Accidents at the mines—Mexico City—Peculiar laws—"Evidence"—A theft of
straw.
Mexicans, like the natives of India, have a great dread of hospitals.
During our first year’s work one of the men got his finger caught in the
roller and had the end joint cut off. As I was writing a note to the
doctor the police came up and insisted on taking the man to the police
station, whence he was taken to the hospital. Three months later I saw
him when he had just come out, and he had lost the use of the entire
hand through blood-poisoning. They tell me that the young students of
the medical college do most of the operating on the poor, and, if this
was a sample, I am not surprised at the prevalent dread of the
hospitals.
As I said when writing about Texas, Mexicans are most careless and take
desperate chances, generally through ignorance. One day two gangs of men
that I had moving some heavy rock crusher parts began racing with the
flywheels (weighing 1200 kilos each) which they were wheeling along on
the rims. I warned them, but the words were hardly out of my mouth when
one of the wheels toppled over on the foot of one of the men. He did not
complain much beyond some grimaces, and when we lifted the wheel he
staggered off, limping. I thought that the soft earth had saved his
foot, but the doctor later pronounced some bones broken. One year we
were piling up some crushed rock near where our electric power wires
entered the motor-house; these wires carried 2000 volts. I had noticed
the men on top of the rock pile touching these wires (the rock being
absolutely dry and the insulation on the wires fairly good, they
received no shock), and warned them that they would get a shock some day
that would kill some one. I found that they paid no attention, so I had
a board stuck up warning them of their danger, and stating that the
company would not be responsible for any accidents. The next day or so
the government inspector, the general manager, and myself were down at
the yard on inspection. We heard a yell, and there was a man hung on the
wire, kicking like a galvanised frog. Another Mexican, with more
presence of mind than the average, ran up with a stick, knocked the wire
loose, and the man fell down as if dead. We telephoned for a doctor, and
meanwhile tried artificial respiration. The doctor soon arrived, and
within an hour or so the man was all right but for a very badly burned
arm and hand. There had been slight rain which had wetted both the
insulation and the rock pile under their feet, thus forming a ground
circuit.
Mexicans are very good to their poor, but seem to have very little
sympathy for any one hurt in an accident. They are much like children in
many ways and can only see the funny side of a serious matter. There was
a fire in Mexico City in a lumber company’s yard, and two fire companies
were attacking it from the roofs of houses on different sides. In moving
a hose one of the firemen accidentally directed it on the firemen across
the way. They immediately retaliated, and for the next few minutes the
fire was entirely forgotten by the two companies, who were busy pumping
on each other amidst much laughter. Finally, one of the men, in trying
to reach a vantage point, slipped and fell into the burning yard, at
which a perfect howl of laughter went up from all the spectators. He was
luckily rescued with only a few bruises, and a trifle singed, but the
moral remains the same. In Guadalajara fire protection is a farce. The
fire-engine consists of a tank on wheels with a pump attached, which is
worked by hand and throws a one-inch stream. Luckily, the city is
practically fire-proof, being almost entirely built out of adobe
(sun-dried brick), with some few modern buildings made out of stone,
brick, or steel.
The city water-supply is insufficient, though the sewerage system is
good and modern. The city now has some twenty kilometres of
asphalt-paved streets, with cement curbs and side-walks built by our
company in the past eight years, and we shall probably do as much more.
Mexico City has about 200 kilometres of asphalt pavement, about half
belonging to our company, Puebla, twenty-five kilometres, Durango,
thirty-two kilometres, Chihuahua, four kilometres, Tampico, nine
kilometres, Morelia, eight kilometres, all of the last-named cities
having been laid by our company, and the majority of it by myself, apart
from the work done in Mexico City. All have good sewer systems and
water-works, so Mexico is not so far behind the times in some things.
Every property owner or lessee has to sweep and water twice daily the
street in front of his property, except in the business districts, where
the city supplies sprinkling carts and sweepers. The police see that
these rules are carried out; if you are behind time in doing your part
the policeman hustles you; if you are warned repeatedly, then the
government sends a man and you are charged an exorbitant rate for his
work. In this way the streets are kept better than those of many cities
I have known in the States.
Mexican law is a thing to leave strictly alone if you can. The procedure
in some respects follows that of the French courts. The stamp law no one
pretends to understand. Our company was fined $600 in the Federal
district for something, in regard to stamping contracts, which they had
done under the advice of the most noted lawyer in the republic, the late
ambassador from Mexico to the United States. Once our night-watchman
captured a thief trying to steal some tools and the anvil from our
smithy. He trussed him up, and then for further security tied the anvil
to his feet. The police insisted on taking along the anvil as
“evidence,” and we, being inexperienced, allowed them to do so. It took
seven days to try the case, and, until the man was convicted, the court
would not give us back the “evidence.” On another occasion one of our
carters ran over a child with his wagon and killed it. He at once
disappeared, but the police arrested the wagon, and it was nearly two
weeks before we could get it back.
In a complaint of theft you have to appear with two independent
witnesses who can vouch, not that you owned the article stolen, but that
you are a man of means sufficient to have owned such an article; public
repute is not sufficient evidence. For instance, I appeared for the
company once in the case of a theft of about $50 of straw. I was told to
bring the necessary witnesses. I asked the judge if this was necessary
as every one knew our company, and he himself knew that we were handling
contracts for hundreds of thousands of dollars. It made no difference;
so I went out and got two clerks, who earned possibly £4 per month each
in a neighbouring store, and took them up to vouch for the company. In
all my cases I have never employed a lawyer. In the court-room there sit
the judge and his secretary at ordinary desks, each witness is brought
in by himself, and neither the accused nor any one else is in the room,
unless you wish for an interpreter, whom you either supply yourself or
the court provides. The judge offers you a chair and you sit down near
him. You are not sworn, but the judge inquires if you intend to tell the
truth, your age, nationality, &c., and then asks you to tell him all you
know about the case, which his clerk takes down. Your statement is then
read over to you, signed, and out you go.