Porte Crayon's Mexico: David Hunter Strother's Diaries in the Early Porfirian Era, 1879–1885 (review)

David Hunter Strother was appointed U.S. Consul General in Mexico City in 1879. The appointment was a reward for the Virginian's loyalty and service to the United States during the Civil War, when he became a Union general and a resident of the newly created state of West Virginia. During his six-year tour he wrote a detailed diary. His commentary compares favorably with the magnificent classic foreign traveler's account, Fanny Calderón de la Barca's Life in Mexico. His insight into Mexican politics, social life, and economic activities mirrors Calderón's keen appraisal four decades earlier. Strother, who used the pen name Porte Crayon for his widely read magazine articles and sketches, also has a good deal to say in a rather gossipy way about other U.S. officials, ranging from the ministers with whom he served, such as John Hay and John Foster, to other consuls, particularly the always-contriving businessman and previous Consul General Jules Skilton, to prominent visitors, including Ulysses S. Grant. He also reported on the weather, the trials of dealing with daily activities such as apartment hunting and furniture, the regular family trips to the baths (there were no bathtubs in his apartment), and dealing with U.S. citizens either in need or feigning poverty and seeking government assistance. The day-to-day business, such as the claims of U.S. citizens against Mexico and the managing of the U.S. cemetery in the capital, did little to inspire Strother, but life in Mexico did and like Calderón before him he offers excellent sketches of Mexican leaders, including Presidents Porfirio Díaz and Manuel González, major fiestas, and adventures in the countryside.

Disappointing is the publisher's decision to present a rather limited publication. The volume could have been modeled after the 1966 edition of Calderón's Life in Mexico edited by Howard T. and Marion Hall Fischer, with its careful identification of individuals named in the text and detailed footnotes that explain the historical context for events, fiestas, and treaty negotiations. However, the annotation of the Strother volume is limited and biographical sketches appear at the end of the text, whereas footnotes would have assisted the reader. The maps are also limited and surprisingly include no sketches drawn by Strother, who was a well-known magazine artist at the time. Even as it is, the volume is too large for classroom adoption, so the publisher might have chosen instead to create a reference volume intended for libraries and research scholars.

The editor might also have added detailed information explaining the operations of the U.S. consular and diplomatic services, the appointment process in the era of spoilsmen, and the appointees' constant efforts to obtain a better position. Strother himself unsuccessfully pursued a European appointment. These criticisms notwithstanding, the diaries present an engaging study of period life in Mexico. The published diaries reward the reader with a good deal of information and detail about the Porfirian era, well before it was evident it would survive for another quarter-century. Finally, Strother had a likable style. Many readers will sympathize with his concern for the price of imported wine, the need to perfect his Spanish, and his almost daily amazement with Mexican culture.