Southwest-sentinel. [volume] (Silver City, N.M.) 1883-189?, 1894-03-20
READS TO WORKMEN.
THE NOVEL OCCUPATION FOLLOWED
eY A NEW YORK MAN.

The Spanish speaking cigar makers in
this town employ a man TO read to them
while they are at work. In no other IN
dustry is this thing done, though II
would seem that other workers 'by the
piece" could initiate the Cubans to adj
vantage. Not only do they keep in touch
with all tho nows, but it keeps them
from talking, ond there isn't a minute
Of their time wasted.
The Cubaus are great takers, and
this is wha: probably started the cue
tom in the cigar factories OF Havana.
When tho men were brought to this
country to make their cigars in Key
West and the lower part of New York
city, they wanted a reader more than
ever. They are very bright, intelligent
fellows, these Cubans, and they take n
deep interest in the news of the world
as we'll as the latest intelligence from
their own little island. They all sub
scribe to fund to pay their render, and
they work all the harder for keeping
their mouths closed and their minds
employed as they roll the tobacco.
Julian Barreda ~ probably the most
popular of the young men who earn q
good living by amusing ana instructing
the cigar makers. he Is a native of
Porto Rico, where he learned the Eng
lish language as well as r great many
other things. He has had a college ed
ucation and can translate the English
aud American newspapers into Latin
and Greek as easily as in spanish.
He is employed just now in two fac
tories, that Of Lozano, Pendas & Co.,
at 200 Pearl street, and another one
at William and Platt streets. When
Barreda first came to this country,
he could not speak the language very
well, though he knew It theoretically
and could read and write it. He is a
skilled electrician, but could get moth
ing to do In his line and so went 10 ID
dressing envelopes at $3.50 a week.
There was a vacancy in one Of the Gu
ban cigar factories after awhile, and by
that time Barreda had mastered the
speech Of this country.
He walked into the factory one day,
and mounting the table which served as
q rostrum for the reader he made a lit
tie speech to the men, the purport Of
which was that he thought he would
make a good reader for them.
They told him to 60 ahead and show
what be could do. H. pulled a paper
out Of his pocket and began reading a
tariff editorial to them. They demand
ed ore when he had finished the edi-
torial, and he read to them for en hour,
TRANSMITTING the cable news, the sensa
tions Of the day and the Washington
dispatches into their native Spanish.
Tho trial was satisfactory. and he was
engaged at Once for four hours q day.
There were 80 Cubans in the factory at
that time, and each agreed to give him
20 cents a week. Then Barreda made
an arrangement on tho same terms with
another factory, which employed AZ
men. and he was in receipt OF a good In
come at once.
he rends for ~ hours at each factory
in the morning and for "a hours in the
afternoon. He has his evenings to him
self, hut ho occupies a couple Of hours
then in reading the afternoon pal6rs tC
faIniliariEe himself with the late news,
and SO his day Is a busy n
1t is not so easy q task as might
suppose, " said Barreda TO a reporter.
THE men are very critical, and if the
matter is dull or uninteresting they dc
not hesitate to shout out and demand
change. They are especially interested
in the foreign news. Then they want
the general news and anything sensa-
tional in the city news. They like scan.
dial. A divorce cRse or anything on that
order Just suits them. As fast rs thC
Cuban papers arrive by mail l get them
and read them, and the Spanish papers
published in the city contain a great
deal that the men want to hear.
I'm the afternoon ! read to them out
Of some book. Just now / am readinG
Gil Bias in one shop and a Spanish
novel called The Two Sister5' in tbs
other. When Ihave finished a novel,
select half a dozen others that thinl
} will suit them and read them a list o.
, titles. Then they vote ON which u
shall begin"
, Are they good l~istsnors?'
, THE best in the world. They arC
, working al tho time, and they are Rnx
r ious not to Ihiss a word. They worl
. faster when some one Is reading, anC
| they realize that if they ever get to talk
, ing together their bill at the end OF tn,
week will be just SO much less. They
D are nearly all revolutionists, you know
o and there is great chance for argumen
among them, because they all belong I,
different factions.
Il have 10 be very careful in reading
the Cuban papers and those published
in Spanish in this city that / do no
miss an editorial representing some par
ticular shade of opinion. Nomatter HOY
radical it Is, il is sure to have some ad
herent and Bomo sympathizer in til
shop"
Barreda has learned to be a very dis
eliminating newspaper reader. II
? knows when to skip the dry part Of a
\ article, and he knows just what nowi
= paper is the one to begin on in the morn
ing.
None Of his hearers speaks Englisf
and their desire to know about III
country and the city they are living i
makes the employment of the reader NJ
only a luxury which few workmen CT
4 joy at their occupations, but an absolu.
necessity. New York World.
= Good Match.
Little Ethel dess III marry Georg
Sweet wen he grows mp.
J, hothcr-You like him, do you?
= Little Ethel-N-o, not much, but he
JUS as fond OF chocolates as i am.