CHAPTER VI 

 THE PEON 



For the first few months of my career as an 

 employer of Mexican labor in New Mexico I re- 

 ceived the pardonable impression that the attitude 

 most affected by our fellow citizen and fellow voter 

 was that of his head in a wine barrel and his legs at 

 right angles thereto. This impression, even as 

 many others, underwent modifications. Neverthe- 

 less it cannot be denied that the Mexican peon is, 

 more often than not, fond of his drink. In these 

 later years the training camp, with its discipline and 

 enforcement of the liquor law, found favor with 

 the very parents of the Mexican boys themselves; 

 and it should be added in common justice that the 

 number of young Mexicans who volunteered with- 

 out waiting to be drafted exceeded that of Ameri- 

 cans. This fact, creditable as it was, had its draw- 

 backs at first because of the language difficulty, a 

 considerable proportion of the new arrivals being 

 unable to speak English. But to return to former 

 days. 



The rancher o who was not the owner of a vine- 

 yard was a rarity. The feet of the native had not 

 forgotten how to tread the wine-press, and the skin 

 of a steer swelled with new wine was yet to be seen 

 suspended outside the dwelling of the landowner — 

 may yet be seen in remoter portions of the State. 



