The sun., 1896-09-20

l.B0k for ono
u. 3. currency.

u. g. currency.
i...........,...,. ...''s''.''''''''''''''''''
That 10 what was ohalked on the board to-day
Tomorrow tho figures may be changed. They
may be l. .ss, without the half, or they may be
1850. They may bo something higher or
something lower. It isn't safe 70 bet against
this game. Tho Mexican National train, COM
ing up from the heart OF Mexico, draws In
on the east side of this station. The Interna-
tional and Great Northern. coming down
from tho United States, occupies the track
on the west side.
Twice n day international travel flows through
tho waiting room. It Is northward bound at
noon and southwark bound at night II slows
mp In tho waiting room. Before that blacks
board, with Its strange device, the gold stand
ard and silver standard meet and learn where
they arc at" The numbers tell tho relation OF
tho money OF Mexico TO the money Of the United
States for the day. They arc teleEraphed from
New York every twenty-four hours. To-day's
numbers notified the stream of travel that ono
dollar of American money was the equivalent
of Sl.ssIS Mexican money. This seoms plain
enough. And ret there is behind tho window In
that waiting room man who is grow
ing thin and bent trying to keep track
OF the two standards for himself, and
TO make other fairly intelligent peo-
pie comprehend the shifting relations OF the
two kinds OF money. Mr.. Hipps, for that is tho
unfortunate name name, 10 entitled to the SYM
pathy of two republics. He knows moro about
the silver question than does Senator Stewart
OF Nevada. Tho American traveller comes in
from the north and puts down his money rs
good as gold to pay for q ticket somewhere In
Mexico. He gets his ticket and more money
than he put down. but 1t 10 money covered with
eagles, fighting snakes, with liberty caps and
nunbursts and other strange designs, The sight
Tt r = nsprSs the A%sTiesn can travel Travel,
and Mr.. Hlpps shuts of controversy In a few
words Of fluent Spanish: It is comparatively
feel good by giving him more change than he
can carry. But when the tide from the south
To-day, with occasional volunteer suggestions
In several LANGUAGES from six men who stood in
9S M h: seH sao
holder from the City of Mexico. This Mexican.
tsmpse Mls Sy the rush ,, Of foreign Investors TO
acres. With the proceeds of the sale ho had
s.HrteS star ~ to gain wisdom ll through Eu5opsa1
II had Psni f0.fS GcPden D'E ssa ssf.
seea tho .Ss a5
he S and eood TeS des
American than he did. The capitalist wanted 1
tTo y, o., tickets Gs from Laredo to New York; Mr..
duced his package OF Sl0o bills. And there the
Iiipps the capitalist, and % the woman WON a Ht talked
finance. Mr.. Hipps had big yellow book He
ali 9ns s.ep
0Sd end digs"nf fno IN Spanish SO that the eaptass
ss Ss ana lSe ,s held
s92.so; His money had been good enough for
travel In Mexico. How was it that to pay Saa.so
TO his black board. and covered another paSe Of
the big yellow book with figures. Tie pale wo-
tal!.t shook his head and looked hopeless.
r. Hipps went to dinner He was exhausted. |
The capitalist % .I and the pale woman sat in the
woman had arrived at an UNDERSTANDING. They
200. multiplied it by so. the value Of the MeIi.
NsM by He 'ss sSe
He subtracted 92.s0 from 1O4. which gave him |
and Hipp. tore il @ out Ss BOOK an' The
Mexican fingered his two 500 bill. rsgrettully
se so 'sS n.S.n HS
car can silver dollars. an American dime, and two
asSss The ss ak me men Of various natiolalltes
several W, lansuaEos that 1T was all right"
the woman exchanged a few words. Then the
woman, addressing Hips. said they would like
good to take them oil Of the the way % thronEh eto 10
New York The mystery of the tickets with
,ho desttnat9H % shown BY the punch marx. was
out another idea struck the capitalist. Hipps's
,atienco and lightning calculations were evil
confidence. The capitalist conferred with the
woman again. and she told HIpps that as they
between Laredo and New York the
'HpitaliSt wanted to know how much of his Next
,an money. Once moro Hipps had recourse 70
ond DAD man figured, the capitalist produced a
lnFt pa1t !
ountcd out ten American silver dollars sand and
h4ved I1v them toward the capitalist Tho capt
cen bigger and heavier Mexican silver dollars.
nd showed them toward Hipps. The ten Amcri.
,he nineteen Mexican dollars were stacked np
.Mn hn inc 9sher exchange in the railroad office.
ho rebosa climbed on the north bound train
iipps ran over his figures again.
y. nave d beat myself out OF ten cents" he said.
Ihns does tho silver question obtrudo upon
ne railroad business at the crossing Of the Rio
These two Laredos present fascinating oppor.
nnities i9r entaneementin coinage intricaces.
u the Texas aide of the river. Linked with IL
= 9ir,dgss spanning the Rio Grande is the
ia hui fmewa nN LAREDO, with not 80 many peo-
sNnh; aw,hE tho third LARGEST Custom House in the
opnd opnoI,S' laredo does business for a great
ollar MS good as gold.
Nuevs Laredo does business for another great
oiiar larger and heavier than the American
oi'ar hut worth to-day 81 cents IL You want 10
d! 1t y and o3 cents II you want to buy Il. x
, QUO DC pretty hard TO hnd five business men
! the Texas Laredo who are in favor Of The
nTrd !. ~ states adopting free coinage OF silver
,,d nere p Where yon are wrong" said u rail-
V Weii ' lots 'saE eoust Set'as smS him N.
hey did. ' 'A'" '"o i""yer' una
One named snd the other talliea Thsv
emoeEed between them seven business man |
laredo ~ favor Of the Chicago platform.
knew II wouldn't take the fingers on both |
ahds 10 count en-" commented the LAWYER
Some Hdeas for NorkInrmep.
10 THE EDITOR OF THE SuN-Sir: Tho silver