August i, 1903.] 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



367 





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could give no information regarding the construction train to 

 take us back to Santa Rosa. There were, he said, rumors of an 

 accident, and no train had been through for two days. Some 

 said it would be a week before they would be running again. As 

 it had set in to rain hard we possessed our souls in patience, 

 and prepared to spend the rest of the day and the night with the 

 Major. He readily made room for us, although the house was 

 full, and then proceeded to give us an idea of Mexican justice. 

 It seems that an Italian workman, on a prolonged drunk, had 

 for some days been terrorizing Santa Lucretia. After he had 

 chased natives to his heart's content, he fell into the habit of 

 bombarding the Major's hotel with stones, and casting lurid 

 reflections upon the character of all its inmates, from the pro- 

 prietor down. These attacks were passed over with silent con- 

 tempt, until one of the stones hit the Major's son, who lost his 

 patience and, with promptness and despatch, thrashed the ag- 

 gressor. Unfortunately in the doing of this he made the man's 

 nose bleed, whereupon he was promptly hustled off to jail in a 

 neighboring town, and it was only after three days of diplo- 

 matic and financial effort that he was released. The Italian 

 was not arrested. 



The Mexican laws, as will be seen from the foregoing, are 

 radically different from those that are so often broken in " The 

 land of the free and the home of the brave," but thev are well 

 fitted to the natives of that 

 country, and act as a restraint 

 to visitors, particularly those 

 who feel superior to the dark 

 skinned owners of the coun- 

 try. For example, if a foreigner 

 gets in trouble with a native, 

 even if the latter attack him 

 first, he is apt to be treated 

 very much as if he were the 

 aggressor. I know of one case, 

 and heard of several others, 

 where Americans were at- 

 tacked by drunken or angry 

 mozos armed with machetes, 

 and who, to save their lives, 

 shot their assailants and were 



quickly arrested, and in spite THE TEHUANTE 



of the fact that they proved that they acted only in self defense, 

 remained in durance from six months to a year there before 

 being released. This of course is not right, and yet, for the vig- 

 orous, — many times lawless — irresponsibles that crowd into a 

 country that is just awakening, as Mexico is, some such law is 



an absolute necessity, or the anemic native population would 

 be crowded to the wall, or wiped out. There are many pro- 

 voking things about the Mexican laws ; for example — if a lum- 

 ber team should run over and kill a native, the authorities in 

 their anxiety for witnesses, and to place the responsibility, are 

 apt to arrest not only the drivers of the team, but all the rest 

 of the gang, and for a time look with suspicion on everybody 

 connected with the lumber business. 



The afternoon wore slowly away, and it rained harder every 

 minute. At last came supper, and then bed. Here, as else- 

 where, folding canvas cots were the only beds used, and while 

 they are superior to an earthen floor, they do give one a crick 

 in the back. Still we were thankful for our many mercies, and 

 settled down to sleep. One by one the dim oil lamps were ex- 

 tinguished, and all was quiet except the monologue indulged 

 in by one guest who was somewhat inebriated. The Major rea- 

 soned with him, begging him to go sleep, which at last he did ; 

 but the relief was only temporary, as he soon began again talk- 

 ing in his sleep. Just as, used to this, we were dozing, a sudden 

 crash shook the house — a guest had fallen out of bed. The 

 Major told him what he thought of such carelessness, and what 

 he would do if it happened again, and once more quiet reigned. 

 For a short time only all was still, and then clump, clump, clump 

 along the passage between the cots came a heavy tread. Peep- 

 ing out from between the mos- 

 quito bars I saw a man claJ 

 only in heavy boots tramping 

 up and down the room. The 

 Major discovered him at the 

 same time, and wrathfully in- 

 quired what he was about. 

 "Just taking exercise," was 

 the reply. Then really the 

 Major let himself out. It was 

 truly a rhetorical masterpiece 

 that he delivered himself of, 

 and the offender at last reluct- 

 antly agreed to put off his con- 

 stitutional until the morrow, 

 and went back to bed. 



It was still raining when we 

 awoke, and we sat around all 

 the forenoon waiting for the train, or for better weather. It was 

 then that, looking at the passing mozos, I had a chance to see 

 the native raincoats of cane and cocoa fiber that are the only 

 mackintoshes the Indians use. They look far better and cleaner 

 in a photograph than otherwise, and rubber manufacturers in 



PEC MARKET. 



