The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-09-16
AMERICANS IN MEXIC0.
WHAT THE BUSINESS MEN OF THE
UNITED STATES MUST LEARN.
Why They Are Not More Successful I'm
Getting Trade in NIexico--Too GruT In
Their Methodist Mexican Merchant
Ideas-I.osini, a Customer.

say IL requires years OF residence and eN-
periencc To- cntitle one To speak intelhgently
of the social, industrial or commercial cundi-
ton of nation For this reason | never
hesitate Ia appi. u oil residents, foreign or
native, for points ON any given subject relat-
ing To the life of the pcOple. | prefer this
method 10 that of which the NeSis-lnS com
plain 81 bitterly, rs the one usually adopted
10y Americans To- gain knowledge. of their
liant y our young ladies come down here, =
they say, stay week, buy a rc;tIn OF paper
and a bunch Of photographs Of interesting,
places, AMI then go back 10 write up-GuI
save the namc!-our country and ITS re
sources. How can such superficial reports
Ia Other than misleaIing:7 There Is "A grain
of reason in this protest. Without knowing
the language, without contact with the people
except the miscellaneous herd gathered in
hotels and public vehicles, and amid the bc-
wiki".mcnt III new scenes, sounds and faces,
IL sound Judgment Of ones surroundings II as
impossible a. To Il eat in strange garnet. L
make no apology, therefore, Tor rc>urtinE to
AN "ld commission merchant of Mexico,
thirty three years resident III the capital, To
supplement my own impressions Of American
trad, interests III that country. OF foreign
drS'rsIt, Though chiefly dealing in American
products, his criticisms are none the less Nalu-
nbie t. uS Tor coming from am outsider.
AN OUTSIDERS CRITICISMS
Seated in his coy office, lined with shelves
full III catalogues Of American and foreign
machinery, and with an accumulation of i'm
plrm,Ht- greeting the eye in every direction,
! Ii t"n-i To- his ready spcech now in English
now ia q, rmIu, or French, or Spanish, tho
nccc.sItl.-, ~ the different persons calling dc
mu..ds.i
"-l.:crican trade he said, outside of
bui!!n.s AMI running railroads, is in its in
fan in this country. You think you have
done something, but the French, English ami
SHaIiarlS control our commerce, both foreign
and domestic. There are not over a dozen
American houses doing business ia this city
and thpy deal mainly in machinery. Yet
with oar vast Industrial system and rapid
means II communication by rail and steam
ship, your people ought TO monopolize the
McSIcan market
w hat i the reason that we do not have
at hast cur share of the tradc.'
There are many reasons, and ann glad L.
have you lay them before the American pub
lie.
"First-Nou are the latest Corners. aItl
McNicauS very tenacious oi old CONNER
cial connections Look at this lcttcr,' show
in large sheet closely written on both
sides. this i an important business cummu-
nicati"n from an old correspondent of mine.
Tie hsEin~ his letter by coniiding 10 me n fun
account nf his family and farm concerns, and
ends ~ asking after the interesting health, rs
hc terms 1t, ri Lizzie and Mary, my dau-ll-
tcIS, AMI sends IA long string of compliments
IL myself and the madam. That Is, hc i not
only business customer, but also a social
friend. There Is little danger of IA new cuncr
winning hIS custom from me. And his i
only an ordinary casc.
':S.,s'"Iti-Again your countrymen, whcu
they coma here, do not pay attention to thuSo
H.. .
IT,, lii. Of these people and in which they are
drliy.i at home and i'll school from youth up.
Won i:, l.lunt, hriISk and bluff in Your husi-
H,.s, q, ,iIn-cs, and the Mexicans don't take it
kir.H. Here is Il ease in point:
LOSING \ CUSTOMER.
- TONER of mine, dissatisfied with my
phi. vent Ia much ADVERTISED American
firIt &" hu. certain machine. Entering the
stur,. hr tpuni a man seated on the railing
eHc!,-in VA ".Iicr, his hat thrown back and
his heel, drumming on the palingS. lie n",Ligd
his head familiarly to my friend AMI said. 80
he Indignantly told Inc afterwards: 'puc
quicvcE What do you waut1 Now, We only
uldr,~s servants in this way, leaving OFT tn"
listed vour honor. And when lac replied
that lac would like to see the head of the house.
without moving the merchant answered: I'm
the head "f the house Que quieyc:-instead
OF politely inviting him within the railing
and awaiting his pleasure This vas enough
for the Mexican. He left in disgust. This is
an extreme instance, doubtless, bat shows
your tendencies. When "a customer comes to
my Office he Is conducted within "a ccrcmo-
nouSly a. to my parlor Perhaps decanter
of wine i placed al his disposal, or over
cigar we talk al cent topics awhile before
Preceding To- hu-iH,S-- " hen he retircS,
si.!s,- hands at the door. again at the head of
The stairs. and la probably salutes me third
time from the doorway. You call this non
scn~,,. but here it Is business, and don't you
forget it. Unless you can conform in Your
business methods To the customs Of country,
You hal better keep out of it.
"Thirl-Aguin," he continued, "you pro
pose To push things here, just as you do in
the states, forgetting that to do you must
push aside at least 100 years difference in
ace and civilization between the two coun-
tries. These people are intensely CunServa-
tive and can't and won't adopt modern
methods in a iifTy, and l think you Amer
leans are finding it out To Your cost. What
are Your railroads that you have built Mt
such cost An anachToniSm. They don't
pay and won't pay for years to come Rich
Me-icanS don't put their money in railroad
stocks. nor modern machinery. They know
better. As the great manufacturing nation
of agricultural implements, you doubtless
thought. when the railroads came that YOU
would fool the country with labor-saving
machinery, To your profit and our benefit.
lave You done it; | notice that there are n
great many strong houses selling implements
la this city. but they are ali contracting their
business Through competition plows are
almost ,hcap her" Is III the United States,
but how seldom DO you $50 one used, even in
TIL va; E,lds around the city. | sold a
NJ, Nic;In two rcaIers Few months ago and
tic t.th.r day asked him how he succeeded
with them. Very wgll,' he said, they are
great ecouomizers. But do you know how I
nav, To run them: l have two men on horse
back 20 along. ON either side, To watch the
driver. and every night lock them up her
medically L. prevent the laborers destroying
them Mexico Cor. Cleveland Leader