News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1889-03-07
THE MEXICANS.
Traits and Habits of the People
Across the Rio Grande,

John r. Dillon, of Savannah, who went
| to Mexico as a conductor ON the Mexican
National, is back on the Savannah, Flori-
da and Western railway again. His de-
scription of the country and the habits
and customs of the natives of Mexico is
highly interesting. "When you cross
the borders of Mexico" he said "the
customs officials examine all of your bag
gage, but they are not so officious as in
some other countries. They allow you to
take anything of personal nature that
/ You want, and no restrictions are placed
on the amount you carry. After passing
into Mexico, everything is Mexican ex-
cept the railroads and the railroad eat
ing houses. The railroads have three
classes of cars, in which the fare is three
cents, two cents and one and half cents
a kilOmetre, or five eighths of a mile.
The third class cars have a seat running
through the centre and one on eeah side
similar to our street cars. The second
class cars correspond very well with our
first class cars, and the first class cars
are as fine as any that are built.
"How does the cost of living in MeXi-
co compare with the price in this coun-
try
'It dosn't cost great deal to live
there. Fare is comparatively cheap.
The eating houses charge Que dollar per
meal in Mexican money, for which the
banks ON the border allow seventy-three
cents in American money. At almost
any hotel outside the City of Mexico you
are charged not more than eighteen cents
for your breakfast. About fifty cents for
dinner, and thirty seven and one-half for
supper. Beds cost fifty cents. There is
no such thing there as private boarding
house.
In speaking of the character and Gus
toms of the natives, Mr.. Dillon said that
the Mexicans are very polite and genteel
people. ''The girls are very pretty and
sweet looking" he said, ''and have
pretty, winsome ways. They mature
very early, and are often mothers at
twelve or thirteen years old. The law
allows early marriages. The average
Mexican is of small stature and very few
wear beard. As rule they have dark
compleXions, although some of them are
very light. They are very shrewd
traders, and make splendid merchants.
There are very few Jews in Mexico, but
many Germans.
In alluding to the products Of the
country and the manner and cost of liv-
ing, Mr.. Dillon said: "The products OF
Mexico are very cheap, but such things
as are imported are very dea-. Hams
are 81 per pound, butter rs cents, lard
81 IL cents, etc. Fresh meats are Is
cents per pound, but vegetables are very
cheap. House rent is also cheap and
one can live cheaply there if he desires.
Stoves are not used. The cooking is
done on earthen pots with charcoal.
Mr.. Dillon says the Americans find
this way of cooking the hardest thing to
become accustomed to. Stoves, he said,
that cost so here cost $50 there. Wood
is very dear, but there is little use for it,
since it is never cold enough for fires,
and, except in the low country, it is
never very hot. Railroading is the
principal occupation for Americans who
go there, and they get very good wages.
Conductors get from S125 to $50 per
month, brakemen from $50 to $40, engi-
neers from S155 to $3.50, and firemen get
about SS5 per month. It is all in Mex
ican money, of course.
els there much sickness in Mexico %
'"The only drawback is the everlasting
prevalence of smallpox. 1t is every
where and everybody has it ] can
speak from experience, when / say that
it is the worst, most disagreeable, and
vilest disease that one can be afflicted
with. The houses are all built solid
and have little square court yard in
the centre. Very few of the honses are
more than one story, and horses, COWS
and donkeys all enter at the front door,
and live under the same roof. There
arc no frame houses except on the bor-
der and those the railroads have built.
The houses are built out of sand and
straw, called dobeys.' The roofs are
fiat aud the floors are made of brick, as
in most parts of Mexico trees which
were large enough for lumber purposes
have been long since used--1tlanta
Constitution.