The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-06-06
Another Letter from Mexico.
NEW LAREDO, MEXICO,
May 81, 1889.
DEAP . :

AS I have an eighteen hours ''lay
over" I will write you at length. Since
my last letter to you have resigned
my position in the shops and gone back
on my engine, which like much better
for several reasons. First, the labor in
the shopsis very unsatisfactory-being
a conglomeration Of Americans, ne
groes, Mexicans and Indians,-the
whole being troublesome to control
properly. Besides this, the responsible.
ty of the foreman is great. If anything
is wrong the foreman must dance to
the music.
Again, it does not pay so handsomely
as my old engine does, neither is my
engine so confning. I feel free and
easy on my run, and there is always
varied and grand scenery on every
hand. For instance, a few nights ago
[ was cautiously coming down the
mountain sleeps, with peaks on one
side, frequently rising to the height OF
600 or 800 feet, and precipices on the
other of nearly and equal depth. 1t was
about o'clock in the morning-the
moon was shining dimly through a
dense fog-the preceding day had
been fearfully hot. 1t had now become
quite cool, though the great metal, like
boulders which line these mountains
had not cooled, and the heat which
they emitted into the cool damp atmos-
phere caused a light which resembled
one immense, continuous sheet of
lightning. cannot explain it on
scientific principles. I am not scientist
enough for that. I can only say that
it was sublimely grand to behold. I
tell you, railroading in Mexico, on this
road especially, is little of the biggest
thing I have ever seen, much less
tackled.
Besides the regular scheduled trains,
we frequently send out as many as ten
to twenty extra trains every twenty
four hours, and could send more if we
had the engines. Just think of train
of seventy-five or eighty cars, being
drawn and pushed by five large noun
tain engines. It is grand sight. This
make up of a train is done to prevent
accidents. A train of cars drawn by a
simple engine up the steep mountain
grades is liable to break, and the results
would be fearful. But with a train of
seventy-five or eighty cars with an
engine in front, one in the rear and
several at proper distances between
these two, accidents of this character
are avoided. ..-
These Mexicans, while they seem as
a general thing, to regard God and
religion very lightly, yet they spare
neither pains nor money to guard
against the loss of human life on their
roads. In this particular, they are
much more guarded than our own
people.
The greatest precautions are taken to
prevent accidents. have taken out
an accidental policy for $4,000, but it
seems to be almost useless thing when
it is remembered that this road has the
safest record of any railroad on either
continent. It has averaged only one
accident per year since it has been
built, but that one accident might
happen to me, so I am on the safe
side.
Money is plentiful here, especially
among railroad men. This company
clears on an average $4,000 per month.
Many of the employees seem to attach
little value to their earnings. I have
seen men draw $3.50 per month and
then not work a lick until all was
spent, then 60 back work another
month, draw their pay and spend it
again, and so on, never saving a dollar.
True, everything here is high in pro-
portion to the plentitude of money.
For inst ace, pay 81 per month for a
single ror m. IS per month for washing,
but still can put 500 inside my vest
| pocket every month after spending all
that I need. True, need but little,
except for board, washing and cloth
ing. Board is frst-class here, but it
costs something to eat. I pay fifty
cents for every meal I get, but it is
good. Eggs, chickens, turkeys, butter
and vegetables in abundance. I ate a
magnificent Easter dinner, but I did
not think much of Easter until it was
past. Easter and Sundays are little
observed here. There are no Protes-
tant churches here-nothing but Catho-
lies, and they seem so different from
those in the United States.
Well, have again been promoted.
I have now attained to the goal which
I long have sought. I am now run
nlng passenger train, consisting OF
four passenger coaches and sleeper,
with a schedule Of forty-fve miles per
hour. I am really proud of my posi-
ton. I feel good over it. am only
sorry that I can't have Joe Green here
as a locker on. I think he would come
to the conclusion that he is not the only
man in the world that poor young
man would have to beg for job. ]
would give 500 if I could just run
my train into Columbia under his eyes
I hope Schump has recovered
from his spell Of sickness. Tell him
sent for Tom Bladen. He arrived here
last nipht and will fire for me until he