The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1896-10-10

same paving commands In American
money In the States. American cities
pay about $3.50 a square yard for brick
paved streets. Monterey VIII got her
streets paved for little less than 500
q square yard. and that price will be In
money worth one-half the American
price.
Other Occupations.
As In mining and in brickmaking; so u
In All industries. Monterey Is DOOM
ing. Wages remain fixed at the old rates,
and can be paid In the deprecated SUI
yer. That gives the margin OF proht.
The most striking Of the object lessons,
perhaps, ares those which the railroads
furnish. These roads In Mexico are
well managed. The depots and sur,
roundings are maryelously clean and
neat. The roadbeds will compare most
favorably with those in the states. The
train service is excellent. Mexican
money does IL. East from Laredo 10
Corpus Christi, on the Gulf. wholly on
American soil. the Mexican National has
a division 100 miles long. Southward
from Laredo the first division OF the
same road. within Mexican territory, ex-
tends 20 Monterey, 1853 miles, about the
same distance. On one side of the Rio
Grande the Mexican National pays
wages in Mexican silver. ON the other
side the pay roll Is met with American
money.
Conductors between Laredo and Corpus
get SlO5 month In gold. Conductors
between Laredo and Monterey get Sl3O
a month in Mexican silver. which Is
worth $6T.00. for the same kind of serv-
ice.
Engineers on the Texas side are paid
$3.50 in gold for 100 miles. Engneers
on the Mexican side receive $3.50 in
Mexican silver. worth $2.S6, for 100
miles
Brakemen running 10 Corpus get $50
month In gold; TO Monterey, $50
month in Mexican silver, worth 5000.
Firemen on the Texas division are paid
at the rate of S1.S0 in gold for 100 miles
travelled; on the Mexican division, $50,
worth Sill.
A general officer of the Mexican Ma
tional TOO modest 90 have his name in
print, gave these wages from his books.
When he had read them off 10 this point,
an interested looker-on interrupted with:
II should think all of the fellows on
the Monterey division would want TO get
on the Texas division"
Probably they would" said the officer.
but we have combined the runs so that
on all mixed trains the crews go through
from Corpus TO Monterey That gives
them 100 miles on n gold basis in Texas
and lOS miles on a silver basis IN Mexi-
co. They have the gold and the silver di-
visions alternately. We do that TO give
them all the same chance"
when did the company adopt this plan
of evening thingsT"
About two years ago."
How about wages of section hands 2"
The official turned 10 the books again.
"On the Texas division" he said. fore
men get $40 month in American money.
The lnborers get 20 cents a day. On the
Mexican side foremen get $40 a month In
Mexican silver, and laborers 62la cents,
both in Mexican silver"
AT the prevailing rate of exchange this
gives section fOremen on the Mexican side
so month and section hands about 81
cents day in American money.
but you must remember" said the
railroad official. "these figures for fore
men and labor hold good only as far be-
low the border ms Saltillo. That is 90
miles south of the frontier As You go
toward the interior wages decrease.
From Saltillo southwark 10 San Luis
Potosi, 26S miles. section foremen are
paid 81 30 day and laborers zoe n day,
all in Mexican silver Still further
south, below San Luis Potosi, the pay is
81 20 day for fOremcn and for laborer
3112e a day, Mexican silver"
Have railroad wages undergone any
change with the decline of Mexican sill
mo. These are the rates today. and
they were the same In 1888 when silver
dollars were worth half more than they
are now"
Concerning Lead.
"Thc silver mine owners of Monterey
would be greatly gratifed TO SEQ Mr.
Bryan restore silver 20 $t.29 an ounce? p
was suggested TO Mr.. Joaquin Maiz.
On the contrary. replied the owner
OF san Pedro quickly and with decided
emphasis, the less silver is worth, the
better for us
This seeming paradox Mr.. Maiz pro-
ceeded 10 explain. In so doing he threw
much light upon the operation of the sill
yer basis in silver country. What he
said OF wnges and living will be par
tlcularly interesting In the United States
IF we got 81 % an ounce" he be-
gan, "it would be $l.20 in Mexican
money. Mexican money would be the
same as American money. and both the
same as gold. Under present conditions.
suppose we got only 60 cents an ounce In
American money for our silver. That
American money Is worth 100 per cent.
more than Mexican money. In other
words. the Go cents an ounce in Amer
lean money or gold for our silver is
worth double that in Mexican money.
SO you see we would get no more per
ounce In Mexican money II silver wns
worth $l.29. Now the main value OF
our Monterey ores does not come from
the silver. but from the lead. If I have
lead In my silver ore running % per
cent. that will be 500 pounds of lead
10 the ton Of ore. At 3 cents that lead
is worth SO in the United States. That
is $15 in gold, which is $50 in Mexican
money.
Silver, You must remember" Mr.
Maiz continued, doesn't govern the
price Of lead. IL silver should 60 IN 10
SID an ounce, or, which is the same
thing, 20 par with gold. my lead would
keep about even. regardless of the nuc-
tuation Of silver. 1t would still be
worth 3 cents In gold. My 500 mounds Of
lead per ton would be worth SO in gold
but Il wouldn't be worth any moro i'm
silver. II would be $15 in gold In Amer
lean silver and in Mexican silver"
Having shown that he would ret very
little II any more in Mexican money
| for his silver II IL commanded 81 %
or par with gold. and having demon.
strated that the advance Of silver 10
! S1.20 would knock him out Of half Of
his return for the lead. measured by the
Mexican money. Mr. Maiz proceeded 10
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