Daily Los Angeles herald., 1881-08-30
MAZATLAN.
Its Busln ss Rssouroes-B Whom Controlled
No Openings for Olerks-Ths Kind Of Men
Who v i'll Find Employment.

Who v i'll Find Employment.
| EDITOR HERALD: When you
asked me for another of those let
ters, it struck me that per-
haps could answer some of the
most pertinent questions that are
put to me almost every day by An.
gelefios. The two things that are
most frequently inquired about are
first, what can man do in Mazat-
Ian? Second, what are the pros
poets for business there The ma
jority of these questioners give
very unsatisfactory answers to my
inquiry, what can you do ? or what
business do you wish to enter into?
What are you particularly fitted
for T? 1 am under the impression Il
hope they won't all take this as di-
rected to their particular selves)
that most of them are Micawbers,
who would expect something to
"turn up" in hot climate, say the
establishment of a business that
would deal Ia stoves or some equal
ly uncalled for articles. may
perhaps give your readers (and l
hope all my questioners are read
ers of the HERALD) a better idea of
the business of the place by max.
ing a statement in general way
of the Industries and occupations
of the people of Mazatlan. While
L think of it, there is no bank in
the place. Perhaps some of your
readers might make first class
bank presidents and cashiers.
There's an opening for somebody.
l regret L have not made the sug-
gestlon to some one of the anxious.
The banking of the place seems to
be we'll taken care of by the heavy
business houses of the city just at
present. They give exchange on
the principal foreign cities through
their correspondents, but know
OF no house doing an exclusively
banking business. The general
merchandise of the interior Is done
by German and native houses-the
former reinforced by clerks from
the old country who have the ex.
elusive privilege of transacting
their business. They, in fact, are
the younger sons and relatives of
former "Heads of the House" who
have gone back TO the mother
country and, in turn, are expected
to send back "products" in the
way Of spruce, gentlemanly, finely
educated young men, who make
fine, corpulent heads of the house
in due turn. This is true, also, of
the Spanish and Mexican houses
and, 1 think, settles the question
of possible clerkships for ambi.
tious Americans. These heavy
houses carry stocks valuing not
unfrequently as high as a million
and half They transact most
of their business with the dealers
of the interior, while at the same
time they do retail trade of no
mean proportions.
Daily long mule trains are to be
seen standing in front of their
warehouses waiting for burthens.
There are several heavy grocery
houses doing an almost exclusive
ly wholesale trade. The manufac.
ture of hats, of boots and shoes
is carried on by two or three firms,
who also do good business. Cot
ton goods are manufactured in
quite large quantities, as are also |
wOolen fabrics of good quality and |
color. The city is supplied with |
gas by q company now in exist
ence several years, and ito inhabit-
ants are carried from one end to
the other of the town by railroad
oempanies. who furnish their pa
irons with much more comfortable
and elegant cars than can be found
in Los Angeles. The manufacture
OF cigars and cigarettes is an inn
portant inaustry that fur
nisbes employment to a
great number of people |
principally young men and women.
One of these establishments has, / |
think, no less than 100 employees.
An enterprising American has es-
tablished and Is now running to |
great advantage a match factory
employing a large number of
hands and furnishing an article su-
perior in every respect aud that
finds ready market. Ice Is made
and disposed of at the rate of three
cents u pound and no opposition.
Water Is carried about the city in
large earthern jars, each holding
about five gallons, and sold for
from five to six cents jar. This
is used for cooking, drinking and
all household purposes. The Objec-
ton is that the donkey driver has
to carry the jug, and he invariably
sticks his hand into the water dur
ing this short porterage!
Mining machinery and the usual
explosive materials are sold in
quantity by dealers in such arti-
cles, and broken machinery finds
ready hands to repair such injury
or make new castings at the Ma
Zatlan foundry, an establishment
ably conducted and doing lucra-
tive business.
The carrying trade of the city is
done by Porters called cargadOrs-
men OF immense physique, every
one Hercules, who will transport
any ythiDg fer you within the city
limits for from three to twelve
cents, distance and bulk, however,
making some changes. One hardly
expects to send letter at the same
rate that he would pay for the
moving of piano. All this kind
of work is done by hand, save in a
few Instances, where huge, rum
bling two wheeled carts are
brought into use; but principally
by the merchants in bringing large
clrgoes from the Custom House.
The native population are sup
piled with mescal by numerous
"cantinas,n or gin mills. Strange
to say, none but natives patronize
those places. To be seen In a can
tena Chat is, If man is respecta.
ble) is to be socially ostracised. He
1T L. .sr