The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-06-09
FOUR WEEKS IN MEXICO.
3. II. CoMER's IMPRESSIONS OF
THE LAND OF THE AzTECS.


-Pulque and Mezcal-The Mexican
National Drink Not Likely to Be
come Popular With Americans-The
Countrv's orleans the
Developers of Thsm-How the Mexi.
cans Do Business.
Mr.. Il. NJ Conner found it a difficult
matter to avoid answering the many ques-
tons which were asked him on all sides
yesterday at the Cotton Exchange, as Il
his impressions of Mexico.
To MORNING NEWS reporter and 3
group of Mr.. Corners friends at the Cotton
Exchange be talked very entertainingly
of his four weeks trip in the land of the
AZtecs.
Mr.. and Mrs. Conner and daughter and
Miss Minis joined Capt. and Mrs. W. G.
Raoul at New Orleans last month for trip
over the Mexican National railroad. The
journey from Laredo on the Texas border
to the City Of Mexico was made entirely
by daylight, and required five days for the
special train upon which the party Travelled
Capt. Raoul, who is the president Of the
road wanted to make daylight inspection
of the entire line. At every point on tie
line Capt Raoul stopped for an official in
spectlon, and it gave the tourists ample oP-
portunity to travel about the towns and
cities observe the habits and customs of the
people, and get an insight into Mexican
life, which the average tourist on through
ticket could not possibly have
THE SIGHTS TO BE SEEN.
Tho railroad traverses the most fertile
valleys of Mexico, and Mr.. Conner said that
it is delightful country and well worthy
of visit from those who are inclined to
tour il abroad. The country is behind the
age, but it is improving. The agricultural
implements are of the most primitive style.
MIR. Conner saw poems moving grass with
a tin-bladed sickle and grain harvested
with the sickle of the pioneers. He says,
however, that the American pillow and
American mower and reaper are being in
tFoduced, and in he future the agricultural
implements which are used by the Next
cans, because their grandfathers used them,
must give way TO modern appliances.
Some of the moro hourishIng haciendas,
Mr.. Conner said, are cultivated very profit
ably, and large fortunes are realized
from them, and their owners make
annual tours of Europe in style that
would do credit to an eastern millionaire.
These haciendas, when put on the market,
are rated according to the number Of
maguey plants on them. The maguey plant
is what is known as the century plant. 1t
is a popular delusion that it blooms only
THE MEXICAN NATIONAL DRINK.
The manner of cultivating the maguey
plant, Mr.. Conner said, is to cut out the
flower stem in such a way as to leave a
cavity IN the plant in which, after the
seventh year in the life of the plant, when
the stem is cut out, about two gallons of
juice are collected daily for period of six
months. From this juice, by fermentation,
comes the popular beverage pulque, which,
Mr.. Conner said, tastes something like
cross between stale beer and sour butter
milk. From the maguey plant juice is also
distilled the more expensive mezcal, a sort
of brandy, which tastes very much like
Scotch whisky. After the pulque bearing
qualities of the plant have been exhausted
the vegetable matter is subjected to a pro-
cess whereby the fiber is utilized, and makes
a product approximating closely that Of
MANILA.
Mr.. Conner did not evidently take kindly
to the pulque or the mezcal, aud as he says
he couldn't drink the milk or water of
Mexico, he drank Milwaukee beer. which
cost so cents per bottle, but as American
money is at a premium in Mexico the
actual cost per bottle was only about 81
cents.
The smaller circulating coins of Mexico
are the 81, 80 cent piece, 25 cent piece, 1215
cent piece, 90 cent piece, IL cent piece,
and the cent piece, the latter two being
copper coins.
MExIcANS AND THE RAILROADS.
Mr.. Conner was asked how railroads are
patronized. The traffic is improving, he
said, but he cited fact, which was brought
to his attention, that the city of Monterey.
with its population of AZ, 900, does not fur
nish any greater traffic TO the railway than
q town of 1000 population in Georgia.
MIR. Conner said, however, that railway
N,-a1 al Sc
There are three classes of cars. The poems
travel in third-class cars, and he
noticed that these cars were usually well
filled. The Pullman car is the first-class.
and the second-clasS is q division between
the two.
Mr.. Conner thinks that the United States
can never hope TO secure the trade of Mex
leo under the present tariff system, and by
reason Of which England, Germany and
France furnish the greater part of the i'm
ports. There is less assimilation between
the Mexicans and Americans than between
the former and the people from France, Eng.
land and Germany. The United States.
under existing tariff duties, seems unable to
compete for the trade of an inviting field
at her own doors, which the nations across
the water virtually control
MANUFACTURING IN MEXICO.
As TO manufacturing enterprises in Next
VS. III. SOAA4CA ooi0 bAey are lew and
far between. And, as an instance. he
cited a cotton factory which he visited at
Oriziba, lighted by electric light.
where the operatives get a stricl
middling cotton from New Orleans
and manufacture thin fabric,
which is filed with paste to give 1t a body
to print on and which he was told sells at
the factory at cents per yard. ''The ne
groes of Georgia wouldn't wear it,n Mr..
Conner added. 1t was said the operatives
make $500, goo year, and the labor move-
ment evidently hasn't reached Mexico, for
Mr.. Conner was told that the hands go to
work at 6 o'clock in the morning, and with
two Intervals of three-quarters Of an hour
each, work until O'Clock at night.
The financial system of Mexico is at loose
ends evidently, as Mr.. Conner says that
a parent bank, which has branch at San
Luis Potosi discounts the paper of the
latter. Very little Of the gold coin issued
in Mexico finds its way among the people,
but is exported as fast as it is coined. Mr..
Conner saw but one gold coin while in
Mexico, and the gentleman who had that
had to buy it at a premium.
Silver is at a discount there. American
silver coin and American silver certificates
pass current at par with the Mexican silver
coin, but gold bearing American treasury
notes are worth 81 35, and Mr.. Conner was
said 81 IS for New York exchange