San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1881-09-15
*. SAN MARCOS. HAYS COUNTY. TEXAS, SEPrEMI
MEXICO.

I'VE are under special obligations to the
writer Of the following very interest
ing; letter. for favorihg our columns with
he same. It is without date, but was post
marked San Luis Potosi, August 22nd.-ED,
FREE PREss
FRIEND JULIAN:
Thinking letter from Mexico might be
Of interest to some Of your readers, in view
Of the fact that ut present Mexico IL attract-
inga great deal of attention from the outer
world, l devote few hours to that pur-
pose There has never been, in the history
of any country, such IN extensive system of
sudden development inaugurated as has been
commenced here in the last year or 10, and
it is unquestionably destined to revolution
ize this country. But this win be revolu-
ton vastly different from the kind that has
kept Mexico as she is-hundreds Of years
behind the times. tits quite an open ques-
ton as to whether all the roads now under
cor strr,ction (nnd several others on which
operations will be commenced this falD are
going to pay. The general verdict of all the
strangers who come here il that they will not.
But many of these are men who came here
expecting to see something of q boom asa
natural consequence Of the many millions Of
dollars that are continually pouring in here
to carry on these vast enterprises, and seeing
scar ,elya ripple as the result, they naturally
take gloomy view of the future, and truly
not without cause. But the men who own
interests in these roads, and apparently have
most at stake, pay no attention to these con-
lectures, but continue hard ut work, pushing
along AZ fast as possible, and seem to have
no lack Of the necessary funds. ,f 4
As regards the feeling with which these
people view improvements, there is, of course,
a diversity; and, on the part Of many there
is feeling of Jealousy, born Of natural an
tipathy still exising in some degree against
Americans But the majority heve interests
at stake that have a strong tendency to
make them favorsbly inclined and this ma
jority consists Of two extremes, the rich prop
erty owners and the poor working class. The
former. because the civilizing influence Of
railroads will make the revolutions by which
they suffered impossible and the latter be-
cause, while formerly they got from ~ to
Is cents per day. they now get on the rail
roads from 874 to 80 cents (though there is
one large section of the road where they can
still get all the men they want at 25 cents per
day. The other class, and the ones who
who may cause some trouble in the future,
are those who profted by revolutions in the
past who prefer lawlesness to industry,
and who. having been bro lght up in idleness,
will find it difficult as well as distasteful to
adapt themselve to new order of things
Many of these hold important positions in
the armies. But the material from which
they drew their supply of men in former
times when instituting revolution, will be
difficult to acquire now, when they are get
ting what they consider good wages They
consider 81 cents good wages, that is about
the average on the railroads, and board them
selves formerly they boarded themselves
at 125c; 80 itdon't take much to keeptham,
and this is the kind of people comprising
seven-tenths of the population Of Mexico,
consisting of about ten millions. A blanket
constitutes their chief outfit, andiis their best
friend: at all hours and ON all occasions the
Mexian and his blanketare inseparable CON-
panions, whether in the midday sun or in
the obscur.ty of midnight, when wrapped in
his blanket he is prepared to throw himself
down anywhere and sleep comfortably till
morning. II makes but little difference to
him whether it is on the pavement beneath
some portico or on the earthen floors of theiI
miserable novels. They are people who,
to large extent, live. eat and sleep in the
streets. Their huts have but few attractions,
being destitute of bed, table or rchairs. They
can dine as cheap in their simple manner in
the plaza or market where they can get wha'
serves them for meal for 3 cents, consist
ing of tor.illas and beans, for another Llact
Zone and half cents. they can get kindo
maf-stew, composed largely of red pepper
( So that for three Llacos-It cents-they car
fare snmptuousy; but this sort of extraya
gance they don't often indulge in, unless on
some special occasion, such a. q feast day
and many of them make meal on Llaco'
worth of tortillas- These eating places ar
an institution peculiarto Mexico where doz
ems Of. them are to be found in every narke'
place. On The oorners Of some of tbs, sfree<<