The McCook tribune., 1896-10-30
Fought for Corn.


At the town of Siloa, $50 miles from
the City of Mexico, I saw an object les
son of Mexican energy and activity.
Travellers who have explored Mexico
will tell you that the masses are lazy,
listless and Indifferent, but there are
exceptions to the rule. When the Mex
lean Central passenger train halted at
the station the usuh great crowd OF
natives were there to meet it. The
venders and beggars and the curious
specimens Of humanity of the neighbor-
hood were all there. On the opposite
side of the depot stood train of hogs
which were being shipped by Armour
OF Kansas City to the City of Mexico.
It had been sidetracked for the passen-
ger. Instantly there was mad rush
of men. women and children for the
hog train. The brakemen had taken
from the cabooSe several sacks OF
shelled corn and were feeding the hogs.
a few gallons of the corn fell to the
ground. and one hundred men, women
and children fought each other like
demons to get hold of few kernels to
eat. The race was to the swift, and
decrepit old women and half-clothed
children were trampled upon by the
muscular Mexicans whose hunger for
food made demons of them.
Farming.
The traveller who goes to Mexico to
study the conditions of the people
ought to stop a day or two at the bor-
der as did l crossed the line at Ell
Paso. Texas, where l had a good op-
rortunity for comparing the methods of
farming in both countries. On the Mex
lean side of the Rio Grande is valley
that stretches away for many miles,
which has been under a crude system
of cultivation for over three hundred
years. The lack OF enterprise, thrift
and prosperity is noticeable every
where. while over on the Texas border,
with fewer natural advantages, are
large and commodious homes, well i'm
proved farms, big stock ranches, and
every evidence of contented and pros
porous people.
The Glasses of Mexico.
There are only two classes in Mexico
the very rich and the very poor.
There are about 100000 people in
the republic. and one million of these
own the lands, the mines, the manufac-
lures and other enterprises. The rail
roads are owned by foreign capitalists.
This class is prosperous because 1t IS
the policy of the government to aid by
large concessions any enterprise that
will tend to the development of Mexi-
cos ineXhaustible resources. Back OF
this is President DiaZ' standing army
which would shoot to death any body
of laboring men who would even con-
slider the matter Of striking for better
wages. Why should not these big en-
terprises prosper when they can employ
labor for almost nothing? But the
magic touch of this prosperity has not
left its impress on the other 12,0OO,0OO
who constitute the tOiling masses OF
Mexico The men who work on the
great haciendas, or plantations of the
rich, are today in as deplorable condi-
ton as they were before mile of rail-
road track was laid in the republic.
During the past seventeen years that
country has experienced its greatest
growth in railroad building and min
ing. Within this period the Mexican
dollar has fallen from per cent above
par, as compared with American gold,
but labor has remained stationary. The
common farm labor has ranged from
% to 81 cents per day, while the Mexi-
can dollar has fuctuated from s1.0S to
43 cents. Therefore, it is not true that
there is a tendency to increase the
wages of the millions whose toll pro-
duces the wheat, the corn, the cotton,
the coffee, the tobacco and the fruits
of Mexico.
The agricultural lands of Mexico are
owned by few men. They have