Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1896-10-21
f. MEREDITH N
Writes on What a Dollar Will Buy
in Old Mexico.

To the Editor of the Optic.
EAST LAsVEGAs, N. M, October goth
1896 The remarks Of the Rev. Hoff
man on the subject of Mexican money
has called to mind some of my expert
ences in the sister republic that may
not be without interest at this time.
+ crossed the Rio Grande at Ell Pasc
with 800 in greenbacks, which l ex
changed at Juarez for $3.50 Mexican
money. They were just as big anc
just as pure as our own silver dollars,
and l felt just one and a half times a!
rich as before. A dollar was a dollar
with me, and subsequent events proved
that this was no delusion.
The first hole in my Mexican silver
was for my railroad ticket to the City
Of Mexico. l found the fare about the
same as / would have to pay 10 this
country in American money for an
equal distance. My next expenses
were for something to eat, and l found
the prices, as Rev. Hoffman says,
about the same in the money OF the
country as we pay here in our money.
Arriving at the City Of Mexico (the
hotels being conducted on the Euro.
pean plaD), I entered a French restau.
rant for my first meal. My early train
ing in the Spanish language having
been sadly neglected, / failed to COM
prehend the bill of fare; so I threw it
down, remarking to the waiter at the
same time "NO sabe; t,ai mi comtda
baend." The waiter took in the situa-
ton, and probably thinking to help me
out a little, said: No quierre p0llo?"
Now, l confess to being a pie-eater,
but l did not care to begin on pie, SO /
answered: "NO, no guierro at pres
ent." (Half Spanish, half English.)
The waiter brought me q splendid
roast dinner, and stood by while | ate
it, saying never a word. l suddenly
remembered that there was pie, and
that | had given the waiter to under
stand that ! would take some later; SO
| turned 10 him and said, "fie." You
can imagine my surprise when he re-
turned to me with half q roast chicken.
Not wishing to attempt any explana-
tons, I dived into the chicken. l
afterward learned that the Spanish
word for chicken sounds very much
like the English word pie. My bill
was q dollar. / at first thought | had
been very extravaganza, but consoled
myself with the thought that had only
used sixty-seven cents In American
money. During the afternoon I formed
the acquaintance of an American who
took me to a Chinese restaurant, where
for dos reales, / obtained meals equal
to what we get at the restaurants in
this city for twenty five, cents.
Having gone to that country for
work, l soon had occasion to purchase
clothes. / secured a pair of native
cashmere pants, cut and made to tit
by a regular tailor Tor ~ ~. l went
into a shoe shop and ordered the best
pair of shoes the shop could produce.
The regular price was $3.50, but in as
much as they put extra work on mine
| paid tWenty-five cents extra. Ny
next requirement was a slicker. The
only substitute for which was q sheet
OF light gossamer about six feet square
with a hole in the middle. The price
was 81. thought the merchant was
off his base, and demanded an explana.
lion. He merely said: sits foreign"
But, says /, 1.-THE freight on that don't
amount to anything" "No," says be,
'sBut you don't understand, it's the Diff
10 the money, the rate 81. ext
IS very high" 1 was obligedJ
% purchase, but after that. / avoided
goods as much rs p~ossiblesE kI
At another tune [ purchased nails at
wenty- five cents a pound, when they
we're selling In Pittsburg at 81 z5 a
reg, It occurred to me that here the
might cut some figure, sc ] in
luired and learned that TIC rate on
commercial iron. wire, nails, etc., from
New York to Vera Cruz was 8 $50
on. An English ship captain in Vera
Cruz showed me his manifest, which
'alled for 2s401 tons OF iron 1t "a b
on. So you see, the high prices are
lot accounted for by excessive freights.
don't forget that Mexico collects q
but it Is q sstariff for revenue
/
l stepped off the train at a little sub
Irb of the city of Orazava where J.
'ould see a large mill Or factory close
y. / entered Into convsrsstisns with
n American ON the platform and learn.