Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-09-24

sit IL simply desperate. There is
nothing in IL that could be construed to
mean prosperity. / will give you q
of the wages paid along the
Northern frontier, and l give the fig
,,res OF Mexican money. Here they are:
Masons, 81 a day; blacksmiths, III to
81 .25; bookkeepers, $3O'a month: sales
men of twelve to fifteen years expert.
ence, $40 to $25 a month; miners. 70
cents q day; silver SHELTERS, so to IS
cents a day; day laborers, such ms
masons' attendants, 37a cents a day;
male house servants, from 10 to 81
cents a day; farm laborers, ls to 30
cents a day; sewing girls, Is to 81 cents
a day: farm laborers, IS to 30 cents q
day; shepherds, Is to 80 cents Il day"
"What kind Of living does this al
ford?'
SWELL. the laborer usually lives in a
single room with a dirt floor and dirt
roof, upholstered walls, and for this he
must pay about 81. so per month. The
ordinary house Of the labOring man
man would not be q first-class pig pen
in the United States. When he is con-
fronted by the price list OF the staple
articles OF consumption he finds that
for cornmeal, which is the diet OF nine
tenths of the M~exicans, he must pay
about 30 cents q peck; coffee has been
selling for a number Of years at44 cents
q pound; lard averages 3Ocents a pound;
fresh pork, Is cents q pound; beef is APP
parently cheap at 8 cents a pound;
sugar commands ii cents u pound, and
salt 4: beans are worth 81 cents q peck,
and eggs 60 at an average price OF 50
cents q dozen. II he wants 10 look his
meals the wood he uses for that purpose
will cost him about Sll a cord.
1T will be seen Mt once these prices
are %prohibitory so far as the laboring
man is concerned. What does he do?
Into his single room he gathered some
earthenware cooking utensils. If he
we're to offer you all he has as q gift,
with with a chrome thrown in,
YOU would not &C.
cept them, although they may have
cost him all told So. He builds a fire
on the floor in the middle of the room
and cooks his meal, then eats it, using
the floor, or hiskee, Us a table. The
bill of fare of the average wOrkmen
consists of a coarse corn cake with q
relish;of. red pepper" :.
"The breakfast and dinner would
consist of these corr cakes, which he
would dip in q mixture consisting
mainly OF red pepper. What he had for
supper when the days work was ended,
/ no not know. Probably there would
be no change in the bill of fare. o.
casionally the laborer has a small al
lowance of beans, but he veay rarely
eats meat, and a cup of coffee is almost
an unknown luxury.
when he has completed his daily
task and taken his supper he retires
for the night. Two dirty sheep skins
are generally part of the %furnature OF a
house. On these the w~orkingman sits
during the day if he has any time to sit,
and sleeps on them at night. Not one
house in ten has in it a single chair or
table. His clothing consists of coarse
muslin of native manufacture. costing
III cents a yard, although a better
quality can be bought in the United
States for 3 cents. Woolens OF native
manufacture are beyond reach of his
purse. For a pair OF shoes he must pay
81, although they would not bring q
cents in this country, and il his wife
wear shoes they will cost her Sl.25
pair. Our people would not wear the
Mexican shoes. However, the labor
ing man usually e a sandal, costing
SO cents. 1t is simply a piece of SOLE
leather bound to the foot with thongs
"MasOns and carpenters can eat ,
little better, dress a little better, &C
cupy a little better hause, in which
possibly, he may have rude bottOmet
chairs and a rude bed. l don't know
single journeyman masor or carpenter
who owns his own house. My cOngre
CATION at SaltillO was made up OF al
average working people and Their
were 100 members, only one OF whom
owned his own house. He had in SOM
way became possessed OF q hom'
worth about $500, Mexican money"
"HOw would Mexico be benefited b.
the adoption of the gold standard?
was asked.
"If Mexico were to adopt a gOl'
standard and" Mr.. Boyce said, and tn
government to pledge the part
OF silver and gold. as the United State
does, it would add materially to he
prosperity. The purchasing power G
her silver coin would undoubtedly b
increased and the wage Garner coul,
buy goods of foreign manufacture be
yond all comparison better than he ha
| ever known at the same rates he ha
been accustomed to pay for the inferio
article. 1t would help the manufactol
ing interests by enabling them to bu
machiuery, which is now SO expensiv
owing to the rates of exchange tina
but little Of it IL Introduced.
"Mexico, however. will never b
prominent as q manufacturing cOuntr
on account OF the scarcity Of fuel. Woo
is high and bitumin0us coal cells 9
| vacatecas, which is q manufactOrin
center, at 9l5 and 417 a ton, Mexica
money. This coal is Of native pr
duction and imported coal wOul
prObly sell higher.
1.-THE adoption OF the gold standar
would help the government by email
ling her to borrow money at moi
advantageous rates Of interest, an
would help her materially in payin
her bonded indebtedness and intere'
on the same. She would be enable
incidentally to benefit commerce ver
materially by reducing tariffs on In
ports and also modifying her system
internal revenues, which r at preset
very oppressive.
"Every account book must be authO
S,oI H., 40 fnAnpn~1 nouonsro nNHOi01 a.