The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1896-10-16
DOWN IN MEXICO
A South Dakota Man Spent Some Time in
Mexico and Writes Of Conditions
as. He Found Them.
Reveals Anything but a Desirable Way
Of Living and Working in that
Free Coinage Country.
SOME IMPROVEMENTS
City Council Has Purchased a New Boil er
for the Water Works and the Ser
vice Will be Better.
THE MEXICAN LABORER.
Tho Conditions Which Surround Him Are
Well Explained.


j. Fl. ScRIvEN, ESQ Mitchell, S. D.
Dear Friend: Your letter of the 28th
came to hand during my absence and in
reply to your question as to the effect
of free silver in Mexico will say that
1 know very little about the effect, but
1 do know from personal observation
something OF the conditions existing in
Mexico and 1 will mention few facts
ana you can draw your own conclus-
ions. spent little over three weeks
in different parts of the republic of
Mexico and saw a great many of their
people, both rich and poor. The rich
are very stylish aud fashionably dress
ed and drive very stylish horses and
carriages, but the laboring class are in
most deplorable condition. Carpen-
ters, blacksmiths and other mechanics
receive from IS cents to ST per day,
Mexican money, miners 379 cents and
board, which consists of two pounds OF
ground corn (miners cook it himself)
per day, street sprinkling and sweep
ing is done by hand in the city of Mex
leo and they receive from l24 to 2
cents per day. All OF the prices mem
toned is Mexican money. A police
man gets IS cents per day and serves
"a hours without relief and then has II
hours off. Officers OF police get Sl.OO.
The poorer classes live in small rooms
| in tenement houses and room IL to IA
| feet square often contains family OF
from 10 to Is persons, and I think it is
safe to say that in out OF every 10
families you will not find a bed, chair,
table, stove or any other piece of fur
niture, except q strip OF coarse mating
thrown on the flag stone floor for bed
for the whole family. A box 2 to 3
feet square, serves to hold their entire
stock OF goods, wares and merchandise
and in one corner you will generally
find a few stones or bricks, with a piece
of iron or tin covering them and this
serves for stove, charcoal being used
for fuel, but most of the cooking is done
in the gutter on the streets and con.
sists almost entirely of corn meal which
they mix up with water and bake or
one of the fire places mentioned above
They also cook and use great many
black beans and this is the principa
living of the laboring man CT Mexico
You may go along the tenement houses
in any part of the city of Mexico any
time, day or night, and you will fine
thousands Of people who live just as
have described it above. The poor peo
pie are all ignorant and uneducated ant
did not see school house n all of NJ,
travels in Mexico, although the Catho
lie church have schools where thu
children of the better classes, who ar
able to pay, are educated. AL of tn
draying and carting is done by men
either on their backs or. by means o
stretchers. There is governmen
road from Mexico over the mountain
to the Pacific coast to Acapulco and
have seen hundreds of men out on thi
road, from 40 to so miles coming to tn
city of Mexico, carrying heavy loads O
their backs to market. The averag
load is 1875 pounds. They general
carry fruit from the Pacific slope, char
coal from the mountain sides and chick
ems in box strapped to the back
They also carry a great deal of th
produce on the backs of small mule
and the LOADS usually consist of stone
hay, wood, charcoal, etc. They will g
all this distance afoot and then Sc
their goods for few Mexican pennies
AL! OF the land is owned by the ric
and is usually farmed by hired labo1
although some rent it out in sma
patches. Most of the poor men, wome
and children 60 bare footed and thos
who are shod wear sole leather sant
al. The men dress in white, tight Fl
ting cotton trousers and blouse OF tt
same material. The women dress
calico dresses and are nearly alwa,
bare headed. The city OF Mexico hi
$50, 900 people and was informed tn
there were 10000 licensed prostitut