The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-01-29
LIFE IN AZTEC LAND.
a Savannah Man Tells What he Saw
in Mexico.

| John R. Dillon who went to Mexico as a
conductor on the Mexican National-Capt.
| w. G. Raouls road has returned to Savan-
nah and is back on the Savannah, Florida
and Western railway again. His descrip-
tion of the country and the habits and
customs of the natives of Mexico is highly
intere ting. when you cross the borders
of Mexico he said, 1.-THE custom officials
examine all of your baggage, but they are
| not as otficious as in some other countries.
| They allow you to take anything OF a
personal nature that you want and no
restrictions are placed upon the amount you
carry. After passing into Mexico, every
! thing is Mexican except the railroads and
the railroad eating houses The railroads
have three classes Of cars, in which the fare
| is 3 cents, 2 cents and ! d cent a kilometer,
or fve-eights of mile The third class cars
have seat running through the center and
one on each side, similar to our street cars.
| The second class cars correspond very well
with our first class cars, and the first class
are as fine as any that are built"
How does the cost of living in Mexico
compare with the price in this country e.
ut don't cost a great deal to live there
Fare is comparatively cheap. The eating
houses charge 81 per meal in Mexican
money, for which the banks on the border
allow 70 cents in American money. At
almost any hotel outside Of the City of
Mexico you are charged not more than Is
cents for breakfast. About so cents for
dinner and 3713 for supper. Beds cost so
cents. There is no such thing there as
private boarding house"
"Are many Americans finding employ
ment in Mexco!"
ION Capt. Raoul's road there are many
Georgians and some Savannah men. Nearly
all the officers are old Central railroad
men,"
In speaking of the character and customs
of the natives Mr.. Dillon said that the Next
cans are very polite and genteel people.
The girls are very pretty and sweet look
ing" he said, land have pretty, winsome
ways. They mature very early and are
often mothers at IL or Is years old. The
The law allows early marriages. The
average Mexican is of small stature, aud
very few wear beard. AS a rule they are
dark complicated, 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 Ger
mans"
In abiding to the products of the country
and the manner and cost of living, Mr..
Dillon said: THE products Of Mexico are
very cheap, but such things as are imported
are very dear. Hams are 81 per pound,
butter IS cents, lard 3715 cents, etc. Fresh
illpetOo al 10 CClADo pei pOQuu, Dub 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 said that Americans find this
way of cooking the hardest thing to become
accustomed to. Stoves, he said, that st
$40 here, cost $3.50 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 If ie ronvar vary hot oil
reading is the principal occupation for
Americans who go there, and they get very
good wages. Conductors get from Sl25 to
$50 Per month, brakemen from $55 to SO
engineers from $l55 to $3.50, and firemen
ge- about $85 per month. 1t is all in Next
can money Of coure.
SIS there much sickness in Mexicogi
1.-THE only drawback is the everlasting
prevalence of smallpox. IL is everywhere
aud everybody has it. l can speak from
experience, when / say that it is the worst,
most disagreeabie, and viest disease that
one can be afflicted with The houses are
all built solid and have little square court
yard in the center. Very few of the houses
are more than one story, and horses, COWS and
donkeys all enter at the front door, and live
under the same roof. There are 10 frame
houses except on the border and those the
railroads have built. The houses are built
o.t of sand and straw, called 'daubings'
The roofs are fiat, and 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.
The labor of the country is done
by poems, a class between the Mexi-
can and Indian. They receive for
their services is cents per day, out
Of which they feed and clothe THEMSELVES.
When person dies unable to buy coffin,
which is very costly, one is rented in which
to convey the remains to the grave, where
the body is taken out and buried and the
coffin returned. In Mexico person must
be buried within twenty-four hours after he
is dead. SO If a stranger dies in
that country he will be buried there.
The cemeteries are all small, aud after a
pc son has been buried a certain length of
time another grave is dug in the same spot
and somebody else buried there. 1t is not
uncommon to see the grave digger dig IN
bones, skulls and garments Of the dead. -
The religion of the country is Catholic,
and the converts to professionalism, Mr.. Dillon
says, are principally among the lower
classes, as they have nothing TO lose by be-
coming a Protestant. All the churches
nave good music and beautiful paintings.
In one of the churches at San Luis Potosi, |
saw picture of the Lords Supper" which
was 100 feet long and 25 feet high, all the
figures being life size