Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1889-08-08
OUR SISTER REPUBLIC.
business Opportunities for Amsrl
cana ns Sccn by Com M Q rciaI TraN

| our SISTER REPUBLIC.
! business Opportunities for AniSffs
cans ms seen by Coinnc rcisl TRAY.
sier.
Roberto r. Fogei, who has been travelling
ID Mexico for the last eight months, repre-
! senting . San Francisco mercantile house,
returned . few days ago delighted with tho
country and the people, says The Chronicle.
He looks upon Mexico Is being . national
market for San francisco products aud mer-
chandifse. Chicago and st. Louis, however,
are making strong effort to secure the trade.
! and he thinks they will be successful unless
I the merchants OF San Francisco take such
measures as will show the MexIcans that
their trade is desired and sought after.
Mr. Fogel says the merchants OF the larger
cities arc men Of strict integrity and of the
highest commercial honor. A failure among
the native merchants is almost unheard of.
1t is q disgrace, and . merchant who fails
rarely gets on his feet again. They arc
thoroughly trained In business, being brought
up from, youth to their particular branch Of
trade. Men do not leave the pillow there. he
! says, to embark in commerce or manufact-
uring, rs they do In the United States.
he saye, is the class OF men who are sent to
represent the house. They must Do gentle
men, able to converse nucntly In Spanish, must
have thorough knowledge Of tho goods which
they sell, and above all must make themselves
thoroughly familiar with the Mexican local aud
customs duties. The salesman Is often called
upon to make . price on goods laid down In
some Of the large cities, and to figure intelli-
h.. bal 81. Il 4.
and the municipal duty on his goods, for each
city levies tax ON all goods imported into It,
even though they should come from a neigh
boring town in the same state.
The MeIicans are rapidly learning to
adopt American ways aud to use American
goods In preference to their own or
those Of other foreign countries The
naturalization OF President DIaz has been
practically favorable to the United States, and
As there 10 every probability that Dlaz will be
elected to succeed himself In the next term,
despite the law. Mr.. Fogcl thinks sa. Fran
cisco should take immediate steps to secure
The growing trade while everything b 50 fav-
orsble to It.
Looking at everything with the eyes Of .
business man, Mr.. Fogel says he could not
help being struck with the immense opportun-
tiles offered for certain lines Of business ami
manufacturing The first thing that struck
him, as q business man, was the lack Of .
well-devised banking system to facilitate e.
change between the principal cities OF MeIi
| CO, A. well as with foreign states and cities
large fruit cannery near some Of the
larger cities would, he thinks, pay handsome
y. All the canned fruit used 10 Mexico
comes from California, aud there 10 no estab-
ilshment Of the kind even for curing or pre-
serving the tropical fruits of the country.
In all Mexico there is not . single establish
ment for the manufacture Of envelopes, and
the commOnst kinds are sold at from % to 80
Z thousand. Such an establishment would
have practically q monopoly Of the business.
pottery for the manufacture Of tho
peculiar dishes, ollas, and ornamental pottery
made by the Indians would, he thiaks, be .
fine enterprise. The Indians who now make
these goods at home and pebble them from
house to house would be glad to work BY the
day ct small wages These Indiana he says
have the artistic Instinct remarkably develop
| ed, and their work. done with the rudest kind
Of tools, Is much Of 1t really beautiful aud 1t
for place In the choicest collections OF brio
| a-brsc.
With the Introduction Of American machln-
cry and methods Of working the mines that
industry has been given = great impetus.
Speaking Of tho railroads, he says that the
people along the line OF the Mexican National
| road complain bitterly OF the way In which
| the road 10 conducted. There are great and
| needless DELAYS in the transfer Of freight, nd
| even after II arrives at the station to which il
Is billed It is sometimes several days before
| the consigncc can get Il into his possession.
Even the American officials have become at
nicted with the national disease OF prOcrssti-
nation, and have learned the use OF the word
| 'manyana' Ito. morrow. Only fifteen kilos
Of baggage are allowed to each frst-class
ticket, that is, about thirty-two and one
| half pounds, but as they have . way OF knock
Ing on everything under ten pounds In max
Ing the weight passenger Is really only al
| lowed about thirty pounds OF baggage, and
the charges for additional baggage are fright.
| fui Frequently his extra baggage has cost
more than his ticket
One thing which struck Mr. Fogel rartic-
ularly was the beauty and cleapliness Of some
| OF the larger cities, such rs Alamos- Topic,
Guadslajaro, Pueblo, Tslucs, Morillia and
Agnas Calientcs The houses and grounds
surrounding them are handsome and well
kept. the streets generally broad, well paved,
and scrupulously clean. They arc swept
every morning by the chaIn-gang, aud during
the day In summer each house holder aud
storekeeper Is compelled ny law to keen the
street I'm front OF his premises sprinkled.
There are no silurians In these cities, and
each citizen takes q pride In keeping the
streets clean ami beautiful In this respect
Mr.. Fogel thinks San Francisco might learn a
lesson from the cities of the neighboring re-
ptytiiiG n,,
have risen from . cents on the dollar to 70
cents, and large fortunes have been made on
the rise Luis Hitler, sgentleman well known
IN San Francisco, made over 800 900 on the
rise In two months. Mr.. Hsller has amassed
great wealth since he went TO Mexico, and got
bis hrst concession IN 1854, out OF which he
made little over SIC, 900, and Is now worth
several millions. He 10 largely interested In
railroads and 10 known as the Gould Of MeIi.
co He Is not over ~ ycars OF aye and is
married to San Francisco girl lie met
poor girl In this city with whom he fell In
love. He sent her to school and educated
her. As soon as she graduated they were
married, and went to Mexico Since that
time his career has been one Of continued
success, and his wife 1. one OF the most &C
complished and elegant ladies In the society
Of the capital There are many Americans
in the capital. aud the English aud Germans
are fast leslnX thcir supremacy In trade As
VOL a. 10 social life, The Mexican 10 warm.
hearted and mcrcural, and the free and open
manner Of the American they nnd more agree.
able than the hauteur and GOODNESS OF the
phlcgmatic Brltishers and Germans.
Another thing 10 which Mr: Foesi thirks
Americans might learn something from their
tonvsysnceS When q Mexicap enters q car
DO raises his hat and salutes ali present with
. "Buenos dias, senior ar y senores." II he
goes 10 the water-cooler for . drink be turns
before drinking and offers the cup or glass to
! the others The same politeness rules iu the
transaction Of business II takes Q little
Longer 10 do business on this account, but Mr.
SoSel thinks It much plessanter and much
7 more satisfactory than the curt way In which
trade 10 conducted In the United States. That
T be says, Is one thing which Americans coins
into Mexico have to learn hrst-they can not
crowd and puch trades through as they do
here A Mexican likes to take his time In
, making trade. lie wants to examine ard
look through into a thing before making .
bargain. Having made II, however, he 10
r scfupulousy exact 10 Carrying It out and
never fails to keep his contracts.
Another thing TO be guarded against Il
) criticism Of national ha bits and customs. Like
the people OF all new countries or OF eount tries
which have been shut of from the rest Of the
1 vorld, the Mex!cans are sensitive to attacks
> from foreigners. and Charles Dudley Warner
gave mortal ogeuse 10 tho entire nation by
e bis structures on the Inhabitants Of some Of
the smaller towns. II was considered Q
pational insult, and Mr.. Warner would be
G very cody received II he should pay second
q Vtslt to the capital.