The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-02-08

LUIS CUES " lltlle uuedu VI uuy 9alt llNSt
excursion We have had in West Vir-
gina, but West Virginians can learn,
The labor OF Colombia is done by
poems. Born to labor they do not hope
to rise above it and are rarely disap-
pointed. The engineer said that with
out knowing at the beginning anything
of the Spanish language he had used
these laborers successfully, found them
eager to learn and quick to take an idea.
They are of mixed Indian, negro and
Spanish blood, and form a distinct caste,
Virtually they are slaves. AS matter
OF fiction they are contract laborers, re.
ceiving barely enough to keep body and
soul together and absolutely obedient
to the master, As long.distance car
riers wonderful stories are told OF these
poems. Tho engineer said he met
one carrying piano up into the noun
tains. The piano was held TO the mans
back by straps across his forehead and
breast, and he bore it over places OF
danger where slip would have sent
the piano hurting down TO destruction.
"And the manY-"Hou mean the
peon? Poems are cheap in that coun-
try" Yet the peon makes an admira-
BILE soldier Supposed to be a volunteer,
he is really impressed into the service
and is a slave there as elsewhere, Tho
governor Of a state sending in some re-
cruits to headquarters accompanied
them with the polite request, "Please
return the halters." The engineer had
seen recruits with their halters on.
The engineer was enthusiastic over
the opportunities for trade between the
United States and Spanish America.
He insisted, however that our manu-
facturers mus realize that they must
meet conditions aAd cannot make them.
The people down there may not know
what is best for them but they know
what they want. Not only so, but they
know ilow they want their manuiac-
tured commeaities packed. Goods
must be put up so rs TO be freighted by
carriers from the sea coast to the in-
terror. The French, Germans and Eng
lish understand this and get the trade.
The English are in the lead. 1t Is in
teresting to know how they cultivate
the field. A representative will 20 to
Cartagena, for example, and spend the
first month or so becoming acquainted,
entertaining and spendlng0money free
ly. During this time he talks no shop
but is doing u mighty deal OF reconnoit-
cring. In three months he will be
ready to send home orders aggregating
5000 900, 100000, perhaps half a mil
lion. Instead OF credits being long in
Colombia they are almost on o cash
basis. The Colombians desire to deal
with the United States and, other
things being equal, would give us the
preference. Tho engineer thought that
Wheeling could do well with her glass
and pottery down there II our manuiac-
turers would learn what the market re-
quires and make their packages to suit
the country.
II 1t had not been Tor Mr.. Icnoramus
Smart, who entered the smoking COM
partment during the talk, could have
had something about the Panama canal
from the engineer; but Mr.. Smart
caught the conversation on the fly and
ranit in his own groove. Pretty soon
he was instructing the electrical engin-
Ger in electrical engineering, displaying
marvellous accumulation ofmisinform-
alton and finally striking his level by
reciting a series OF business rascalities
OF which he was the hero. This fellow
was a contractor for kind OF work
which shall be nameless because he
said that everybody engaged init cheats
his customer ii he can and because
his stories OF rascality were for the
most part rankly absurd. The rest OF
the world is not such fool as Mr..
Ignoramus Smart would have had his
hearers believe. This was altogether
an interesting character. II his state
ments were challenged he did not
notice 1t. If it We're suggested that
what he called business shrewdness was
downright roguery he did not catch the
point. lie Is introduced TO lNTELLI-
GENcER readers because he represents
the type OF man, not common | think,
without any moral sensibility what
soever. This fellow broke up the little
company in the smoking compartment
One by one they walked out, The
series Of Forty Thieves stories as re-
lated by the hero had become flat and
disgusting
Trust ono of Mr.. Pullman's porters to
look alive when fee is in sight. AT
Chicago the engineer had given his
blanketed parrot in charge OF the por'
ter. This man was to leave tho car at
Benwood. To the Pullman conductor
he said in my hearing: "l'll wake him
up with your permission. "-"Well, you
won't got it" replied tho conductor,
who, turning to me said, Wants his
fee" Tho engineer and his wife,
thanks to the thoughtiulness OF a
thoughtful conductor, were not aroused
at midnight to give the portera chance
to levy tribute on them. The incident
led traveller to remark that for hin-
self he was 'tired OF Mr.. Pullman and
his porters." He did not object to the
porters, but no thought IL time that the
public forced the rich Pullman COM
pany to pay It's own servants. Porter's
fees arc not what they used to be.
Travellers who used to give quarter
now give ten cents, or nothing. On a
recent train OF eight Shoppers from
Chicago to Washington eight portcrs
gathered up seven dollars, and every
car was packed with all 1t would hold.
Mr. Pullman is paying his portera seven
teen dollars a month, expecting the
passengers to do the rost, His conduc-
tors receive SO n month, Baltimore 4
Ohio conductors Sll0. II Pullman
conductor is sick and has to lay Off he
loses his pay. His place Is taken by
another conductor who has to make tho
extra run without extra pay So that a
sick conductor Is q source Of profit to
tho Pullman company. cn.H