The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-10-18
Letter from Mexico.
SAN LUIS PoTosE, Oct. 1. 1883.

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excellent paper give much pleasure t.
number of Texans here, who are al
ways glad to get "news from home,
so the copy which l receive very reg
ularly is doing tenfold duty.
We have sympathiZed with yol
during the hot weather of the pas
summer, knowing well how you hav,
suffered day and night under you
northern sun. Here, although ten o.
twelve degrees south of you, ant
many thousand feet nearer the sun
we have seldom felt the heat exceS
siYe at any time. and look forward tx
the coming winter without fear o.
shiver. BoreaS. who visits the prai
rieS of Texas in the pride and strength
of ripe manhood. reaches here breath
less and worn, diSheartcned by the
long march from his arctic home, anC
opposed at every step by the force!
of his brother Sol. so that his prcsenct
here is hardly felt by man, or recog
niZed by mercury in his house ol
glass, who, once the messenger of God
now does penance for his youthful
sons in solitary confinement, il
watching and noting the contest be
tween these two giants, Sol ant
Boreas.
The American in Mexico finds
much to admire and m1e eh to con.
demn. Business life andk commercial
enterprise has had some Stimulus in
the more liberal policy Of the govern.
ment as pursued in thd9 last fifteen
years, but is yet far below the standard
of progress attained id the United
States and many portionf of the east
ern world. The completion of the
splendid system of railroad, connect
ing this republic with the United
States through Texas, will finish the
work already begun and develop a
people second to few in business ac,
tivity and financial success. The
| Mexican, rs rule, is Il keen trader,
the smallest dealer carries keenneSS in
his every day thoughts, and glories in
the prospect OF drawing close bar
gain with his neighbor. In this they
"beat the Jews" litteraly, in fact, a
Jew cannot live by his craft" here,
| it is said, there is not Jew in busi-
ness in this city, Il few have wandered
| into this country but have been so
badly ''out-JeWed" that they have
| fled, in diSmay, even forced to work on
| the railroad to get mr;LnS to leave
think of a Jew, spade iii hand, throw
| ing dirt, by the side of an exile from
Erin;" think how Paddy would be
amused. On, Jeruseleml Jeruselem!
how art thy children debaSed, thy peo-
pie, fallen they are forced to toll with
hands, while their rivals sell finger
rings, breastpins and tape, sitting in
the shady hooks of the market places.
A broader field for speculation, the
fear OF forced loans and imposition by
the government removed, ,and we may
see the Mexican spring into the front
ranks of the bulls and bears and the
scenes of Wall street re-enacted in
Mexico. The metal is in them and the
events of the near future will put
it into shape.
All business men here regret to see
the efforts made by few designing
people on the border to disturb the
friendly relations felt by the great
majority of people, Mexican and
American, here. Stories are gotten
up, some upon the slightest founda-
tion, others without shade of truth
whatever, intended to show evidences
Of hostility towards our people. L
might mention many instances as
published in different papers, but the
two last noticed will serve as speci-
mems. "The bloody attack on the
consul at Monterey and indignity to
the American flag" as represented by
one tillibuster reporter, actually oc-
| CURED while the consul was on a visit
to the United States and wholly un-
conscious that he was being mur-
dered in Monterey, the whole story
| being Ibuilt upon the fact
that a burglar, believing that the
rooms of the consul were unoccupied,
the absence of the consul being
known, was surprised in his enter
prise by the entrance of Mr.. Shaw, a
Protestant minister, with whom the
consul had left his keys and business.
The thief, fearing arrest, struck Mr..
Shaw on the head with pistol or
some other object in his hand, as he
rushed to the door. from which he
made his escape. The police were
notified, made search, and made the
usual police failure to arrest the bur-
glar. These facts were told me by
Mr.. Byers, of Colorado City, Texas,
who was walking on the street with
Mr.. Shaw when he turned into the
house of the consul, and saw him at
the hotel at which they were both
boarding few minutes after the
occurrence.
The last Outrage and murder" re-
ported in THE STATESMAN as copied
fir IN Laredo paper, the murder of
Price McGavock or Cariysle, 100 miles
from Laredo, is wholly without any
basis. The camp of these gentlemen,
who are contractors on the Tampico
branch of the Mexican Central rail
road, is at least six hundred miles
from Laredo. They are IN daily COM
munication with the railroad officials
here, and so far as known have never
had any diffiulty, danger or threat of
danger. These absurd sensational re-
ports may serve the purpose of parties
interested in fostering an unfriendly
feeling on the border of the Rio
Grande, but they are certainly hurt
full to the business interests of both
sides of the river as well as the iste-
riOr.
l have been in Mexico since May,
and my business has called me over
large portion of the states of Nuevo
Leon, Taneautepas, Coahuila, San
Luis Potose, Michuaehua, Zacatieus
and Aguas CalienteS, sometimes for
days on horseback alone. L have
seen nothing TO indicate personal
danger to myself or an unfriendly
feeling towards foreigners of any
nationality
There is a class of persons who are
always fortunate or unfortunate in
discovering that society is against
them. These people know the most
popular saloons, the fastest women,
the meanest police, the most corrupt
Judges and Juries, and are always
looking for some one to tread on
their toes, or knock the chip off
their hats, they leaYe because they are
imposed u pom. We have large num-
Der of American citizens of that class
in Mexico, and they are always in
danger. always 'in hot water
[ ought not to close without saying
something about the city of San Luis
Potosi. l doubt if any portion of the
tablelands of Mexico, so renowned for
health, eXcels this section in that re-
spect. The city is situated in a beau
tiful and fertile valley, giving the
neighboring mountains an abrupt and
precipitous appearance, as viewed
from the town. We have an abun-
dant supply of pure, cool well water
so near the surface as to be in reach of
all. Fifty or more magnificent ca
thedrals and churches adorn the
city, many of them models
| of architectural beauty. The
| streets are generally narrow and