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A Class of People Which Must Greatly Depress the Civilization of Mexico. This word, derived from the Castilian lepra (leper) is not pure Spanish, nor does it denote a class afflicted with the loathsome disease of leprosy; but it is applied to a class than which it would hardly be possible to imagine one more repulsive or disgusting.’ The traveler who sees them—and they are found every whe in the towns of this coun try—must fain hope that no human be ings like them are found in any other lands of the earth. They wear little clothing, and that little, unless it is of leather, is apt to be in shreds and tat ters. If it is of leather, it may have served to cover the wearers as long as the children of Israel wore their gar ment. Theirhair, if sometimes cut, is certainly never combed; it is long and matted and full of vermin. It is impossible in looking at them, to imagine that they ever washed face, feet or body. They are completely encased in a thick and hard crust of dirt. Their complexions are very dark, or that is the color of the dirt covering them, their teeth alone are clean and bright, and with their wild eyes and fumne-p'nehed features, their expression is savage and a'together wolfish. If they are women they will often love two or three little half naked children trotting after them, or fastened to their backs. ‘They are the most miserable-looking creatures [ ever sin wearing the human form. ‘To see one such creature would be shocking enough, but to see them by thousands is a sar sight indeed. 'The'r haunts in the Cty of Mexico are the canals and the markets and especilly the pulque shops there and in all towns. They live on what a civilized man woul revolt at as no better than offal. They seend their lives in drinking pulgue (which is as much the national drink of the Mexcans as lager beer is of the Germans) quarreling and steal ing. Toors ‘s nothing on wh eh they will not lay ther th’eving hands if they to chance. The superintendent of palph construction on the road be tween Vera Cruz and Mexico told me that despite all their Wee they not unfrequently had the wire of their lines stol od and carried off, sometimes by the mile! How large a proportion of the ten millons of the Mexicans in the couvery are seperos I do not know. The numbers are certainly very large. And their presence in such numbers must only affect and depress the civiliza tion of the country.—Dr. G. C. Noyes, in Evangelist,
Newspaper Details
Hopkinsville Semi Weekly South Kentuckian
Hopkinsville, Kentucky, US
Fri, Jan 14, 1887
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Full Page
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USA 03 Dec 2025
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