Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-04-28
CHIHUAHUA CHIMES.
Difficult to Get a Square Meal in
chihuahua TWo-Bit Dog
For Sale TO an American Green
horn for 90.
Cor Flpasn Harnla.

Cor. Ell Paso Herald.
CHIHUAHUA, MEX, April 10, 1888.
! 1t is a comman opinion in the State
: that at least living is cheapin Mexico
: That is a mistaken idea. Living
such as the ordinary business mar
, and the skilled mechanic has beer
used to In the States, Is not to b
realized here. What sn American
mechanic would consider the neces
saries Of lite are extrsvagant Injuries
! and generally beyond the reach o.
even the wealthy in Mexico. Chi
huahua is now the most American
lied city in the republic, and wher
you find that first class meal is moi
: to be had in the city, you can imagine
what other more isolated cities arc to
live in. The advent Of the Americans
has inflated everything, much to the
detriment of the general welfare Of
the city. Unless a change takes
place soon, the commerce of Chihua-
hua will drift to Parral and other in
terror towns. Although 100 miles
nearer to FL Paso and the base OF
supplies, chihuahua is not as good a
place to buy general merchandise in
as Parral. The latter town has no
railroad, and wagons its goods from
Monterey, Lampazas. Piedras, Negras
and chihuahua, yet l am told that
nearly everything can be had cheaper
there than here. How is this? That
is question that cant answer, and
only record the fact as told me. l
know that an old miner, who had
been in the country before, came here
a few days ago with party of pros
peotors,a and after pricing around found
it would pay we'll to 60 en- to Parral
to outfit and return to the northwest
of Chihuahua. He had recently been
In Parral and knew the prices and
knew what he was doing. He said
that mule could be bought in Parrsl
for $50 to SAC, that would be from $50
to $50 here.
A change must take place here if
chihuahua wishes to continue the
commercial capital as we'll as the po-
liticsl capital of the State. Our mer-
chants must adopt the nineteenth CEN
fury plan of small profits and quick
sales, and not hang on the eighteenth
century plan of big profits and slow
sales. In other words, they will have
to exert little more energy in order
to accomplish the same purpose.
Our weekly batch of tourists has
been rather full this week. Among
the distinguished visitors was Gen.
Albert Pike, the poet, editor, and at
present the highest Mason in the
world. The General spent several
days here, but was willing to return to
the States He does not want to live
in a country where q good sized oak
tree is curiosity. Harvey Mathes,. of
the Memphis LEDGER, and Capt.
Hayes, son .in-law of ex- President Jefs
ferson Davis, accompanied by ye editor
of the Herald, Bob McKie, enlivened
the place and astonished the natives
not little. l like the members OF
the editorial fraternity to come down,
and will always be at their disposal to
show them around.
On every hand can be seen the spirit
OF improvement astir. Private houses
are having second stories put on, as
we'll as many public buildings are be-
ing raised into the air. Sidewalks
are being put down, and streets are
having frstclass pavements laid. On the
Plaza de Morino, in front of the mar
kethouse, a new fountain is being put
in. This is the poor mans piazza, and
shows that that numerous individual
is now commanding some attention in
Mexico-a good sign for any country.
The cathedral is having a magnificent
cut stone altar put in. The corner
stone was laid week ago to-day.
Although the pure crystal waters
spout up in the glancing sunlight on
the main plaza, and fall back into a
large stone basin, it is yet oh eaper to
drink American bug juice at two bitl
a drink, than to indulge in a draught
Of this plentiful beverage; at least il
cost an American the other day 81 sc
to take a drink of this water without 9
cup.
One Of the curiosities of Chihuahus
is window gratings, so common in al
Spanish cities, hammered out of sole
copper.
An instance Of the liberality Of this
place is cited in the charge Of SOM
S400 for a subscription lot on which t
erect smelling furnance. The ex
hortatiou was so palpable that tn,
parties took fright and left. The,
had offered the municipal authorize
81 ton for the Stag that lies in heap
all about the place, of which it is sale
there are many millions of tons
Imagine the revenue that this woulC
have been to the city alone, sutside o
the employment it would have fur
nished, and all lost through littl
short sighted avarice.
Mr.. Stiff and party have returnet
from a two months trip to the south
west. They have acquired very valu
able property in the corner of tn
State of Chihuahua and Sinaloa, OF
the Pacific slope, and hope to be ricl
in a few years. May their fondes
dream be fully realized, for it does m
good to see Texas boys get along well
and any one living here deserves to b
we'll compensated.
Dick Piton has gone to specializing
A Mexican boy, learning that part
of American tourists were in the city
sailed forth with cur pup to "real
ize." Two dollars was the price, an
! the tourists, being newspaper men ,wh
had read my warning on the do
question, refused to buy, and the mex
J, day Dick bought the purp for tw
bits. He is holding him now for tour
lists who don't read newspapers, an
f the price is s. for the "Chihuahu
-