and used her great in- 
 fluence and wealth for the propagation of the 
 cause. Although she could not write she kept 
 the insurgents (name by which the revolutionists 
 were known) well informed by sending them let- 
 ters made by cutting out words she needed from 
 newspapers and pasting them in lines as she 
 wished to talk. She was betrayed, however, and 
 locked in her own home by her own husband. 
 But even then she used her jailer as a messenger 
 to notify Hidalgo. That message was sent to a 
 hero and made a Washington. 
 
 One of Mexico's worthy sons describes that in- 
 spiration of freedom's declaration in these words ; 
 
History — Independence. 1^^ 
 
 "It was on the fifteenth of Sep- 
 Independence tember. The night was dark and 
 Proclaimed. mysterious. In one of the rooms 
 of the Dolores curate, in a small 
 town of Guanjuato is a man who reads and medi- 
 tates. His mind is busy and his thoughts are 
 engaged in the solution of a problem. Suddenly 
 the noise of a horseman disturbs that man in 
 whose hands rested the destiny of the Mexican 
 Republic. The horseman, reaching this mansion, 
 gives him a letter, and after a careful reading our 
 hero expressed himself in these emphati^c words: 
 'Sirs, there is no other chance than to kill Span- 
 iards.' At last the Washington of Mexico had 
 come. Hidalgo had to proclaim and die for her 
 independence. He was to teach Spain once more 
 that the reign of iniquity was over, and these 
 words are a genuine expression of his iron will. 
 From this moment he waited with anxiety for the 
 sublime hour in which he would proclaim free- 
 dom for hi3 country; and when the light of the 
 sixteenth comes the people of Dolores hear 
 from the lips of their great redeemer the cry that 
 would later 'on immortalize his name: "Long life 
 to the Independence of Mexico, death to the bad 
 government!' "~(E. B. Vergas in Southwestern 
 University Magazine.) 
 
154 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 The ignorant Indians could not grasp the 
 
 meaning of Hberty, but full of faith and confidence 
 
 in their leader they were ready to 
 
 Hostilities follow him unto death. A series of 
 
 Begun. splendid victories followed their lit- 
 tle company of a handful of men 
 and it soon increased to si'xty thousand. Several 
 of the officers of the royal army had joined the 
 insurgents under Hidalgo, through the influence 
 of Dona Josefa Ortiz de Dominguez, the matron 
 of Queretaro-Allende. Abarola, Aldama and 
 Camaggo were products of her faithful work. 
 These great leaders proved to be worthy follow- 
 ers of their leader. 
 
 The first city that was taken was Guanajuato. 
 
 Riano, the faithful Spanish general, fought with 
 
 remarkable bravery, but all in vain, 
 
 First City for Hidalgo's forces were defending 
 
 Taken. liberty and such soldiers are invinci- 
 ble. After this battle, which was 
 fought on the twenty-eighth of September, the in- 
 surgents began their march on the capital. They 
 were encountered and engaged in battle with the 
 Spanish troops who had been sent out from, the 
 city to capture them on the thirtieth of October 
 at a place called El Monte de las Cruces. It was 
 a glorious day fox the Mexican patriots. They 
 completely routed and captured the enemy, leav- 
 ing a wide open way to the city with no Spanish 
 troops to defend it. 
 
History — Independence, 155 
 
 One word "Forward" from Hidalgo at this op- 
 portune moment surely would have settled Span- 
 ish rule in Mexico forever. But it was not so to 
 be. Like the Israelites, they halted 
 Disasters on the border of their God-given 
 of Delays, possessions, and turned back to fight 
 unnecessary battles and die, leav- 
 ing the glorious entrance to others. The blood- 
 iest battle of the American Revolution, at Savan- 
 nah, Ga., was caused by our general allowing the 
 Briitish twenty-four hours to decide whether they 
 would surrender or not. After they were fortified 
 they said, "Come and take it." And then began 
 one of the bloodiest scenes of the war, when it 
 could have been taken without the firing of a 
 gun. But liberty is a costly jewel and Mexico 
 was not to have it cheap. Streams of blood were 
 to flow ere they should have the white-winged 
 dove of peace poise over their land. So Hidalgo 
 turned back for the "struggles of the wilderness." 
 Before he left Guanjuato, however, he organized 
 a splendid city government, established a mint 
 and a cannon factory. Then when he turned his 
 face from Mexico City and towards Guadalajara 
 to set up his goverment, his troubles began. 
 
 Not being satisfied with a constantly victorious 
 march on the capital, the insurgents turned back 
 
156 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 to fight again the soldiers in the conquered ter- 
 ritory. So on the seventh of 
 Backing Into September they had a bloody en- 
 Difficulties, counter with the Spaniards under 
 General Calleja. No victory was 
 won on either side, but Hidalgo set out to Guad- 
 alajara where he proceeded to organize his gov- 
 ernment. He made some severe laws against 
 abuses, trying to protect property, and especially 
 the family, and abolishing forever slavery. (In 
 this he is said to have been greater than Wash- 
 ington.) The Spanish army collected and concen- 
 tiated their forces and entered and recaptured 
 the poorly protected Guanajuato after much 
 fighting. Then the elated victorious army start- 
 ed out for Hidalgo at Guadalajara. 
 
 The opposing foes met thirty-six miles from 
 
 Guadalajara at Calderon where a great battle 
 
 was fought. Hidalgo's army was much larger 
 
 than the Spanish, but undisciplijied 
 
 Hidalgo, and untrained and fearfully ignorant. 
 Loses Out. It is true to history that hundreds 
 of his Indians on this occasion ran 
 up to the mouths of the cannon of the Spaniards 
 and stuffed in them their old hats, thinking that 
 if they could get an old hat in the mouth it would 
 stop the cannon from belching forth fire. They 
 had used the same plan in the battle at Las 
 Cruces. But despite all the ignorance and lack 
 
History — Independence. 157 
 
 of training Hidalgo's soldiers were on the eve of 
 a great victory when a cannon ball struck their 
 powder supply causing a great explosion and fire, 
 completely demoralizing the independents, and 
 determined the victory for the Spaniards. Many 
 historians have estimated Hidalgo's forces in 
 this battle as numbering between eighty and one 
 hundred thousand, but more reliable authority 
 places it at thirty thousand. Hidalgo never re- 
 covered from the loss of this battle. His men 
 deposed him from the generalship of the army, 
 putting Ignacio AUende in his place. 
 
 The leaders with the fragments of their army 
 started to Saltillo with the intention of contin- 
 uing to the United States. While in Saltillo, Al- 
 lende denied a promotion that had 
 Traitor's been asked of him by an officer, Igna- 
 
 Hand. cio Elizondo. This refusal was the 
 direct cause of the treason that ended 
 in the execution of the first heroes of Mexican in- 
 dependence. Elizondo, advised by Bishop Fili- 
 ciano Marin, of Monterey, made them believe 
 they were all in sympathy with the independent 
 movement, and succeeded in taking the heroes 
 prisoners at a little place called Acatita de Bajan 
 on March 21, 181 1. 
 
 The prisoners of war were taken to Monclova 
 and from there to the city of Chihuahua, where 
 
168 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the father of Mexican Independence was excom- 
 municated by the church authorities 
 Hidalgo, and shot on July 30, 181 1. On the day 
 Shot. of the execution he was asked by his 
 executioners for his last will and tes- 
 tament, when he took out from under hi,s pillow 
 some pieces of candy and divided them among 
 the soldiers that were to shoot him, assuring 
 them that he had nothing against them, and ask- 
 ed that they would not aim at his head but at the 
 spot indicated by his hand. He placed his right 
 hand over his heart and a bullet went through his 
 hand without touching his heart. So passed the 
 great heio; but "though dead he yet speaketh." 
 Enshrined in the hearts of his countrymen his 
 right hand, though pierced with a ball, is pointing 
 them upward and inspiring them to fight for 
 their moral freedom even as he fought for inde- 
 pendence. 
 
 Before Allende left Saltillo on his journey to 
 the United States he put Ignacio Rayon in as 
 commander-in-chief, who promised to do all in 
 his power to keep the spirit of inde- 
 Rayon's pendence alive. Rayon proved to be 
 Success, a great and daring general, equal 
 to almost any undertaking. He 
 started at once towards the capital. He left 
 Saltillo on March 26th and after a distressing 
 journey arrived in the city of Zacatecas. ThiiS 
 
History— Independence. 159 
 
 city was taken with scarcely any resistance. 
 Rayon had a small army, but he had all the wo- 
 men dress as soldiers and at the very sight of 
 such multitudes the city gave up. Having had 
 such success with his little piece of strategy, he 
 left at once for the city of Zitacuaro where he 
 hoped to set up his government. On approach- 
 ing the city he hung lanterns to thousands of 
 donkeys and with his army ran them into the city 
 at night. The Spanish army, not being prepared 
 for an attack like that, left the city without cloth- 
 ing or arms. And so this new Gideon was walk- 
 ing right through the country, sweeping things as 
 he went, and without doing much harm. With 
 new allies, provisions and arms he established in 
 the city of Zitacuaro a rallying center of the rev- 
 olutionists. But Rayon was only a link in the 
 chain of heroes, and without depreciatig his noble 
 work we pass to the one greater than he who was 
 to come after him. 
 
 Napoleon said, ''With two soldiers like More- 
 los I could conquer the world." Morelos was 
 born in Valladolid September 30, I765. His 
 
 early life was spent with his uncle 
 Morelos. freighting with mules across all 
 
 Southern Mexico, and he knew every 
 path. So while some of these incidents were 
 happening as already related, there was also 
 something going on in the South. When Morelos 
 
160 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 was twenty-five years of age he entered the old 
 San Nicholas College of which Hidalgo was pres- 
 ident. He finished his course and was ordained 
 priest, serving as such in the towns of Churumuco, 
 Huacaua and Caracuaro. One evening as this 
 popular padre was reading some religious book 
 a friend of his brought him the news that Hidal- 
 go had proclaimed independence. Saddling his 
 mule and accompanied by his '^sacristan" he 
 started out to have an interview with the great 
 leader, his old teacher. A great historian has 
 said that while in school the president, Hidalgo, 
 had walked along the corridors with this distin- 
 guished pupil talking about the independence of 
 Mexico. When Morelos reached Hidalgo in a 
 little town called Indaparapeo he asked to be ad- 
 mitted as army chaplain. Hidalgo paused at this 
 request, and after some moments of thought he 
 said: ^'Not as chaplain but as general." So 
 Morelos had been commissioned as general and 
 sent to raise an army in the South of the Re- 
 public. 
 
 He accepted the commission, without money 
 and without soldiers. His first army was com- 
 posed of twenty-five men armed with sharp sticks, 
 
 but the South soon answered the call 
 His First of her new leader, and the twenty- 
 Victories, five had grown into thousands, and 
 
 they soon captured a supply of arms 
 from their enemies. Victory after victory lined 
 
History — Independence. 1^1 
 
 their path, and at last they had to prepare to 
 meet the strongest division of the Spanish army, 
 the one that had defeated and discouraged Hi- 
 dalgo at Calderon. 
 
 Morelos was in the city of Cuantla with an 
 army of four thousand only when he was be- 
 sieged by Calleja with twelve thousand Spaniards. 
 This was the same general that had 
 Siege in defeated Hidalgo. The siege began 
 Cuantla. on February 15th and lasted until 
 May 2nd. During this time the Span- 
 iards made many efforts to take the city but were 
 repulsed. But w^hcn Morelos' army was starving 
 to death, after they had eaten all their mules and 
 many of the soldiers the old leather soles of their 
 sandals, they broke through the besieging army, 
 covering themselves with glory. 
 
 When Leonardo Bravo, one of the bravest sol- 
 diers of Morelos, was captured, he offered eight 
 
 hundred Spanish prisoners for 
 Negotiations for his life^ but the viceroy re- 
 a Prisoner. fused to release him on any 
 
 other condition than his son, 
 General Nicholas Bravo, should give up independ- 
 ence. This the son refused, and his father was 
 shot. Morelos then ordered the son to have the 
 eight hundred Spaniards shot in return. That 
 night Nicholas could not sleep. The next morn- 
 mg he took the eight hundred soldiers and form- 
 
162 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrm 
 
 ed them in line and told them what the Spaniards 
 had done to his father and the order that he had 
 to shoot them. *'But I," said he, *4iave deter- 
 mined to pardon your life and to give you your 
 freedom." No history records an act like this. 
 
 After a few other successful battles, taking the 
 
 city of Oaxaca and also that of Acapules in the 
 
 year 1813, and after having founded the national 
 
 congress in the city of Chilpau- 
 
 Defeat and cingo, he was defeated for the first 
 
 Death. time in his own city and taken pris- 
 oner at Fermalaca. He was taken 
 to the capital city and first tortured. They took 
 sharp knives and shaved of¥ the palms of his 
 hands trying to make him retract his ideas of 
 independence, but he stood firm. He was shot 
 v/ith the greatest cruelty on December 22, 181 5, 
 in San Cristobal de Ecatepec. After his body fell 
 the waters of Lake Texcoco, without any nat- 
 ural cause, came up to the place of execution and 
 washed the blood from the ground. So says the 
 noted authoritative historian and defender of 
 Maximilian, Vicente Riva. Morelos' last words 
 were, ''Oh God! If I have done right, thou 
 knowest it; if wrong, I am at thy mercy!" 
 
 Nothing of importance occurred during the 
 year 1816. There were quite a number of little 
 divisions of the revolutionists scattered about 
 
History — Independence. '^^'^ 
 
 over the country, all under good generals, but no 
 one had come to the front to take the 
 Mina. places of Hidalgo or Morelos. The 
 next general to appear in battle was 
 Francisco Tavier Mina. He was a Spanish citi- 
 zen who had left Spain by order of the king, 
 Ferdinand VU. He first went to London, but 
 afterwards came to Mexico, arriving April 15, 
 18 1 7. His campaign cannot be described in a 
 few words, but the greatest enemy of the revolu- 
 tion, Lucas Alamas, said of this great hero, that 
 bis career formed a short episode, but the most 
 brilliant one of the Mexican Revolution. He de- 
 feated the enemy in every encounter, and some- 
 times with only one-twentieth of the number of 
 soldiers. There were many foreigners in his 
 army, especially Americans. But he was cap- 
 tured by Orrantia on October 27th while he was 
 resting on a ranch. He was shot by Linan, 
 Spanish commander in the State of Guannajuato. 
 near a fort that was held by the revolutionists, 
 Los Remedies. 
 
 The next man that comes to the front is Vi- 
 cento Guerrero. He was born in Tixtla in the 
 year 1873. He had freighted with mules through 
 the country for thirty years. Morelos 
 Vicento had given him a commission in the 
 Guerrero, army and after his great leader had 
 fallen he had kep! on fighting in the 
 
164 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 cause, gaining victories on every hand with his 
 little squad. His father being a high official in 
 the Spanish army tried personally and through 
 his friends many times to persuade him to give 
 up independence, but he stoutly refused, and 
 bravely fought till the war was over. When the 
 Spaniards saw they could not persuade this in- 
 domitable will they sent double forces under 
 Iturbide against him. 
 
 Augustin de Iturbide came from Spanish de- 
 scent, v/as born in Mexico, and was one of the 
 most cruel officers in the Spanish army. He 
 
 cared more for popularity than for 
 Augustin principle and wished always to be 
 
 de Iturbide. on the winning side. He had just 
 
 been suspended from the army on 
 account of his inhuman cruelty. It was during 
 this suspension that he was commissioned by his 
 army to go against Guerrero. He started out 
 from the city after his game in the year I820, but 
 the brave Southerner defeated him in every en- 
 counter. Seeing that the insurgents would final- 
 ly conquer, he decided to betray his party and 
 join hands with the revolutionists. He accord- 
 ingly agreed to meet with Guerrero and his army 
 at Acatumpam on February 20, 182 1. 
 
 Tl^ey met on the date agreed upon and Itur- 
 
History— Independence. 1^5 
 
 bide was chosen general commander of the army. 
 After a few months' rest and 
 Independence training with a few minor en- 
 Gained, counters, supported by the trusty 
 insurgents he successfully enter- 
 ed the city on September 27, 1821, the day of his 
 birth. And thus ended the Spanish government. 
 Hidalgo's work was finished. After eleven years 
 of constant struggle and three hundred years of 
 brutal slavery, Mexico was free. 
 
 Soon after the great victory a drunken soldier 
 proclaimed Iturbide emperor. It was taken up 
 by the populace and in their drunken 
 Iturbide enthusiasm and excitement this great 
 Emperor, criminal was set on a throne. He as- 
 sumed a despotic and contemptuous 
 attitude towards the old heroes of the war and 
 his popularity suddenly ceased. He became dis- 
 couraged and abdicated the throne, the govern- 
 ment allowing him to go to Italy with an annual 
 pension of twenty-five thousand dollars. Thijik- 
 mg that Mexico had forgotten the offence, he re- 
 turned in 1823 and according to some previous 
 law he was captured and shot July 19, 1824. 
 
 The same year that Iturbide was shot the first 
 
 National Constitution was proclaimed for the 
 
 Republic of Mexico. The work 
 
 First was very imperfect, but it was a 
 
 Constitution, trial and a beginning of better 
 
166 MexicOj Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 things. The end of the War of Independence 
 \vas the beginning of more than fifty years of 
 civil and international wars. 
 
 One of the most serious of these wars was the 
 one with Texas. For an account of this the 
 reader is referred to any history of Texas. The 
 land Iving: between Louisiana and 
 Texas War. Mexico had been known as one 
 of the provinces of Mexico from 
 1821 to 1836. This territory comprised an area 
 of two hundred and thirty-seven thousand square 
 miles. It had been the policy of Mexico, it 
 seems, to keep this land uninhabited, so says the 
 great historian Ridpath. But at last the inhabit- 
 ants cried out for a repubHc of their own. Presi- 
 dent Tyler had allowed a land grant to Moses 
 Austin and his son on condition that they put 
 eight hundred families on the land. In 1835, on 
 account of the ^'oppressive policy of Mexico," 
 says Ridpath, Texas rebelled. It was a bloody 
 war. But only a month after the fall of the Ala- 
 mo, on March 6, 1836, in a decisive battle at San 
 Jacinto Texas gained her freedom — an independ- 
 ence at once recognized by France, England and 
 the United States. 
 
 Mexico's war with the United States was the 
 saddest of all her troubles. The trouble between 
 
History — Independence. 167 
 
 them was the boundary of Texas after it had been 
 admitted as a state. After Mex- 
 War With ico had gained her independence 
 
 United States of Spain she had, in the rearrang- 
 ing of her civil administration, 
 united Coahuila and Texas — the two states east 
 of tie Rio Grande — under one provincial gov- 
 ernment. So when Texas gained her freedom, 
 naturally Coahuila thought she was included, as 
 she had helped to fight. To make their desires 
 ard conceptions fully known Texas and Coahuila 
 rret in joint session of legislature and put such in 
 a statutory form on December 19, I836. Mexico, 
 iowever, claimed that only Texas had rebelled 
 and not Coahuila. But it seems a play on the 
 names of states rather than the real territory in- 
 volved. It has been called an unrighteous war. 
 One senator said that the United States wanted 
 more good land, and that was the handiest and 
 easiest to take. The war is always known in 
 Mexico as the American Invasion. 
 
 Individual citizens in the United States also 
 have had no doubt at times that in this war we 
 acted hastily or unwisely, and maybe un-Chri,s- 
 tian; but I hardly think that the message 01 the 
 
 President to Congress in 
 
 Unfortunate But Not May, 1846, stating that 
 
 Groundless War. the soldiery of Mexico 
 
 had shed the blood ot 
 
168 Mexico, Y ester day , Today and Tomorrow 
 
 American citizens on American soil, and that 
 their reply on the nth of May with a declara- 
 tion that war already existed by the act of the 
 Mexican government, was entirely without! rea- 
 son. The ground of difference seemed to be this: 
 Texas said the Rio Grande was her western bor- 
 der, while Mexico said that it was the Nemes. 
 Whoever was wrong, a difference existed and 
 some one had to find a way out. The Unit^jd 
 States proposed to negotiate (as a Christian 
 method) but Mexico scornfully refused, whick 
 refusal was construed virtually as an acknowl\ 
 edgement of their wrong, and that the Rio\ 
 Grande was the line. The American soldier was 
 the first to die, and died east of the Rio Grande. 
 Of course it meant then to march to the City of 
 Mexico — a march through blood. But at last 
 General Scott with only ten thousand men en- 
 tered the city and successfully and placed the 
 American flag over every Mexican stronghold, 
 August 20, 1847. During these battles many of 
 the Mexican soldiers exhibited great courage. 
 The boys in the military school at Chepultepec 
 left the schoolroom to die wrapped in the flag of 
 their country, filling the air with ''Hurrah for 
 Mexico!*' And later when the terms of peace 
 were being discussed a great Mexican lawyer, 
 Jose M. Cuevas, being sick in bed, asked to be 
 carried to the senate chamber, where it is said he 
 
History — Independence. 169 
 
 pleaded for a continuation of the war. A treaty 
 of peace was concluded between the nations on 
 February 2, 1848. This treaty turned over to 
 the United States a great deal of territory, but 
 the United States paid fifteen million dollars and 
 assumed all Mexico's American debts, besides 
 having lost hundreds of her best men. 
 
 Mexico's troubles were not over with the end- 
 ing of war with the United States. In 1853 Santa 
 Anna, who has been termed by 
 Revolution. Mexicans *Hhe greatest scoundrel 
 that ever saw light in the glori- 
 ous country of Mexico," returned from his 
 exile; and the traitor, headed by the priests, 
 worked imtil he became the dictator of Mexico. 
 His government was characterized by abuses and 
 bad management. He taxed the people for the 
 number of dogs, cats, and even the windows they 
 had in their houses. This brought on the revolu- 
 tion of Juan Alvarez and Ignacio Comonfort, 
 which ended with the fall of Santa Anna in 1855. 
 This war^ which was called the war of ''El Plan 
 de Ayutla," put Juan Alvarez on the throne. He 
 was one of the most honest and lib- 
 Juan eral men that had ever been president 
 Alvarez of the country. He was soon succeed- 
 ed by his companion in the revolution, 
 Ignacio Comonfort, on December 12, 1855. 
 
170 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 It was now that the discussion of a new con- 
 stitution began. The Liberal 
 
 Second party had come to the front and 
 
 Constitution, they needed a constitution of 
 that sort. The priests did all in 
 their power to prevent its enactment, excommu- 
 nicating the congressmen and preaching against 
 it with all their power. These "frailes" called the 
 Liberal party the party of thieves and not classed 
 with respectable people, etc. But in spite of all 
 their chicanery the constitution was proclaimed 
 on February 5, 1857. The constitution has been 
 considered by many to be the best instrument of 
 vis kind in the world. It is a monument that will 
 stand for all time. Alvarez and Juarez were equal 
 to the best jurists of the world. 
 
 Comonfort was too kind and tender-hearted 
 to be president. He yielded too easily to the en- 
 treaties of his mother and wife who were influ- 
 enced by their spiritual advisers. 
 
 War of Through this chain and the con- 
 
 Reformation, fessional box they betrayed the 
 constitution and had Juarez, the 
 president of the vSupreme Court, and there'fore 
 vice-president, locked up. But jails cannot hold 
 a spirit and will like that of Juarez. And his ene- 
 mies who thought they had gained a victory by 
 getting the president to betray his trust and 
 making a prisoner of the court were surprised at 
 
History — Independence. 171 
 
 Juarez* decision, for he assumed the place of 
 president immediately. Soon afterwards he es- 
 tablished his government, based upon the consti- 
 tution, in Vera Cruz. 
 
 The city was again in the hands of the Church 
 party but the Liberals were well equipped with a 
 constitution like that and a leader like Juarez. 
 Juarez was born in Oaxaca in the year 1806, and 
 
 was pure Indian. He moved to the 
 Juarez. capital of the state and entered 
 
 school graduating in 1834. He be- 
 came governor of his state in 1845, ^^^ was in 
 the national congress in 1846. He was the leader 
 of the Liberal party and the church hated him. 
 He had been in prison and exiled for his ideas. 
 But he was the God-sent man to establish that 
 liberal constitution and reform laws. And al- 
 though England, Spain and France were in the 
 way, he was equal to the occasion. Victor Hugo 
 said of this great reformer, ''Oh Juarez! Ameri- 
 ca has two heroes — Lincoln and thee — Lincoln by 
 whom slavery has died, and thee by whom lib- 
 erty has lived. Mexico has been saved by a man. 
 Thou art the man!" 
 
 Maximilian was persuaded by the Church 
 authorities that there was yet place for an em- 
 pire in Mexico. But his sad death 
 Maximilian, was a lesson to the world that 
 Catholic emoires do not thrive 
 
172 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 where freedom lives. So the French Intervention 
 was of short Hfe and full of troubles. 
 
 Juarez and his reform laws were reinstated in 
 the capital on January i, 1861. The Liberal party 
 had now become more of an anti-clerical party 
 than when Juarez succeeded in taking complete 
 charge of the country again. Many of the 
 trailes left the country. (For further discussion 
 of Juarez, see paper on Presidents.) 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 History — Modern. 
 
 EXICO began her republican foim of 
 government in the year 1824 under the 
 presidency of Guadalupe Victoria, an old 
 veteran of the long and hard fought war of inde- 
 pendence. Although the numerous forces of the 
 Spanish government had almost ex- 
 Victoria — tinguished the grand old heroes of 
 1824-1828. liberty, Victoria had been spared to 
 embark the ship of state upon the per- 
 ilous sea of Mexican independence. This brave 
 and noble soldier was offered many inducements 
 lo betray his party and to become a royalist; but 
 Victoria had no price; he belonged to that class 
 of early fighters whose motto was "die or con- 
 quer." He had been forced to hide out in the 
 mountains for two years and six months, eating 
 loots and wild berries and without seeing a living 
 soul. His hardships and lack of food had given 
 him the appearance of a strange skeleton walking 
 about in the woods, long and lean and pale. At 
 the end of two and a half years Guerrero and 
 Iturbide were advancing on the capital city to 
 take it. An old Indian friend of this dauntless 
 
174 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 hero president went out into the mountains in 
 search of him, and finding signs of a human be- 
 ing he hung a sack of tortillas (thin corn cakes) 
 from the branch of a tree. Victoria soon discov- 
 ered the food and began at once to devour it. 
 His old Indian friend could not recognize him 
 as his hair was hanging down over his shoulders 
 and his finger nails resembled more the claws of 
 a lion. When this brave mountaineer received 
 the message that the insurgents had been victo- 
 rious and the cit}^ was in their hands he came out 
 from his hiding place to fight 'for his great cause. 
 Iturbide refused to accept his plans because they 
 were those of the ''Liberal Party," which recog- 
 nized "special privileges to none and equal rights 
 to all," and personally he was not built on that 
 plan. However, the country recognized his mer- 
 its and made him president October lo, 1824. 
 During his term of four years Mexican independ- 
 ence was recognized by England and the United 
 States. It was during this time that the coloniza- 
 tion of Texas was begun bv Mr. Austin who set- 
 tled three hundred families there by special grant. 
 The most important action of the government 
 during Victoria's administration was the putting 
 into practice of the anti-slavery laws of Hidalgo. 
 Hidalgo was not only the Washington of Mexico, 
 but it has been said of him that he was greater 
 than Washington in that he not only procured 
 
History — Modern 175 
 
 the independence of his country but also threw off 
 the shackles of slavery. Victoria, truly victorious 
 in all his plans, retired at the end of his term 
 loved by all his people. 
 
 On September i, 1828, an election v^^as held. 
 The Liberal party's candidate, Mr. Guerrero, re- 
 ceived nine electoral votes, while the Royalist can- 
 didate, Mr. Padraza, 
 Vincente Guerrero. received eleven, but 
 Apr. I, 1829-Dec. 4, 1829. what has ever been 
 
 true in Latin coun- 
 tries, the defeated party did not know how to 
 stop fighting and co-operate. So they fought 
 over the election and Guerrero whipped, took the 
 seat and had his congress declare the election 
 null and void. 
 
 Vincente Guerrero is well known to us as a 
 leader in the war of independence. He could 
 scarcely read or write his name, but a truer heart 
 and more magnanimous spirit could not have 
 been selected to lead in the destiny of the nation 
 just at this time. Only three months after he had 
 taken his seat a second Cortez in the person of 
 Isidra Barradas went out from Havana to again 
 conquer Mexico for Spain. The president com- 
 missioned D. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna 
 and D. Manuel de Mier y Terran to intercept 
 the enemy, which they did, and entirely de- 
 stroyed their fleet on September 10, 1829. As a 
 
176 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 reward for their faithful services both of these 
 generals were promoted to generals of divisions 
 by the president. 
 
 The president's great mistake was that he put 
 too much confidence in the vice-president, Busta- 
 mante. Just after the destruction of tlie Beet and 
 an army of Baradas there was general talk of an- 
 other invasion from Spain, so the president or- 
 dered the vice-president to garrison the Atlantic 
 coast. It was natural for the president to rely on 
 the vice-president, giving him control of the army 
 for this defence; but Bustamante, loyal to the 
 ideas of all traitors, seized the opportunity and re- 
 belled against the government and succeeded in 
 gaining the throne. In the meantime there were 
 four presidents pro tern: Lie Jose Maria Bo- 
 canegra and the three members of the supreme 
 court, Pedro Veles, Luis Ouintanar and Lucas 
 Alaman, all during the year 1829. 
 
 This revolution of Bustamante was successful 
 and placed him at the head of the government. 
 His administration was marked by the most cruel 
 tyranny, which only fanned the flames of discon- 
 tent in every part of the country. The prc^udent 
 
 was able to sup 
 
 Anastasia Bustamante — press all these rev- 
 Jan. I, 1830,-Dec. 23, 1832 olutionists, at least 
 
 the leaders, except 
 Guerrero, who was well fixed in the south- 
 
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 P 
 
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 r;^ 
 
 
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History — Modern 177 
 
 ern hills and unconquerable, but to cowards 
 and mean men there is ahvays some way open. 
 So treason was the plan fallen upon to entrap the 
 great Guerrero. The president, Bustamante, and 
 his cabinet agreed to give to Francisco Ricaluga, 
 a very intimate friend of Guerrero, the sum of 
 fifty thousand dollars in gold if he would bring 
 his friend a captive to them. It was a trade; 
 Guerrero was at once invited to breakTast on 
 board the ship ^'Columbo," of which Ricalugo 
 was captain. He accepted the invitation of his 
 friend (?) and was made prisoner by the infamous 
 mariner. The noble Guerrero was sentencd to 
 death by the president and the execution took 
 place at Guilapa February 14, 1831. 
 
 This barbarous act of Bustamante's so enraged 
 the people against him that the entire republic 
 demanded his retirement. There is a saying in 
 Mexico, *'Vamos de Guatamala a Guate Peor" 
 (we go from bad to worse). It seemed so in this 
 fall of Bustamante. The ever restless Santa Anna 
 took up arms against his friend and put Gomez 
 Fadraza in the chair. 
 
 Gomez Padraza had been elected to the presi- 
 dency in 1828, but was not allowed to take his 
 seat because of a successful revolution led by this 
 
 same Santa Anna in favor 
 Gomez Padraza. of Guerrero, Padraza was 
 Dec. 27, 1832,- honest, intelligent, and was a 
 
 Mar. 2^. T833, strong' character, but his in- 
 
178 Mexico^ Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 flexibility made him many enemies. He had 
 at one time been a distinguished general 
 and leader in the Spanish army against 
 the republicans. During one of the battles with 
 the insurgents he was badly wounded and re- 
 mained in bed quite a long time. While confined 
 to his bed, he read and thought much and was 
 convinced of the justice of the cause of independ- 
 ence, and ever after fought for the liberties of the 
 Mexican people. He was a most excellent ora- 
 tor. It was said that his voice "turned men into 
 statues and statues into men." His term lasted 
 only three months when an election put Santa 
 Anna in power. 
 
 Santa Anna was born in Jalapa, Feb. 21, 1797. 
 He was a man without character, and was 
 vicious, ignorant and absolutely void of principle, 
 but he thought himself great and led others to 
 believe it, which caused the ruin of the republic. 
 After his election in April in- 
 Antonio Lopez stead of taking up his duties he 
 de Santa Anna, went off to a large hacienda that 
 April I, 1833,- belonged to him at Manga de 
 April I, 1837. Clavo to fight cocks. He re- 
 turned for a few days in June, 
 but left for his cock fights again in July. He re- 
 turned again in October, but left in December. 
 He did not give any attention to governmental 
 
History— Modern 179 
 
 affairs until April, 1834. He happened to have 
 assoclTted with him during this first term of 
 ofhce as vice-president Valente Gomez Farrias, 
 who was the incarnation of liberalism, democracy 
 and righteousness. He was the man who, while 
 being supported by two senators m his feebleness 
 administered the oath at the adoption of the con- 
 stitution of 1857. Such a character as this by the 
 side and at the command of the president could 
 wonderfully help to stir ar^'g^ht the shi>p of state. 
 
 It was during this first term of Santa Anna that 
 Texas, then a province of Mexico, rebelled. He 
 led the army but was captured by the Americans 
 at San Jacinto. (For details the reader is referred 
 to any Texas history.) After his release he pass- 
 ed the time at his hacienda, ignored and hated by 
 his people, until the French came over anJ woke 
 him up in 1838. He made a foolish attack upon 
 the invaders at Vera Cruz and lost one of His legs, 
 but replaced himself in the hearts of his country- 
 men. They brought his leg to the city and many 
 eulogies were pronounced over it by the ready 
 orators for heroes. A little later on an indignant 
 mob exhumed his leg and kicked it thorough the 
 streets of the city. 
 
 Of other presidents ceming in for short terms 
 Ihere is scarcely need of mention until we come 
 to Comonfort in 1855, but their names and terms 
 of office are briefly given: 
 
180 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 Aastasia Bustamante was elected the second 
 time to the presidency and took 
 Bustamante — his seat on April 12, 1837, and 
 Second Term. lost his place at the hands of 
 Santa Anna on October 10, 1841. 
 Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna took his seat for 
 the second term on October 10, 
 Santa Anna— 1841, and went out on October 
 Second Term. 6, 1842. He was nominated dic- 
 tator on January 6, 1843, but 
 gave up the power on December 5, 1844. 
 
 Jose Joaquin de Herrera took the 
 Jose Joaquin presidency on December 5, 1844, 
 de Herrera. and went out on January 2, 1845. 
 Mariano Paredes Arrilliga, gained by 
 Arrilliga. the sword the presidency on January 
 2, 1846, and so ended his term Aug- 
 ust 4, 1846. 
 
 Santa Anna again entered by way of the sword 
 for the third term on December 
 Santa Anna— 24, 1846, and weHt out on Sep- 
 Third Term. tember 14, 1847, by the same 
 method. This was during the 
 war with the United States. When in 1847 the 
 Americans entered the capital, Santa Anna fled 
 before them. The treaty of peace called ''Guad- 
 alupe de Hidalgo" was signed February 2, 1848. 
 When Santa Anna fled from Mexico to keep 
 
History— Modern 181 
 
 from getting into the hands of the Americans 
 again, Manuel de la Pena y Pena 
 Pena y Pena. took the presidency on Septem- 
 ber 14, 1847, and lost his place on 
 May 13, 1848. He was an old magistrate accus- 
 tomed only to look after the social welfare in the 
 practice of law. He was a magistrate of the su- 
 preme court and remained in the place while the 
 congress elected another president. 
 
 Jose Joaquin de Herrera took charge of the 
 government June 3, 1848, and 
 Jose Joaquin served his people faithfully until 
 de Plerrera — 1851. Herrera did all in his 
 Second Term. power to lift Mexico to higher 
 ideals. A dark cloud had been 
 hanging over the land for a number of 
 years. The traitors led by the Catholic 
 priests had kept the country in constant commo- 
 tion, the war cry was unhushed, there were too 
 many soldiers and priests. Herrera reduced the 
 army to a small number and began to properly 
 organize the other departments of the govern- 
 ment under wise legislation looking to the pro- 
 gress and development of the country. 
 Herrera was succeeded by Mariano Arista, 
 who took his seat January 15, 1851, and closed his 
 term January 4, 1853. Arista followed 
 Arista, up the progress made by his predeces- 
 sors courageously; he was a true pa- 
 
182 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow, 
 
 triot: he was the commander-in-chi<^f of the army 
 that had attacked Taylor in Rio Bravo. He made 
 ^ome fatal mistakes in war, but none could deny 
 his courage and patriotism. 
 
 Manuel Maria Lombardini by a military con- 
 test and decision was put in power 
 Lombardini. for a few days, beginning his ca- 
 reer on February 7, 1853, ^^^ €"<i- 
 ing April 20. While in office he arranged some 
 important matters with the United States touch- 
 ing the Gara concession relative to the isthmus 
 of Tehauntepec. 
 
 Santa Anna came again by force to power. He 
 took charge as dictator on April 
 Santa Anna— 20, 1853, and closed his term 
 Fourth Term. August 9. 1855. As would be ex- 
 pected, rather than carry on the 
 development of the other functions of the gov- 
 ernment, he began at once to increase and organ- 
 ize the military department; but he was finally 
 whipped at his own game. 
 
 Martin Correra was now put at the head of the 
 government for a few days. He took 
 Correra. his seat on August 14, 1855, and lost 
 it on September 11, 1855. 
 Juan Alvarez, an old insurgent, now took up 
 the reins of government. He began his term Oc- 
 tober 4, 1855, and resigned December 
 Alvarez. 8, 1855. ^^ became discouraged, see- 
 
History — Modem 183 
 
 ing that another uprising was inevitable. He 
 was patriotic and brave and loved by his coun- 
 trymen. When he sent in his resignation, the 
 country insisted on his keeping his place, arguing 
 that he had been so poorly recompensed for his 
 splendid services that the country wanted to 
 honor him with its highest gift. He replied: "He 
 who fulfills his duty does not need prizes nor 
 praises," and resigned in favor of Comonfort. 
 
 Ignacio Comonfort took his seat on December 
 II, 1855, and finished his course December 17, 
 1857. Comonfort came into power at an oppor- 
 tune time and providentially had 
 Comonfort. thrown around him as his co-labor- 
 ers and associates a few glorious 
 characters whose illustrious memory will always 
 bring a message of inspiration to the Mexican 
 people — Juarez, Ocampo, and Priteto. Ocampo, 
 however, did not agree with the president and re- 
 tired to his private home and business. Comon- 
 fort, Juarez and the other ministers began at 
 once to enact rigid laws against the oppressors 
 and in favor of the people. This brought on a 
 reaction in a hurry, headed by the church at the 
 city of Puebla. The bishop there preached a 
 strong sermon against the government and en- 
 couraged an uprising. Comonfort put an end to 
 the rebellion, punishng the leaders severely and 
 banishing the bishop from the country. 
 
184 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 In 1857 the constitution was recognized and 
 Comonfort became constitutional president. As 
 the provisions of the constitution did away with 
 all special privileges to the clergy and the wealthy, 
 a tremendous effort was made to overthrow it, 
 but Comonfort faced the situation bravely and 
 many of the arrogant lords felt for the first time 
 The heavy hand of a strong government. Jusc at 
 this point the Bishop of Mexico City began work- 
 ing with the president's mother. This woman, 
 enslaved by the influence of the church, conduct- 
 ed herself in a way that grieved the heart of Com- 
 onfort, for although he was a tiger on the battle- 
 field he was an angel in his home. T is strong, 
 brave man who knew his duty, could not resist 
 longer the pleadings of his feeble mother, and in 
 that critical hour did a thing that he soon lament- 
 ed, but too late. He set aside the constitution. 
 The principles of that constitution were too well 
 embedded in the hearts and lives of some of the 
 country's safest and best men to be set aside in 
 a moment by sentiment, or the brush of a priestly 
 robe. Comonfort's own party discarded him and 
 the opposite party had no confidence in him. He 
 retired to private life, but years afterwards was 
 allowed to come and fight as a common soldier. 
 An eye witness, touched by his indomitable valor 
 in the hour of battle, called him the "soldieriess 
 general." He died May 7, 1862, in an effort to 
 
History — Modern 185 
 
 carry food to the besieged army of Pue^la during 
 the French war. 
 
 All during Comonfort's administration Juarez 
 had been president of the supreme court, and 
 thereby legal vice-president, so on Comonfort's 
 failure Juarez took up and enforced the constitu- 
 tion of 1857. 
 
 D. Bendito Juarez was the 
 Bendito Juarez — first constitutional president 
 Jan. 18, 1858,- of the entire republic. He 
 
 July 18, 1872. took his seat January 18, 
 
 1858, and held the place un- 
 til his death, July 18, 1872. 
 
 The presidents up to Juarez were rather uncer- 
 tain quantities, and I have only given eighteen, 
 which seems to cover the real facts in the case, 
 as their periods make a connected history. If I 
 had taken into account each moment when some 
 general was in the lead, and really dictator for 
 the time being, that is, for a day or two interven- 
 ing between the ending of one of the terms and 
 the beginning of another, T would have counted 
 forty-eight instead of eighteen, which would have 
 made Juarez the forty-ninth rather than the nine- 
 teenth. But beginning with Juarez, the first real 
 president of the republic, we will treat him more 
 iully. 
 
 Bendito Juarez was born in an humble little 
 
186 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrozv 
 
 jacal in the little village of Guilatar in the State 
 of Oaxaca in 1806. His parents, Adarielino Juarez 
 and Brysda Garcia de Juarez were both full- 
 blooded Indians belonging to the tribe of Zapo- 
 tecas. His father and mother both died while he 
 was young and he was left to the care of his uncle, 
 Paublo Juarez, His early youth was spent herd- 
 ing cattle, until twelve years of age, when an un- 
 expected incident gave an entire turn to his life. 
 Often while herding cattle he would drive them 
 about a big rock and get upon it and make them 
 an eloquent speech. One day while fishing in a 
 lake he was standing on some branches of a fallen 
 tree that he was using for a boat. Suddenly a 
 gust of wind carried the tree far out from shore. 
 Little Bendito did not cry as other boys would 
 have done, but stood the test without a tear. 
 Night came on. Through the dark, dreary hours 
 he held on to the branches until the li'ght of a new 
 day flashed over the glossy surface of the lake 
 and he saw that he was again on shore. He jump- 
 ed on land and went whistling away as if nothing 
 had happened. But something had happened. 
 That majestic look and sublime smile of his in 
 times of greatest danger in after life were born 
 out of that dark and perilous night. 
 
 Again, one day while Bendito was guarding 
 cattle he left them for a while and was having a 
 general good time with some other boys who 
 
History — Modern 187 
 
 were also herding cattle. Some of the cows got 
 into the corn field of a farmer who, very much ex- 
 cited and angry, appeared on the scene and after 
 blessing out the boys in general told Bendito 
 that he was going to tell his uncle Puablo on him. 
 Bendito knew his uncle weli, and rather than take 
 the barbarous beating that he knew awaited him, 
 he ran away to Oaxaca where one of his sisters 
 lived. On his way he joined in with a large cara- 
 van headed that way. Many of the crowd tried 
 to scare the little Indian by telling him that his 
 uncle was after him, and other tales of woe, but 
 ragged, barefooted, and unknown, he walked 
 through the streets of Oaxaca up to the humble 
 home of his sister. Little did Oaxaca know that 
 her greatest hero slept within her gates that night 
 — little did she dream that out of her barefooted 
 Indian boy would come a hero whosje statue 
 would adorn every city's public park and streets 
 in the republic and art galleries of the world! 
 He soon fell into the hands of an old fraile, Anto- 
 nia Salamanca, who began to teach him what she 
 knew. The eager mind of the little Indian soon 
 exhausted all of his teacher's knowledge, and 
 Salamanca sent him to school. Following the 
 custom of the times, Juarez was dedicated to the 
 study of theology, a subject in which he became 
 a distinguished scholar; but as to his becoming a 
 
ISS Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 priest he was far from it. His convictions and 
 principles rebelled at such an idea. 
 
 Soon after this the Oaxaca Institute was found- 
 ed and Juarez determined at once to enter it. His 
 tutor refused to allow him the privilege, but 
 when Juarez insisted, his old friend, his tutor, 
 threatened to withdraw all protection, help, and 
 even friendship. Juarez accepted and became a 
 member of the Institute. He was now at home 
 among teachers and books He gave his time to 
 law and soon graduated from the law department. 
 During all his school days, when a topic of a po- 
 litical nature was under discussion he always took 
 great interest in advancing mature thoughts upon 
 the question of liberal doctrines and the progress 
 of the country. Step by step he climbed. He 
 became agent of his alma mater, held a 'place in 
 the government as deputy, and later was elected 
 governor of the State of Oaxaca in 1847, when the 
 American army entered Mexico City and drove 
 Santa Anna out. 
 
 Santa Anna sought refuge in his state but 
 Juarez was so disgusted with him that he would 
 not allow him to stop in his territory. Later on, 
 however, in 1853, when Santa Anna was made 
 dictator, he got even with him by sending him out 
 of the country. Juarez's exilement was spent in 
 New Orleans, in much misery, where he had to 
 make pottery for a living. He did not remain 
 
History— Modern 189 
 
 very long, however, as some friends sent him 
 money to return to Mexico. He landed at Aca- 
 pulco as an *'incognito." A young officer, son 
 of General Alvarez, employed him as secretary. 
 He did not disclose his identity. He had not been 
 in this employment very long, however, until D. 
 Juan Alvarez, the chief of the revolution, accident- 
 ally recognized him, and from that moment 
 Juarez was the soul of the movement. Afterwards 
 when Santa Anna was overthrown he became a 
 minister of the Alvarez government. Later on 
 he was made president of the supreme court 
 during Ignacio Comonfort's administration. 
 While in charge of this most responsible place he 
 exercised great judgment and extraordinary tact 
 and skill. Juarez was made prisoner when the 
 president, Comonfort, betrayed the constitution. 
 Juarez was by virtue of the office he held as pres- 
 ident of the supreme court, the vice-president of 
 the republic, and thus became president when 
 Conmonfort acted as he did. A president, yet in 
 chains. Yet this indomitable republican, lover of 
 free institutions, broke the chains that bound him 
 end Hfting the flag that he had loved to the breez- 
 es started for Guanajuata, and from there to San 
 Luis Potosi. Being surrounded and supported by 
 the strongest men of the republic, he was thus 
 able to establish the strongest liberal government 
 that Mexico had yet seen. 
 
190 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 From San Luis Potosi he went to Guadalajara 
 where he estabHshed his government in the pal- 
 ace there. It was Juarez that began the righteous 
 war of the reformation of 1858, the sole purpose 
 of which was to destroy forever the power of the 
 church. The leaders of the church party among 
 the clergy saw that their time was up, so they or- 
 ganized and put into requisition all their vast re- 
 sources to overthrow and kill Juarez. Failing at 
 every point the priests finally bribed the chief of 
 the garrison that guarded the palace, paying him 
 a large sum of money to kill Juarez and the en- 
 tire cabinet. What a contemplated slaughter ! 
 What a glory for the representatives of the ''Man 
 of Galilee!" The captain, faithful to his promise, 
 went at the head of his army and besieged the 
 palace where were assembled Juarez and his cab- 
 inet. Juarez with his hands behind him was walk- 
 mg to and fro planning for the future, little think- 
 ing that his body guards had turned traitors, 
 M'hen suddenly a mad voice called him. With his 
 i.sual indifference he walked towards the soldiers 
 v/ith their pointed guns, exposing his breast but 
 turning his face as if to protect it from the bul- 
 lets. Just as the last command, fire! was given, 
 Juarez addressed them with a voice of thunder, 
 ; nd as this great Cicero talked to them their guns 
 began to lower and no sooner had they placed 
 
History— Modem 191 
 
 them by their sides than tears began flowing down 
 their cheeks. 
 
 From Guadalajara, Juarez went to Calime, 
 sailing from Panama to V^era Cruz. In Vera 
 Cruz in 1859 he was besieged by Miguel Mira- 
 mon, leader of the conservatives, or frailes, the 
 church party. But while besieged, under the 
 roaring of the enemy's artillery, without signs of 
 fear, he went on with the business of the govern- 
 ment. One of the most splendid monuments to 
 hiis memory is that code of laws of the reforma- 
 tion that he turned out during this besieging fire 
 from the 12th to the 23rd of July, 1859. 
 
 Vera Cruz was attacked again in i860 by Mira- 
 mon, this time both by land and sea, but the at- 
 tack failed. His ships and crews were declared 
 pirates by Juarez and captured. Miramon then 
 turned back to Mexico City, and after a series of 
 defeats the Conservatives were conquered and the 
 republican government established. 
 
 Juarez entered Mexico City in 1861, only to 
 leave it May 31, 1863, after Forey, the French 
 general took the city of Puebla 
 
 The cause of the French Intervention was hid- 
 den in the church. Napoleon III., influenced by 
 the lady Eugenia, a strong Catholic, had received 
 into his court quite a number of the Conserva- 
 tives. These traitors headed by the Bislicp La- 
 
192 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 bastida, through the lady Eugenia, advised Na- 
 poleon to reconquer Mexico. Napoleon did not 
 wish the job himself, and so he sought outside 
 help. In the meantime Mexico had suspended 
 the payment of her national debt on account of 
 ihe lamentable condition of her national treas- 
 ury. England and Spain protested and France, 
 seeing her chance, joined them. The nations met 
 in conference at la Saledad and acknowledged the 
 injustice of intervention and signed a treaty to 
 sail away. England and Spain did so, but France 
 remained. Juarez called them to order and re- 
 minded them of the treaty they had signed, 
 \\ hereupon the French representative replied 
 that '* their word was worth no more than the 
 paper upon which it was written." No more 
 words were necesary The war began in earnest. 
 Juarez was determined to teach Europe a lesson. 
 The French were defeated May 5, 1862, in 
 Puebla. As soon as the Conservatives gained 
 some victories, they lost no time in looking 
 for an emperor. They found him in Maximil- 
 ian, who accepted for three reasons: first, protec- 
 tion offered by Napoleon, the Pope and other 
 friends; second to get out of debt; third, his am- 
 bition to be emperor. He arrived in Mexico June 
 12, 1864. Juarez traveled to the north, stoppirig 
 at Saltilla, Monterey, Chihuahua and El Paso del 
 
History — Modem 193 
 
 Norte (now C. Juarez). Everywhere he went he 
 received a great ovation because the people knew 
 that he was the very heart of Mexico in that he 
 had at heart the highest interests of his fellow 
 countrymen. He passed his birthday March 21, 
 1865, in Chihuahua, where the people gathered in 
 the palace to do honor to the great Republican. 
 During the many speeches one orator took as hi!s 
 theme, "The Absent Family." To this Juarez 
 could respond only under a flood of tears and the 
 difficulties of a deep emotion that choked him. 
 He said, "The sacrifice of my family would be 
 tremendous, but let it be if it is for the country !'* 
 His wife was in the United States, and she had 
 been very kindly and courteously received by the 
 president. 
 
 Chihuahua was taken by Brincourt in August, 
 1865, and Juarez went as far as the river in El 
 Paso. He did not set his feet on foreign soil, for 
 that would have been cowardice, and Juarez knew 
 no fear. From there he directed the army and 
 one victory followed another until he was soon 
 ready to turn his face toward the very center of 
 his country and at once began his march to 
 Zacatecas. He was defeated there by Miramon 
 and w^ent to San Luis Potosi. Maximilian was 
 abandoned in a most critical moment. The whip 
 of the Mexican army and the demand of the 
 United States, forced Spain to withdraw her 
 
194 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 army, leaving Maximilian to his own resources. 
 The emperor made himself strong in Queretaro, 
 where he was besieged and taken prisoner by 
 General Escobedo. No greater effort was ever 
 made in vain to save a man than in the case of 
 Maximilian. The world pitied him as he was a 
 tool in the hands of circumstances, but Juarez was 
 immovable. His answer to the lawyers' plea was, 
 *'The law and the sentence are inexorable in this 
 moment, for public health so demands it." So 
 Maximilian, together with Miramon and Mija, 
 his most distinguished generals, were executed 
 June 19, 1867. 
 
 On July 15 following, Juarez again entered the 
 City of Mexico where he was received with the 
 most enthusiastic demonstrations. He recom- 
 mended to all Mexicans the principle, ''Respect 
 to the rights of others is peace." 
 
 He was at once elected again to the presidency 
 and as a result many of his best genrals, among 
 them Porfirio Diaz, rebelled against him. Juarez 
 was successful and defeated the rebels in a series 
 of encounters. 
 
 Juarez died suddenly at his post in the palace 
 July 18, 1872. In his death Mexico lost her great- 
 est son and the world a great hero and emanci- 
 pator. 
 
 Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada was born in Jalapa, 
 
History — Modern 195 
 
 Mexico, April 25, 1825. He was judge of the su- 
 preme court in 1857; a member of congress in 
 
 1861 - 1862; min- 
 Sebastian Lerdo de Tejada — ister of foreign 
 Jan. I, 1873,-May 5, 1877. affairs in 1862- 
 
 1867; and was ap- 
 pointed chief justice of the supreme court the 
 same year, by virtue of which office he became 
 president on the death of Juarez. 
 
 At the close of his first term, or the expiration 
 of the unfinished term of Juarez in 1876, Lerdo 
 was a candidate to succeed himself. The election 
 was in doubt but congress declared Uerdo elect- 
 ed. This decision, however, was not satisfactory 
 to the people and as usual a revolution occurred 
 which forced Lerdo to leave the country. He 
 went to the city of New York where he lived in 
 retirement the rest of his life. 
 
 Manuel Gonzales was born in Matamoros in 
 the year 1833, and died in Mexico City May 8, 
 1893. He was a distinguished general and had 
 
 supported Diaz in all 
 
 Manuel Gonzales — his revolutions. He 
 
 Dec. I, 1880,-Nov. 30, 1884. was one of the lead- 
 ers in the revolution 
 that overthrew Lerdo and placed General Diaz in 
 power in 1877. Chronologically this places Diaz 
 before Gonzales as president; but as Diaz had no 
 
196 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrozu 
 
 other interruption in his long career Gonzales is 
 placed here. 
 
 Gonzales was secretary of war during Diazes 
 first administration and became president at the 
 close of his first term, for Diaz had ruled, as mTl- 
 itary captain and boss, during the term of Lerdo, 
 that no one could succeed himself as president. 
 Gonzales, being succeeded by Diaz, was elected 
 governor of the State of Guanajuato in 1884. 
 
 Diaz was born in Oaxaca September 15, 1830. 
 He is not an Indian as some have thought, but is 
 three-fourths Spanish. His ear- 
 Porfirio Diaz — ly training was under Juarez in 
 May 5, 1877,- the Oaxaca Institute. After 
 May 25, 191 1. finishing his academic course 
 he expected to take up the 
 study of law, but owing to the American invasion 
 hiis plans were changed and he enlisted in the 
 National Guards. It was from th's date that his 
 briUiant career began. From that moment he 
 dedicated himsdf to the cause of the freedom of 
 his country. 
 
 When the dictatorship of Santa Anna began in 
 1854. Diaz supported the rebelHon against such a 
 tyrannical ruler. Later on when Maximilian (the 
 unfortunate accident of Napoleon III.) under- 
 took to set up an empire in Mexico, Diaz was one 
 of the first and most daring generals to enter ef- 
 
History— Modern 197 
 
 fective protest with the sword. His countiymen 
 had long since recognized his steding worth in 
 the love of his country's freedom, and had in 1861 
 placed him at the head of the entire southern 
 army. His country never had cause to regret its 
 action in making him leader for he distinguished 
 himself in every battle, never allowing the flag to 
 trail in the dust. His tact and bravery and suc- 
 cess in that memorable battle with the French, 
 May 5, 1862, won for him forever all the distinc- 
 tions that a proud nation could bestow upon a 
 worthy son. 
 
 He was taken prisoner in the year 1863 in the 
 city of Puebla after a most heroic resistance. 
 The proud French general endeavored by all 
 kinds of threats to make him swear never to 
 lake up arms again against his enemies, but 
 rather than take such an oath, in response to the 
 entreaties of his captors, he took a book and, 
 that it might not fade at once from thought or 
 sight, put in black and white^ ''I swear to defend 
 the cause of the liberty of my country with all my 
 energy, conceding to the Frenchmen a right to 
 watch me." 
 
 After gaining his freedom he entered at once 
 on a tireless and fearless march and fight against 
 his enemies. Soon afterwards he fell into the 
 hands of the French again, and the French gen- 
 eral accused him of cowardice and dishonor, when 
 
198 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the proud Diaz called for the records of his pre- 
 vious captivity, and turning to the sentence that 
 he had written, asked the French general to read 
 it. As the Frenchman glanced over it his eyes 
 fell and a blush of shame came over his face. He 
 was soon released and began a more active cru- 
 sade against the French than ever. His greatest 
 victory w^as the siege of Puebla. This great bat- 
 tle revealed not only the daring spirit of Diaz but 
 also his unrivaled skill in the art of war. He be- 
 gan his journey to the city on April 2, 1867. He 
 took the city without much resistance. On com- 
 ing into possession of the city his finer qualities 
 of soul were brought out when he refused to take 
 the large sums of money that had thus been 
 placed in his hands. He not only turned into the 
 treasury of the government all this money but de- 
 clined any manifestation in his favor as Juarez 
 tntered the city, declaring that he as president, 
 should have the glory. 
 
 Soon after the war, however, political parties 
 began to organize and enter upon an active cam- 
 paign. Iglesias, Lerdo de Tejada and Porfirio 
 Diaz were all strong candidates for the presi- 
 dency. Juarez defeated them but died soon after 
 his election. On the death of Juarez, by virtue of 
 his office as president of the supreme court, Lerdo 
 came to the presidency and finished out the term. 
 At the close of the term Lerdo's efforts to succeed 
 
History — Modern 199 
 
 himself failed. Diaz rose against him with his 
 'Tlan of Tuxtepect," that of "no re-elections." 
 Lerdo fled from the capital and Diaz became pres- 
 ident in 1876 and served out his term in 1880, 
 tor according to his own plan no one could be re- 
 elected. From 1880 to 1884 General Tvianuel Gon- 
 zales Ortega was in power. During these four 
 years the Diaz party was rapidly growing and at 
 the expiration of Gonzales' term Diaz was elected. 
 One of the first things he did was to repeal the 
 plan that a president should not be re-elected, 
 and so he retained the presidency until May 25, 
 
 1911. 
 
 To m-any, especially from an American point of 
 view, this action of Diaz seems inconsistent; but 
 a careful study of the situation reveals many 
 Mexican problems. When Mexico first selected 
 and named four years as a term for her presidents 
 she no doubt was copying from the United States 
 government, but her leaders like General Diaz 
 soon realized that they had not before them the 
 easy problems that the United States had dealt 
 with, but something infinitely more intricate. It 
 was indeed quite a different proposition. For 
 when the first pilgrims came to the United States 
 the country was inhabited by the savage. The 
 owners of the country were either extinguished 
 or set off to themselves and a government was 
 formed, not with these savage illiterates, but out 
 
200 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 of the cream of the Anglo-Saxon race — out of 
 the best blood and brain that the civdized races 
 had produced. 
 
 But of the fifteen million inhabitants of Mexico 
 ten million were of these ilHterate savage In- 
 dians, learing: only five million to bear all respon- 
 sibility of government and development. Mr. 
 Diaz realized this and saw that his first plan 
 'would mean endless bloody wars and sure ruin. 
 And so he became a kind of a king around whose 
 throne peace for a period settled — a peace no 
 doubt that was bought at times at too great a 
 cost. He ruled with an iron hand. Many times 
 he was cruel, but whether always in his actions 
 or not he was always equal to every emergency. 
 Possibly the greatest tribute to his success is the 
 amazing prosperity of the republic. 
 
 Diaz is certainly next to Juarez the greatest 
 man the country has produced and one of the 
 greatest statesmen the world has known. 
 
 George Washington proclaimed freedom, but 
 was supported by a ''freedom loving people." 
 When Hidalgo proclaimed liberty his ignorant 
 Indians knew not what the word meant. They 
 followed their great leader instinctively. They 
 rallied around his magnetic personality. And so 
 to develop this ignorant, superstitious, enslaved 
 race was no easy task. Sttp by step Diaz intro- 
 duced reforms along all lines until today the op- 
 
History — Modern 201 
 
 erations of the government, the progress of the 
 country industrially, educationally; in civil, social, 
 and religious righteousness is nothing snort of tiie 
 miraculous. While the author does not believe 
 that the high ideals and purposes of the Juarez 
 administration were fully followed up by General 
 Diaz, he must accredit to him a most successful 
 ?nd really wonderful career. 
 
 The fatal mistake that Diaz made was in not 
 carrying out what he led the people to believe 
 he was going to do, namely: retire at the close 
 
 of his term in 1910. He 
 Diaz's Mistake and had promised in a way to 
 The Revolution. retire the term preceding 
 
 that; that is, he had made 
 known to the people that it was his desire to put 
 some one in his place by popular vote betore he 
 became too old to assist the new president in 
 getting a hold on the reigns of government. 
 And the people thought that time had come. So 
 when the election came on in 1910, rather than 
 retire from the race he chose to place in jail the 
 one who would oppose him in the race for presi- 
 dent, and thus enraged the already dissatisfied 
 public. If Diaz had invited opposition, and when 
 another was elected according to constitutional 
 methods, he then had lent every assistance in 
 building up every interest of the commonwealth, 
 the world would have looked upon him even more 
 
202 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 as a great constructive statesman, and his de- 
 clining years would have been much happier. 
 
 Diaz made the mistake, in fact, a term preced- 
 ing this, when General Bernardo Reyes, then 
 commander in general of the federal army, 
 aspired to the office of vice-president, by shifting 
 him from that position to one where he would be 
 less dangerous, as governor of Nuevo Leon. And 
 when this did not cool off his political ambitions 
 he was sent away to make military observations 
 m Europe. The people had long become impa- 
 tient with actions of this kind, and so when Ma- 
 dero issued his proclamation they were easily ex- 
 cited to rebellion. And so under promise of free 
 ballots and a better time they rose up in rebellion 
 according to Madero's call on the 20th of Novem- 
 ber, 1910, and in a few short months were able to 
 dictate their own terms of peace. Diaz was forced 
 to steal away from the capital under the shades of 
 darkness in an inglorious defeat on May 25, 
 1911. 
 
 De la Barra was ambassador to the United 
 States from Mexico when the revolution led by 
 Francisco I. Madero broke out. De la Barra was 
 a friend of Madero, and also a 
 De la Barra — close friend of Diaz. He was 
 May 25, 191 1,- instrumental in influencing 
 Nov. 6, 191 1. President Diaz to resign for the 
 good of the country. The lead- 
 
History — Modern 203 
 
 ers of the rebellion were willing that De la Barra 
 should act as president until one could be prop- 
 erly elected by the people. 
 
 Francisco I. Madero was born near Monterey 
 in 1865. He is of a rich family, enthusiastic, well 
 educated, and that he possesses undaunted cour- 
 age no one doubts; for to 
 Francisco I. Madero. raise a hand against the 
 
 Nov. 6, 1911,-? — long established iron-hand 
 
 rule of Diaz meant death 
 or victory. And no one knew this better than 
 Madero. But he had convictions and dared to 
 stand or die by them. He was right, and right 
 will prevail. 
 
 The plan of the Madero administration is to 
 carry out the policies and principles upon which 
 the revolution was won, but 
 New Regime this will be a task not easy to 
 
 Not Inaugurated accomplish. The people are 
 In a Day. simply not entirely prepared 
 
 for it. In fact, Diaz might 
 have done it better than he did if he had been 
 able. The plan is splendid, but no doubt there 
 will be breakers ahead. Of course with General 
 Reyes eliminated, a counter revolution under 
 Zapata or Orosco will be much more difficult, 
 especially after such a dramatic surrender of the 
 once idol of the people in the hour of his com- 
 plete vanquishment sobbing "I have called upon 
 
204 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 the army, and I have called upon the people, and 
 no one has responded." The most unnatural 
 settlement of the affairs of a Latin- American peo- 
 ple is the ease with which it has been accomplish- 
 ed. Where many thirst for trouble and fighting 
 is popular and will afford a livelihood for so many 
 unemployed; and where rivalry, ambition, and a 
 spirit of non-conformity exists, President Madero 
 will indeed prove himself a diplomat if he closes 
 his term in peace. And even though he does 
 bring about peace, sometimes a compromising, 
 pacifying policy that is required to do it amounts 
 to a kind of patch-work job that is not permanent. 
 
 After all there is no reason why this people 
 should always do in the future as they have done 
 in the past; no reason why they should not have 
 a new vision; that each new year should not be 
 to them indeed and in fact a new way. They are 
 not like they used to be, but are more highly edu- 
 cated both in heart and in mind today than ever 
 before. They know and appreciate the virtue of 
 peace and the horror of war as never before. 
 And let us hope that the explanation of the rare 
 ease with which the old regime has been replaced 
 by the new is simply the dawn of a new day with 
 them — a day when no longer constant rebellions 
 will be popular. 
 
 The platform of the new administration if car- 
 
History — Modern 205 
 
 ried out is fully sufficient to establish a strong 
 
 and permanent govern- 
 New Policy Adequate ment of peace and 
 To Stable Government, prosperity. The guar- 
 antee of popular suff- 
 rage and better education and industrial facilities 
 for the mediocre touches a responsive chord in 
 the hearts of millions. It is not altogether new, 
 but a re-emphasis of the principles and ideas of 
 Juarez from which the government has long been 
 drifting. That the new life, the consecrated intel- 
 lect of Mexico today will be equal to all emer- 
 gencies no nation need fear. 
 
 There will be dissatisfaction and unrest for a 
 time; political ambitions and personal grievances 
 of some will cause bloodshed, as in the case of 
 Zapata and Orosco, but peace will finally hover 
 over this great country. 
 
 The vast holdings of citizens of the United 
 States are being rapidly extended throughout all 
 the Latin-American countries. Being large stock- 
 holders it will be easy for us 
 
 Obligation of to be accused of being impli- 
 Strong to V/eak. cated in some way witTi the 
 
 political changes of these 
 countries, and it will be unnatural not to be. It 
 is generally thought that the banana trust was 
 identified in some way with the troubles of Nica- 
 ragua; and so the asphalt trust was thought by 
 
206 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 some to have financed the Venezuela revolution. 
 The vast tobacco and sugar interests of Cuba can 
 incite to insurrection when a rebel could not ex- 
 plain his grievances if it brings around the navy 
 and intervention. Our mining interests and other 
 trading in Mexico needs protection, and interven- 
 tion and annexation talk suits great promoters. 
 Protection and peace are necessary for the good 
 of all, but it is better by far to help a government 
 to help itself than to aid in any way in a revolu- 
 tion. If ample protection can be worked out on 
 that plan it will undoubtedly be the wisest way. 
 There is a Moral obligation upon the stronger to 
 the weak that cannot easily be shifted. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 Mexico's Tomorrow 
 
 HE two most familiar expressions that a 
 traveler meets with in Mexico are 
 
 ''Manana" and "Quien Sabe." Manana 
 
 means tomorrow, but is used also to indicate an 
 indefinite future day. Quien 
 ^'Manana and Sabe is, literally, ''who knows?" 
 "Quien Sabe." meaning "I don't know," or 
 "God only knows." These ex- 
 pressions one hears on every corner, at every 
 pause throughout every hour of every day. 
 
 If you want anything attended to, Mexico does 
 not seem to know how to attend to it at once, but 
 tells you to call another day. Although your bus- 
 iness may be to rent or buy proper- 
 Their Use. ty, or of such a business character 
 as that your visit is eminently im- 
 portant to the man you wish to see, and although 
 he knows it, is present and unoccupied, he will 
 Hkely tell you to call at three o'clofck in the 'after- 
 noon or at nine o'clock the next morning. If you 
 go to the bank to purchase a New York draft, 
 you pay for it and the cashier tells you to call 
 around the next morning or at twelve o'clock for 
 
208 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 it. In the meantime you have no showint( what- 
 ever for your money. 
 
 The average working man can give you scarce- 
 ly any information at all. You may ask one who 
 has lived all his life in the city what the popula- 
 tion of the place is and he will answer **Quien 
 sabe." And then ask if there are ten or fifty 
 thousand and he will answer "Quien sabe." He 
 does not seem to have any conception at all as to 
 whether there are one or five hundred thousand. 
 Several men who had lived from ten to tv/enty 
 years in a certain city were asked what direction 
 the river ran, or which end was the source of the 
 river that passed through the city, and it seemed 
 they had never thought to notice it. 
 
 They dont know and have no anxiety nor curi- 
 osity about anything whatever. We were out on 
 a two hundred-mile trip with a 
 Lack of Interest physician bringing a danger- 
 and Curiosity. ously wounded American 
 along the Mazatlan trail over 
 the Sierra Madre mountains on a stretcher to the 
 city of Durango. On that trip we met some fifty 
 squads of peons (poor ones or common people). 
 Of the hundreds that we met not one looked at 
 the stretcher nor asked a questtion. We were 
 passing the door of a jacal (wigwam, hut, pro- 
 nounced *'ackal") when a wild duck that had been 
 shot by some one at a lake half a mile away fell 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 209 
 
 dead in the lap of a woman sitting near the door. 
 She simply picked it up and laid it on a table 
 without so much as looking out at the door or up 
 into the air from whence it had come. She acted 
 as though dead ducks had fallen in her lap at that 
 hour every day she had lived there. 
 
 If it had been a Southern negress she would 
 have run out of the house and looking up ex- 
 claimed, "Good Lawd! Is it gwine to rain dead 
 
 ducks? 'Fo God if it ain't done went 
 Negro vs. an' done it!" But with the Mexican, 
 Mexican. if she thought at all, or had thought 
 
 loud enough for words, "Quien sabe" 
 would have settled it forever. 
 
 These poor people have been taught for more 
 than three hundred years not to think nor ask 
 questions — that the greatest sin they could com- 
 mit would be to question 
 Rome Responsible anything. They are 
 
 For Lack of Interest, taught to do only as the 
 
 priests think. The\ have 
 been so faithful to this teaching that they have 
 a^ophied almost into mental sterility with abso- 
 lutely no care or concern, anxiety or curiosity 
 about anything. Thus this old habit and meaning 
 of manana, darkening the intellectual and moral 
 skies of the people, has been spread like a dark 
 mantle over them by a ruthless, slavish, iron- 
 clad priesthood hand. 
 
210 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 In more recent times the inevitable contact of 
 the people with the new thought and high ideas 
 of a righteous and intelligent evangelism of the 
 
 Unifed States Has turned 
 Mexico's Glorious through this lifeless and un- 
 Tomorrow. concerned manana an elec- 
 
 tric current that has brought 
 cut a thousand brilliant stars of hope. Aspiration 
 and hope are taking hold of the people and they 
 read a new story in manana. Mexico's manana is 
 destined to be one of the brightest and most glo- 
 rious epochs in the history of any land. The won- 
 derful strides of progress that she is making now 
 along all lines is phenomenal. The people are 
 awaking from their long sleep to the highest in- 
 terests of civic, industrial, educational, moral and 
 religious advancement. The common laborers 
 liere and there who have heretofore been accus- 
 tomed to walk around with downcast eyes, void 
 of ambition and hope, feeling a subconsciousness 
 of almost eternal oppression, have received a new 
 impulse, and, hfting their eyes to the skies, they 
 have walked out into God's free open air to think, 
 to plan, to organize, to resist oppression, to make 
 demands — realizing for the first time that they 
 have any rights at all. 
 
 Of course, when this new day first dawns upon 
 a people they are dangerous to the best interests 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 211 
 
 of all unless they be morally trained. Brotherly 
 love, mutual aid, recognition of 
 The Church's the rights of others must also be 
 Opportunity. the ruling passion. Herein lies 
 the church's great opportuni- 
 ty. It needs to teach men that they are 
 free indeed., but that the highest exercise 
 of that freedom is seen in not only giving an- 
 other a chance, but in actually choosing to serve 
 him. ''He that is greatest among you shall be 
 your servant." This is the Christly thralldom 
 that has no sign nor feeling of slavish serfdom. 
 It is a service that develops people into a freer 
 and happier liberty. To implant this truth of 
 "service to man" together with that of ''redemp- 
 tion from sin by faith in Christ" in the hearts and 
 lives of these people as they begin to break out 
 of the shell of Romish serfdom and to catch some 
 breezes of the pure ozone of evangelical liberty 
 is the great work of our Protestant evangelism. 
 
 That the church will meet the demands of the 
 hour and do its duty, and that the people will 
 
 open their minds and hearts 
 The Church Will and arms to receive the mes- 
 
 Do Its Duty. senger and his message we 
 have no doubt. Never before 
 in the history of Mexico have the people been 
 reaching out for the truth as now. 
 
 The future of Mexico religiously is easily fore- 
 
212 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 told. There are thousands of the best educated, 
 
 professional men of the re- 
 Protestant Ideals public who have long since 
 Strong in Mexico, become disgusted with the 
 
 Mexican ecclesiasticism and 
 many have not been outspoken because of senti- 
 ments and family relationships; some have drift- 
 ed into scepticism, but thousands are Protestants 
 in belief, some of whom do not hesitate to say so 
 anywhere and everywhere, while others who are 
 not interested enough to lose prestige in social 
 or businss circles are only waiting opportune 
 time — a landslide that is inevitable — when evan- 
 gelism will be popular. There is another large 
 class who believe in closer competition and wish 
 to see Protestantism spread in order to wake up 
 Rome and keep it busy. A priest in charge of a 
 large Catholic church told the writer that he 
 would like to see the town more evenly divided, 
 that he was sure it would wake up his people 
 from their lethargy and improve them morally. 
 (This is very unusual, however, as the priests are 
 generally very active in taking up all Bibles and 
 tracts that the Protestants distribute.) 
 
 The number of priests who have come into our 
 connection, the large party of liberals, and the 
 multitudes who at heart believe in 
 Landslide Protestantism, together with the 
 Inevitable, ever increasing thousands of the en- 
 thusiastic, full-fledged, outspoken, 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 213 
 
 heart-rejoicing Christian believers bring almost 
 within the range of vision an enevitable ladslide 
 for glory and for God. May God hasten that day! 
 The day when Mexico will be freer than when she 
 signed that constitution of 1857! 
 
 Mexico's tomorrow will not only be evangelical 
 but all the blessings that the gospel gives will 
 crowd her future. 
 
 Today, politically, Mexico is a republic only m 
 name and organization. The organization and 
 functions of the executive, legis- 
 Republic Only lative and judicial departments 
 In Name. of the government of Mexico 
 
 are exactly like those of the 
 United States, but the machinery in Mexico, when 
 it runs at all, runs very diflferently with a people 
 that are under the yoke of Romanism. Having 
 been taught not to think for themselves they have 
 had no ambition to vote. And the truth is that 
 the majority of them have not thought sufficiently 
 to cast an intelligent ballot. Those who think 
 they have, and who have an abundance of confi- 
 dence in themselves, are the very ones that the 
 officers of the government are afraid to trust, and 
 evade their ballots. And so the entire election 
 has been a farce. 
 
 A popular or democratic form of government 
 
214 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 is no easy thing to build where the state has been 
 
 and is so intimately 
 
 Autocratic Romanism connected with the 
 
 versus Catholic heierarchy 
 
 Democratic Government, that has always been 
 
 autocratic. The no- 
 ble Juarez made an effort to cut loose from the 
 church and build up democratic principles, and 
 succeeded well, if only his policy had been follow- 
 ed up. But for more than a score of years the 
 government seems to have been graduallv drift- 
 ing back to Rome. The Diaz administration, 
 while friendly to all missionary enterprises, was 
 thoroughly autocratic. To a certain extent this 
 was necessary, and Rome has been responsible, 
 and even peace may be purchased at too great a 
 price. Only as the ideals of evangelical Protest- 
 antism reach this people will there be developed 
 a high intelligent and moral citizenship capable of 
 carrying on a popular government. It is just 
 possible that even after the people are prepared 
 to vote and to vote intelligently the autocratic 
 spirit of some few and the interests of a few rich 
 may bring about other conflicts before a real and 
 permanent democracy is established. 
 
 There is too great a distance between the high 
 and low, the rich and poor As yet the very class 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 215 
 
 that is so essential to the stability 
 The Middle of any land, the middle class, the 
 Class. common people, is not much In ev- 
 
 idence in Mexico. In fact, until the 
 last few years such a class did not seem to exist. 
 They had only the extremely poor and the very 
 lich, but now the middle class is being developed. 
 This middle ground will be easy and rapid in fill- 
 ing. It is augmented by thousands from the 
 lower class who have been educated and prepared 
 for noble citizenship through the splendid mod- 
 ern school system, while thousands from the 
 higher circle join in to swell the ranks. The lat- 
 ter fall into this rank either because they are in 
 sympathy with the common people, or because 
 they had maintained their high place with the 
 upper circle at too great a cost, who were unable 
 financially to hold the place, but who had em- 
 barrassed themselves in the financial world 
 rather than join in with the low, or meet the so- 
 cial ostracism that, falling beneath the high circle, 
 would result. These especially have been the ones 
 quick to fall into a common respectable class, 
 while multitudes from the lower class are climb- 
 ing by the path of education up to respectability, 
 until already vox populi is being felt as a factor 
 — a factor that hereafter must be reckoned with 
 in national affairs. Whether the sensible and 
 sober minded leadership of the republic will rec- 
 ognize this factor and grant it its proper place and 
 
216 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 power remains to be seen. But Mexico is so in- 
 timately and intelligently associated with the 
 United States and its manner of popular suffrage, 
 that likely sooner or later they will adopt and 
 practice their method and allow the people to 
 rule. Opposing parties will be organized and the 
 officers of the government selecteed by the people 
 at the polls. Of course in periods of transition a 
 little imprudence on the part of the administra- 
 tion will lead to conflicts occasionally; but the 
 government of Mexico is destined to be some day 
 a representative government for the people, by 
 the people. And if troubles come they will soon 
 blow over and the country will enter upon an era 
 of untold prosperity. The golden days that the 
 Juarez government foretold will burst upon the 
 land in fact. 
 
 Not only will Mexico's tomorrow have a new 
 meaning religiously and politically, but commer- 
 cially, industrially and socially as well. When 
 peace prevails in Mexico that is 
 Golden Days. produced not by autocratic prin- 
 ciples of government — a peace 
 that is gained not by wading roughshod through 
 the blood of every honest antagonist that dares 
 to lift up his head— ^not a peace that is preserved 
 by a raised sword, but a peace that the entire peo- 
 ple have ordered because they love it, such as is 
 produced only through the exercise of the fullest 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 217 
 
 liberty of a people; when that glorious day shall 
 dawn mines will open up and railroads will be 
 stretched from city to city as never before by for- 
 eign capital. The commercial interests — manufac- 
 turing, industrial, agricultural and mining enter- 
 prises will increase a hundred fold under the new 
 gviarantee of liberty and justice that a free choice 
 and heart love have ordered rather than the 
 sword. Foreign capital will pour in from every 
 source when the good will of the common people 
 as well as the authority of the government stands 
 ready to protect its interests. 
 
 What many of the capitaHsts are still waiting 
 for is not simply the people worked on from the 
 outside, as Rome and Diaz have done, but as 
 
 working on the inside of the 
 Good Will Better people which Christian edu- 
 Than Guns. cation and evangelization 
 
 alone will do. This great 
 work is going on at a rapid pace, but 
 under less auspicious conditions than in earlier 
 days. For example, one of our old missionaries, 
 Rev. A. S. Southerland, rode into a city of Mex- 
 ico one afternoon during the Juarez administra- 
 tion, went into the courthouse and informed the 
 judge that he had come to preach the gospel in 
 the city and wanted his protection, whereupon 
 the judge ordered the court room arranged for 
 services for the evening, stating that that was the 
 
218 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 best hall in the city and that he, with all the city 
 officials would be pleased to hear him. (The sub- 
 ject that evening was "Jehovah," and the judge 
 asked the preacher afterwards who was Jehovah, 
 if he was one of the disciples or one of the saints ! 
 A little boy that was standing by answered him 
 intelligently. The judge was an educated man, but 
 a product of a closed Bible CathoHcism, while the 
 little boy was an ignorant little fellow but from an 
 cpen Bible Christian home.) Not so today. If a 
 Protestant dies in Mexico and some of his friends 
 with his pastor gather to sing and pray in his 
 home, a mounted policeman will appear at the 
 door with raised sword and have the proceedings 
 closed or send the crowd to jail. At the same 
 time the priests are allowed to walk the streets in 
 their long robes contrary to the written law of 
 the country unmolested. The law on the subject 
 has not been changed one iota sice Juarez's day. 
 In fact, Juarez was the author of the law on the 
 question, which provides that no religious gather- 
 ings and processions shall take place outside of 
 church buildings and places set apart for worship. 
 This was meant to stop all public street debates 
 and processions liable to cause violence that was 
 of such common occurrence among the Catholic 
 clergy and fanatical followers during the heated 
 contests between church and state. It is also re- 
 membered that just at this time all church prop- 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 219 
 
 erty was confiscated, leaving the buildings in the 
 hands of the church to be lent to the people for 
 worship as the needs might demand (presumably 
 for Protestants also). To the writer the more 
 recent interpretation of that law, viz: that it ap- 
 plies to little peaceful gatherings in homes, etc., 
 i^- a direct reversal of the original idea. At least 
 when we see that new interpretation applied as 
 the writer has on one occasion: a funeral service 
 of a quiet little gathering of ten stopped. On an- 
 other occasion in a capital city, as was also the 
 first incident, an unmolested funeral procession a 
 mile long, with flying banners and plumes, with a 
 wild mob running along the sidewall^s ordering 
 the people to take off their hats, and where one 
 hesitated knocking it ofif, crying ^'Death to the 
 Protestants and Americans!" and remembering 
 that the Protestants are so much more needy for 
 buildings to set apart for this purpose than are 
 the Catholics, it seems there is a lack of fairness 
 somewhere. 
 
 But with all the close hedges and hidebound 
 boundaries in which the gospel leaven has been 
 
 circumscribed the warmth of the Holy 
 Will Win Spirit is swelling the lump, sweeten- 
 By Love, ing the manners and purifying the 
 
 characters of the roughest and vilest, 
 estabhshing an intelligent citizenship, whose ever 
 expanding and widening influence is reaching the 
 
220 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 centers of the legislative, judicial and executive 
 halls, and being felt as a factor in national affairs 
 that will not be dismissed by the brush of a 
 priestly robe. 
 
 Mexico's tomorrow will be the brightest chap- 
 ter in her history. She has a great future because 
 she has great resources and a great people. 
 Habits and customs will change, but every change 
 will be to sweeten her social and national life. 
 Her senoritas will put on hats and keep ofi the 
 sun to brighten and sweeten their faces. Young 
 men will not have to stand five hours in the rain 
 and wind ^'playing bear," for the delight of his 
 eyes will be turned out of the iron cage to go 
 buggy riding with him, after that righteousness 
 hath taken hold of them both. The architecture 
 of the homes will be turned like a sock inside out, 
 the "patio" pulled outside and the walls of the 
 looms pushed inside, for the thief and robber will 
 no longer be dreaded so much, and the society of 
 the home will be more open and of freer access 
 to friends and the public in general, since 
 legal marriage has occurred and love and confi- 
 dence prevail. The Mexican style of a house is 
 directly opposite to that of the United States. 
 In the United States the house is built in the cen- 
 ter of the lot, leaving all the lot that the building 
 does not cover on the outside, while in Mexico 
 the house is built around the edge of the 
 
Mexico's Tomorrozv 221 
 
 lot leaving the space that the house does not 
 cover on the inside of the house. To each room 
 is a door opening on this inside yard. There are 
 no outside openings except on the streets where 
 a window with heavy iron bars is placed, the eve- 
 ning home of the young lady of the house. It is 
 a selfishly constructed house, but really necessary 
 to guard against losing all you have by robbery. 
 Common windows and locks mean nothing. It 
 takes walls and iron bars. 
 
 With the advancement of the Christian religion 
 the wholesale thieving and robbing will pass 
 away and the truth of the prophet's message: "In 
 that day shall this song be sung 
 Bibles Better in the land of Judah; we have a 
 Than Bars. strong city; salvation will God ap- 
 point for walls and bulwarks. 
 Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation 
 which keepeth the truth may enter in. Thou wilt 
 keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed 
 on thee, because he trusted on thee. Trust ye in 
 the Lord forever. For the Lord Jehovah is ever- 
 lasting strength." The Bible in the homes and 
 hearts of the people will be better protection than 
 the walls ab6ut them. The safest and best pro- 
 tection to all foreign interests as well as to all 
 home industries in Mexico today, and will be 
 'En la Manana," is to add to the curriculum of 
 the magnificent normal and public school system 
 
222 Mexico, Yestej'day, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 that President Diaz inaugurated, the Bible. If 
 Madero, who is a Spiritualist, and naturally more 
 friendly to real spiritual influences, should go a 
 step further and put the Bible in the schools, the 
 accomplishment of all these high ideals might be 
 easily and peacefully reached. 
 
 May the good sense, advice and faith in God, 
 as exemplified by the poor Aztec mother in writ- 
 ing to her daughter in her childish way in the 
 
 twilight of civilization, as 
 High Ideal of Aztecs given by Prescott in his 
 A Good Foundation, liberal translation of Sa- 
 
 hagun's "Historia de 
 Nueva Espana," as given below, be so perfected 
 by the progress of the centuries in the leadership 
 of our neighbors, the Mexicans, as that they shall 
 realize a twentieth century fruition of that faith 
 and hope. 
 
 Letter from Aztec Mother to Her Daughter, as 
 Given by Prescott, vol. 3, page 353, Translated 
 From Sahagun's ''Historia de Nueva Espana." 
 Lib. 6, Cap. 19: 
 
 "Mr?" beloved daughter, very dear dove, you have 
 already heard and attended to the words that your 
 father told you. They are precious words, and such 
 as are rarely spokep or listened to, and which have 
 proceeded from the bowels and heart, in which they 
 were treasured up ; and your beloved father well knows 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 223 
 
 that you are his daughter, begotten of him, are his 
 blood and his flesh ; and God our Lord knows that it is 
 true. Although you are a woman and are the image 
 of your father, what more can I say to you than has 
 already been said? What more can you hear than 
 you have heard from your Lord and father'^ Who 
 has fully told what is becoming for you to do and to 
 avoid, nor is there anything remaining, which con- 
 cerns you, that he has not touched upon. Nevertlie- 
 legs, that I may do towards you my whole duty, I will 
 say to you some few words: The first thing that I 
 earnestly charge upon you is that you observe and do 
 not forget what your father has now told you, since 
 it is all very precious; and persons of his condition 
 rarely publish such things; for they are the words 
 that belong to the noble and wise, valuable as rich 
 jewels. See, then, that you take them and lay them 
 up in your heart, and write them in your bowels. 
 
 "If God gives you life, and these same words will 
 you teach to your sons and daughters, if God will 
 give them to you. The second thing I desire to say 
 to you is, that I love you much, that you are my dear 
 daughter. Eemember that nine months I bore you in 
 my womb, that you were bom and 1 brought you up 
 in my arms. I placed you in your cradle, and with 
 my hands I nursed you. This i tell you in order 
 that you may know that I and your father are the 
 source of your being; it is we who now instruct you. 
 See that you receive our words, and treasure them up 
 in your breast. Take care tha/t your garments ar^ 
 such as are decent and proper, and observe that you 
 do not adorn yourself with much finery, since this is 
 a mark of vanity and folly. As little becoming is it, 
 that your dress should be very mean, dirty or ragged ; 
 since' rags are a mark of the low, and of those that 
 are held in contempt. Let your clothes be becoming 
 and neat, that you may appear neither fantastic nor 
 mean. When you speak do not hurry your word<^ 
 from uneasiness, but speak deliberately and calmly. 
 Do not raise your voice very high, nor speak very low. 
 
224 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 but in a moderate tone. Neither mince when yoi 
 speak, nor when you salute, nor speak through your 
 nose: but let your words be proper, of good sound, 
 and your voice gentle. Do not be nice in the choice 
 of ^your words. In walking, my daughter, see that 
 you behave becomingly, neither going with haste nor 
 too slowly; since it is in evidence that one is puffe-l 
 up, to walk slowly, and walking hastily causes a 
 vicious habit of restlessness and instability. There- 
 fore walk neither very fast nor very slow; yet when 
 it shall be necessary to go with haste, do so; in this 
 use your discretion. And when you may be obliged 
 to jump over a pool of water, do it with decency, that 
 you may neither appear clumsy nor light. When you 
 are in the street do not carry your head very much 
 inclined or your body bent; nor as little go with you:-' 
 head much raised; since it is a mark of ill breeding; 
 walk erect, with your head slightly inclined. Do not 
 have your mouth covered or your face from shanio, 
 nor go looking like a near-sighted person, nor on your 
 way make fantastic movements with your feet. Walk 
 through the streets quietl;/ and with propriety. An- 
 other thing that you must attend to, my daughter, is, 
 that when you are in the street you do not go looking 
 hither and thither, nor turning your head to look at 
 this or that ; walk neither looking at the skies, nor 
 on the ground. Do not look upon those whom you 
 meet with eyes of an offended person, nor have the 
 appearance of being uneasy; but of one who looks 
 upon all with a serene countenance; doing this, you 
 will give no one occasion of bein^ offended wit!-, you. 
 Show a becoming countenance; that you may neither 
 appear morose, nor on the other hand too complacent. 
 See, my daughter, that you give yourself no concern 
 about the words you ma,y hear in going through the 
 street, nor pay any regard to them, let them who come 
 and go say what they will. Take care that you 
 neither answer nor speak, but act as if you neither 
 heard or understood them; since, doing in thi-; man- 
 ner, no one will be able to say with truth that you 
 
Francisco I. Madero, Jr.,, 
 
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Mexico's J^omorroiv 236 
 
 have said anything amiss. See likewise, my daag-hter, 
 that you never paint your face or stain it or your lips 
 with colors in order to appear well; since this is a 
 mark of vile and unchaste women. Paints and col- 
 origin are things which, bad women use; the immod- 
 est, who have lost all shame, who are fools and drunk- 
 ards, and are called "rameras" (prostitutes). But, 
 that your husband may not dislike you, adorn your- 
 self, wash yourself, and cleanse your clothes; and let 
 this be done with moderation; since, if every day you 
 wash yourself and your clothes, it will be said that 
 you are over nice- — too delicate; they will call you 
 tapepizon tinemaxoch. My daughter, this is the 
 course you are to take; since in this manner the an- 
 cestors from whom you spring, brought us up Those 
 noble and venerable dames, your grandmothers, told 
 us not so many things as I have told you ; they said 
 but few words, and spoke thus: 'Listen, my nniighters, 
 in this world it is necessary to live with mucb pru- 
 dence and circumspection,' Hear this allegory which 
 T shall now tell you, and preserve it and take from it 
 a warning and an example for living aright ; Here in 
 this world we travel a very narrow, steo]") and dan- 
 gerous road, which is as a lofty mountain ridge, on 
 whose top passes a narrow path; on either side is a 
 great gulf without bottom, and, if you deviate from 
 the path, you will fall into it. There is need, there- 
 fore, of much discretion in pursuing the road. My 
 tenderly loved daughter, my little dove, keep the il- 
 lustration in your heart, and see that you d'> not for- 
 get it. It will be to you as a lamp and a beacon so 
 long as you live in this world. Only one thing re- 
 mains to be said and I have done; If God shall give 
 you life, if you shall continue some years upon the 
 earth, see that you guard yourself carefully, that no 
 stain come upon you ; should you forfeit your chast- 
 ity, and afterwards be asked in marriage and marry 
 some one, you will never be fortunate, nor have true 
 love; he will always remember that you were not a 
 virgin, and this will be the cause of great affliction 
 
226 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 and distress; you will never be at peace, for your 
 husband will always be suspicious of you. O ! my 
 dearly beloved daughter, if you shall live upon the 
 earth, see that not more than one man approaches, 
 and observe what I shall now tell you as a strict com- 
 mand. When i it shall please Grod that you receive a 
 husband, and you are placed under his authority, be 
 free of arrogance; see that you do not neglect him, 
 nor allow your heart to be in opposition to him. Be- 
 ware that, in no time or place, you commit the treas- 
 on against him called adultery. See that you give no 
 favor to another; since this, my dear and much be- 
 loved daughter, is to fall into a pit without bottom, 
 from which there will be no escape. According to the 
 custom of the world, if it shall be known, for this 
 crime they will kill you, they will throw you into the 
 street, for an example to all the people, where your 
 head will be crushed and dragged upon the earth, 
 and others will take warning of your death. From 
 this will arise a stain and dishonor upon our ances- 
 tors, the nobles, senators from whom we were de- 
 cended. You will tarnish their illustrious fame and 
 their glory by the filthiness and impurity of your sin. 
 You will, likewise, lose your reputation, your nobility 
 and honor of your birth; your name will be forgot 
 or abhorred. Of you it will be said that you were 
 buried in the dust of your sins. And remember, my 
 daughter, that though a man shall see you, nor your 
 husband ever know what happens, God, who is in evert/ 
 place, sees you and will be angry with you, and will 
 also excite the indignation of the people against you, 
 and will be avenged upon you as He shall see fit. By 
 his command you will either be maimed or struck 
 blind, or your body will wither, or you will com© to 
 extreme poverty for daring to injure your husband. 
 Or, perhaps. He will give you death, and put you un- 
 der his feet, sending you to the place of torment 
 Our Lord is compassionate; but if you will commit 
 treason against your husband, God, who is in every 
 place, will take vengeance on your sin, and will per' 
 
Mexico's Tomorrow 227 
 
 mit you to have neither content nor repose, nor a 
 peaceful life; and He will excite your husband to be 
 always unkind to you, and will always speak to you 
 in anger. My dear daughter, whom I tenderly love, 
 see that you live in the world in peace, tranquilli+y 
 and contentment all the days that you shall live. See 
 that you disgrace not yourself, that you stain not your 
 honor, nor pollute the luster and fame of ancestors. 
 See that you honor me and your father, and reflect 
 glory on us by your good life. May God prosp-^r you, 
 my first-born, and may you come to God who is in 
 every place. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Pyramids of Mexico 
 
 O FIND some of the most wonderful 
 pyramids and ancient ruins of the world 
 one does not need to tour Egypt or 
 Greece nor look up Pompeii or the great 
 Cheops, or peer into the latest excavations along 
 the Nile. We do not need to cross the sea to 
 find some wonders in this line. Plow few people, 
 even among those who have gone abroad, have 
 ever seen America! Have you ever seen the 
 gigantic Pyramid of the Sun in Mexico? 
 
 By courtesy of the Leslie-Judge Company of 
 New York we give their description and illustra- 
 tions of the pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacan. 
 
 San Juan Teotihuacan is only about one hour's 
 run out from Mexico City: 
 
 The pyramids of San Juan Teotihuacan, one of 
 which is still more than two-thirds covered by a 
 layer of earth from thirty-five to forty feet in 
 depth, have contributed only meagerly to arche- 
 ological lore. That they were obviously fashion- 
 ed by human hands is all the authentic informa- 
 tion they have vouchsafed to yield. When the 
 Spaniards took possession of Mexico, four hun- 
 
Pyramids of Mexico 229 
 
 dred years ago, they found these earth mounds 
 in much the same condition they are in now. If 
 the great Pyramid of the Sun once held in its 
 midst a store of treasure, as legend relates, this 
 treasure was removed and its hiding place block- 
 ed up by people long since swept away by Mex- 
 ico's greatest enemy — Popocatapetl. Historians 
 concur in the belief that in a period antedating 
 history a great peregrinating tribe came to Mex- 
 ico, bringing with them the nowledge of a sym- 
 bolic art reflecting that which still exists in Egypt. 
 The route followed by these people, either in 
 their journey to Mexico or homeward bound, is 
 marked by m^onuments so indestructible that 
 they defy the hand of centuries. These travelers, 
 of whom no written documents remain, left be- 
 hind them ruins of once impressive structures, 
 showing their architecture and substantiality 
 the handiwork of a highly enlightened race. 
 Historians inclined to scout the story of a one- 
 time occupation of Mexico by Egyptians attrib- 
 ute the pyramids to the Aztec and Toltec tribes 
 of Indians. Others place their date at a pre- 
 Aztec age. However that may be, it is certain, 
 from articles found during the processes of exca- 
 vation, that both the Aztecs and the Toltecs at 
 various times utilized the pyramids in their re- 
 ligious rites. 
 
230 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 The Pyramid of the Sun which almost equals 
 Cheops in its majesty, is built in a puzzlijng 
 fashion, in layers. The material used in its 
 formation is basalt and brachitic rock. Each 
 layer forms a complete pyramid in itself, its outer 
 surface being faced with masonry and then plas- 
 tered over with a coating of cement or fine mor- 
 tar. Should the outer layer be removed, it 
 would reduce the size of the pyramid about four 
 and a half yards on each side. A zigzag flight of 
 stairs cut in rock leads from the base to the sum- 
 mit. The only entrance thus far discovered is a 
 dark well, about fifteen feet deep, faced with 
 carefully squared stones. The height of the Pyr- 
 amid of the Sun is 216 feet, and its dimensions 
 at the base are 761 by 721 feet. The summit is 
 narrowing and irregular, being fifty-nine feet 
 from north to south and 105 feet from east to 
 west. Historians claim that forrrierly a temple 
 surmounted this pyramid, but there is no exist- 
 ing sign of such a structure. The only thing that 
 breaks the skyline is a small wooden cross, 
 placed there by a native to mark the spot where 
 a suicide ended his life. 
 
 Leading directly from the Pyramid of the Sun 
 is a marked roadway called the ''Path of the 
 Dead," which leads to the Pyramid of the Moon, 
 a half mile distant. Very little work has been 
 done on this latter mound, which still has all the 
 
Pyramids of Mexico 231 
 
 resemblance of a small but perfectly formed hill. 
 The Pyramid of the Moon is 150 feet high. At 
 its base it measures 511 by 426 feet. The plat- 
 form on the top is nineteen feet square, and there 
 is a slight indication of the temple or tomb 
 which formerly stood there. Along the Path of 
 the Dead are still to be seen fragments of side- 
 walk, with tracings of red and white paint. From 
 along the sides a number of sarcophagi contain- 
 ing human bones and reUcs of pottery have been 
 excavated. 
 
 Within a circumference of half a mile from the 
 two pyramids there are numerous minor mounds, 
 the majority of them earth covered. They bud 
 up in weird fashion out of a naturally level 
 stretch of ground. A few of these which have 
 been partly unearthed disclose the tops of more 
 or less elaborate stone houses. One shows a 
 symmetrical, truncated pyramid, with a house 
 built over and around it. This has been desig- 
 nated as the priests' house 
 
 Several of the excavated houses, to visit which 
 one descends twenty or twenty-five feet of stone 
 steps, evidence a high civilization in the former 
 occupants. The fragments of wall show a poUsh- 
 ed surface, decorated in colors in conventional 
 design. Nearly all of the houses contain wells, 
 round and perfectly made, in which, from a depth 
 of from thirty-five to forty feet, an abundance of 
 
232 Mexico, Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 
 
 pure water is always found. Almost anywhere 
 wilthin half a mile of this buried city, of which 
 the pyramids are supposed to have once formed 
 the center, the natives dig up arrow heads, 
 fragments of pottery and numerous clay faces 
 no two of which are alike. The small clay faces 
 are said to be fashioned after the faces of dead 
 monarchs. These ancient relics are imitated in 
 large quantities by the Indians, who cleverly 
 fashion them out of clay The majority of gen- 
 uine relics go into the large museum which has 
 been built within a stone's throw of the Pyramid 
 of the Sun. However, the imitations are iffter- 
 esting, and the visitor to Mexico might do worse 
 than bring one away with him as a souvenir of 
 one of the most, if not actually the most, won- 
 derful archeological treasure houses in the world. 
 During the recent political changes in Mexico, 
 the work of excavation has been suspended. It is 
 to be hoped that President Madero will show the 
 same energy in this as he has in other interests 
 which make for the welfare of the people and of 
 the country under his control, and that soon, 
 through his activities in the archeological field, 
 Mexico will become as much the Mecca of tour- 
 ists as is Egypt. 
 
INDEX 
 
 Aldama, 154. 
 Allende, Ignacio 165-157. 
 Anglo Saxon and U. S., 200. 
 Alvarez, 169, 182, 183, 189. 
 Ariste, Mariano, 181. 
 Armi% U. S., Enters Mexico 
 
 Citif, 180. 
 Aztec, 127, 141, 223, 107. 
 
 Ball, Social, 50. 
 
 Beauty, 86. 
 
 Bravo, Leonardo, 161, 162. 
 
 Bravo, Nicholas, 162. 
 
 Brincourt, 193. 
 
 Business, Methods, 5,59,208 
 
 Buatamante, 176, 180. 
 
 Cactus, 92. 
 
 Calleja, 166, 161. 
 
 Calleja, Gen., 166. 
 
 Chicle, 96. 
 
 Chichimean, 19. 
 
 Clifimen, Their IIoufc.es, 19; 
 
 Dens, 17, 87: Skeletons, 
 
 29; In Caves, 22, 27. 
 Climate, 84. 
 Cock Fights, 45. 
 Colporters, 114. 
 Columbus, Christopher, 128. 
 Comonfort, 169, 170, 179, 
 
 183, 184, 189. 
 Constituttions, 166, 169. 
 Cortez, 128, 130; Conquest, 
 
 132, 136- Blockade, 141. 
 
 Correra, 182. 
 Cotton, Com, 89. 
 Curtship, 52. 
 Cubas, Garcia, 112. 
 Cuernavacca, 86. 
 Cuevas, Jse. M., 168. 
 Cuitlahuac, 140. 
 Customs, :35, 40, 41-45. 
 
 De la Barra, 202. 
 
 Diaz, Poriino, 195, 197, 199, 
 
 201, 202. 
 Divorce, 55. 
 Dress, 51. 
 Drinlving, 60. 
 Education: Hope of Mexico, 
 
 66, 71; (Jompul&ory, 67; 
 
 Necessity, 75 ; Early 
 
 Schools, 78. 
 Escobedo, 194. 
 Ethnology, 101. 
 Evangelism, 108, 110. 
 Exports, 96. 
 
 Farias, Va]ente Gomez, 179. 
 Ferdinand, 163. 
 Fiestas, 41-44. 
 Forey, Gen., 97. 
 Fruite, 89. 
 
 Gambling, 46. 
 Gold, 91, .92, 96. 
 Gonzales, Manuel, 195. 
 Guatemozin, 140, 142. 
 
234 
 
 Index 
 
 Guerrero, 164, 163. 
 
 Habits, 39, 208. 
 
 Henequen, 92. 
 
 Herrera, 181. 
 
 Hidalgo: His Mother, 150; 
 ji Priest, 151; Proclaiming 
 Independence, 153 ; Vic- 
 tor, 154; Loses Out, 156; 
 Shot, 158. 
 
 Home Life, 54. 
 
 Hugo, Victor, 171. 
 
 Hunting, 34. 
 
 Idol Maker, 29. 
 
 Independence, 166, 149. 
 
 Inquisition, 144, 145. 
 
 Iturbide, 163, 165. 
 
 Juarez, 170, 196; Bi rth 
 Place, 185; Family, 186; 
 Youth, 187 ; Education, 
 188; In Chains, 189; 
 Trouble with France, 192; 
 Death, 194. 
 
 Lands, 99, 100. 
 
 Lerdo, Sebastian, 195. 
 
 Labastida, Bishop, 91, 92. 
 
 Linan, 163. 
 
 Lost : a Bod;7, 35 ; a Soul, 121 
 
 MacDoneU, Eobt., Tomb of, 
 28; Institute, 24, 29, 30. 
 
 Madero, Francisco I., 203, 
 204, 206. 
 
 Maguey, 91. 
 
 Manufacturing, 99. 
 
 Marriage, 53; with Rela- 
 tives, 57; with Americans, 
 58. 
 
 Maximilian, 172, 192, 193, 
 195. 
 
 Mendoza, Antonio, 143. 
 
 Mexico's Tomorrow, 210, 211 ; 
 Middle Class, 215; Demo- 
 cratic, 213; Golden Days, 
 216; Evangelistic, 218, 220 
 
 Mija, 196. 
 Mina, 163. 
 
 Mining, 94-95. 
 
 Miramon, Miguel, 191, 193. 
 
 Missionary Tour, 25, 26, 27. 
 
 Missions (See Protestant- 
 ism); Teaching, 71, 113; 
 Opportunity, 72, 74, 79, 
 80, 209, 211; Progress, 
 117, 119; Necessity, 120, 
 121. 
 
 Moctezuma, 129; Kidnaped, 
 135; Death, 137. 
 
 Morelos, 161, 162, 159. 
 
 Napoleon III., 190, 191. 
 
 National Museum, 17, 65. 
 
 National Library, 65. 
 
 Nombre de Dios, 24. 
 
 Ocampo, 183. 
 Orosco, 205. 
 Ortega, 199. 
 Orrantia, 163. 
 
 Padraza, Gomez, 177. 
 
 Peace Treaty, 181. 
 
 Peace Conference, 126. 
 
 Pena y Pena, 180. 
 
 Plaza and Paseo, 50, 51, 62. 
 
 Postal Service, 08. 
 
 Prescott, 17. 
 
 Protestantism, 211. (See 
 Missions), 214; Win by 
 Love, 219-220. 
 
 Pyramids, 222-224 (see Il- 
 lustrations.) 
 
 Queretaro, 154. 
 
Index 
 
 235 
 
 Railroads, 97. 
 Ramirez, Tgnacio, 146, 17. 
 Rayon, 158. 
 Resources, 83. 
 Reyes, Gen., 202. 
 Ridpath, 166. 
 Riva, Vicente, 162. 
 Romanism, 103, 104, 107, 
 209. 
 
 Salamanca, Antonio, 187. 
 
 Sialto, 25. 
 
 San Bias, 32. 
 
 Santa Anna, 177, 163, 178, 
 
 179, 182-189. 
 Schools: Early, 63; Modern, 
 
 64; Technical, 65; Mission 
 
 Growtn, 69. 
 Scott, Gen., 168. 
 Searching Party, 37-38. 
 Silver, 92, 93. 
 Smoking, 60. 
 Solis, 17. 
 
 Stock Raising, 93. 
 Taylor, Gen., 181. 
 Telegraph, 98. 
 Temperance, 115. 
 Texas, 167, 168, 179. 
 Timber, 88. 
 Tlascala, 132, 140. 
 Toltecs, 30. 
 Training, Home, 55. 
 Tredwell, Miss Mae, 24, 29. 
 Tres, Marias, 186, 86. 
 Tyler, John, 160. 
 
 Velasco, Luis, 143. 
 Velasquez, Diego, 128, 136. 
 Viceroys, Chronologically, 
 
 146-147. 
 Victoria, Guadelupe, 173-175 
 
 Washington, G^o., 200. 
 Wedding, 53. 
 
 Zumargo, Juan, 143. 
 
AUG 26 1912