THE SUN CHILD OF THE SIERRAS 



293 



THE WATER CARRIER IN A MEXICAN VILLAGE 



find some other means of returning to 

 the railway station when ready to depart. 

 The incident, however, will always prove 

 a happy one in retrospect. 



The town is located on a thickly 

 wooded hill between two deep barrancas 

 and surrounded by a number of precipi- 

 tous gorges, which make it by nature al- 

 most inaccessible. Crossing these passes, 

 however, are the Porfirio Diaz and sev- 

 eral other notable bridges. From the 

 Puente del Diablo (Bridge of the Devil) 

 an excellent view can be had of one of 

 the gorges and the two great springs, 

 Ojos de Guadalupita (Eyes of the Little 

 Guadalupe), which have been highly 

 treasured by the natives for centuries. 

 Quite near are numberless other springs 

 and mountain streams, which have been 

 united and form what is known as the 

 municipal water-works. So great is the 

 supply of water and so constant and 

 thorough has been its distribution that 

 the entire community has been converted 

 into a rich grove of trees and innumer- 

 able gardens. 



Nature has been most lavish in her 

 gifts to Cuernavaca. Here time or 

 money counts for little except the peace, 

 comfort, and happiness it will bring. 

 In no other place on earth is law more 

 highly respected than in this curious little 

 village of the red-tiled roofs, crooked 

 streets, and cobbles. 



A police force is almost unnecessary, 

 as the natives are peaceful, happy, and 

 law-abiding. The poor have practically 

 no taxes to pay, as each year the city 

 council calls a meeting of the more 

 prominent property - owners, who sub- 

 scribe voluntarily the sums necessary to 

 maintain the public works and institu- 

 tions. Each property-owner considers it 

 a great honor to be one of the chosen, 

 and cheerfully sets opposite his name 

 such amount as his purse will allow. All 

 funds are paid in and the necessary work 

 done without delay. Truly, this is a 

 model municipality. 



Life is not a burden to any one in 

 Cuernavaca. The natives converse in 

 soft, musical tones and go quietly about 



