OCR Text |
Show FORTY YEARS AMONG THE INDIANS. 395 my judgment, after years of study and acquaintance. No person can describe a country from a single visit suf-ficiently well to predicate a reliable report upon, unless receiving information from a most trust- worthy and intel-ligent source. For this reason I have always made it a rule to visit country, where convenient, at different times and seasons ; also to inquire from different disinterested parties, watching closely the general reports. The judge on his bench allows a person's general reputation to be a proper question for proof, but will not allow direct indi-vidual testimony, neither good nor bad. This rule should largely apply in determining the quality and con-ditions of a country. If the reputation is generally good, then we may look favorably on the subject; but if bad, like the person with a bad reputation, we should be care-ful in dealing with them. Sometimes, when speaking of certain tracts of land in Mexico, persons will ask me if the titles are good. When I tell them yes, they will ask, " How do you know? I hear people are often deceived about titles; how do you know they are good?" There was an old lady told me the title is good. Now this might seem a light answer; but, in reality, is not the " old lady's" answers on general reputation, and many times more reliable than an interested party? Of course, this information is preliminary; but it will, many times, enable a person to form an opinion as to whether it will pay to make further investigation. I would rather take the friendly report of a neighbor about the titles of a Mexican ranch than I would the information of an officer of state, that might have an ax to grind. People, who visit President Diaz and cabi-net when on land business in Mexico, are likely to be kindly treated and receive such information as his |