San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-07-10

Yet God forbid that should lose
The echoes that remain.
|
For The FRsl PRnss,
Mexico Forty Years Ago and NOw-It'
Future.
The readers Of my "reminiscences
will remember that not long since
said, that as the Mexicans are adverse
to innovations and improvements
they were probably at the same stand
point as when I was a prisoner ol
war in 1S41 and 1912, but that per
force, since the Americans built rail
roads in their country they would
have to advance in enterprise and
energy. I was but boy then, and
had but little experience nor the
opportunity to make many observa
tions, but in my future numbers the
reader will get a description of the
life and manners in Mexico at that
time.
recently got hold of an article
written by a correspondent for the
Texas Deutsche Zeitung," Houston,
who recently travelled through Mexi
co. His observations are correct and
very interesting. I translate frag.
ments of them.
He says that Mexico needs no lab
orers, for the Mexican laborers,
mechanics and those who have learnt
various trades will labor for fifteen
cents per day and board them selves ;
no white man would be willing to
labor for that price and support him.
self. He says that Mexico produces
various fruits, because considering its
territory extends from Ell Paso to
Yucatan, and the climate and altitude
of it's various States is so remarkably
diversified it can produce the most
and greatest variety of vegetables,
from coffee cocoa nut, sugar cane, all
tropical, to q great variety of fruits
and vegetables of the temperate zone /;
not only that, but often within q
comparative short distance.
The great high mountains there,
change the climate; these mountains
may be snow capped, and were per-
haps formerly of volcanic origin, yet
descend to it's valleys and you are in
temperate zone, or even tropical.
But strange with all that the price
of fruit and vegetables is very high.
Bananas are cheaper in Fulton market
New York, than in portions Of Mexico
where they grow almost indigenous.
Oranges and even watermelons are
higher than in the cities of the United
States.
The writer states that in Tuxpan
there is plenty of petroleum. yet in
the city of Mexico a gallon of kerosene
costs 80 cents and in some cities
81 so.
In the States Durango and Sonora
there are mountains containing fine
iron ore, yet in the city of Mexico pig
iron sells for $50 per ton.
On the whole tract of the railroad
from the city of Mexio to the frontier
of Texas, there. are often to be found
rich coal mines, yet q great portion
of Mexico is bare of timber, and fuel
is very high, yet stone coal is impor-
ted from England and costs in the
city of Mexico S24 so per ton.
Sugar cane grows luxuriantly in
some portions of Mexico, yet loaf or
crusted sugar is imported and costs
more than in New York. Cotton can
be raised in many of the States of
the Republic, yet it does not raise
enough to supply IFS own manufac-
tories.
How a peon (farm hand), can live
on four dollars wages per month, only
getting in addition one bushel of corn
and one fourth bushel Of beans, with
all the other articles of merchandise
50 high, is really a problem
Wheat is easily raised in some pcr-
tons and yields well, yet barrel Of
-four costs $50 in the City Of Mexico.
Irish potatoes in sumo regions grow
almost Wild. or at least want little
cultivation, yet the steamer on which
the correspondent came had on board
2OOO bushels destined for Vera Cruz
And Yuc1tan.