The Indianapolis journal., 1896-10-12


iaborer carries the material up. a series OF
inclines. The inside of the building is filled
go up. The hodcarrier carries the cement
10 the stone mason in a bag, while another
carries up stones or adobe bricks tsize
eighteen of the bricks al time. or stone
weighing from twenty-five to two hundred
pounds. This work is very tedious, owing
to its method. After the building is COM
pleted the dirt and rubbish with which it is
filled on the inside is carried out in bags
and carried away on burros' backs to some
dumping place. whils the scaffold is used
by stone cutters to carve the front of the
skillful, and receives 871z cents to 81 per
day.
I'm the mines, as well as on the building,
the owners or builders endeavored to in
troduce modern ladders, but the peon would
not use them, fearing to risk his life on the
rounds, and when wheelbarrows were
brought for his use he filled the box of the
same and carried the loaded wheelbarrow
Mexico from to fifty miles away
from the cities but the stone, as fast as
quarred or a use has been found for 1t. is
carried on the backs of poems and burros
to the cities Your committee met one of
these these poems CARRYING o,1 stone sxSs 5 feet let
was bringing from a quarry nearly twenty
miles away. Twenty minutes later we met
number of burros, each carrying two such
stones. and learned from the attendants
that the peon had left the quarry at the
same time as did the burros with their
load.
'"The native COR iaborer) of Mexico is but
child in intelligence, and If left to his own
resources would be helpless to make a. live
lihood. While he is an adept imtator he
has no idea Of doing anything to better
his own condition, and does not take up
modern or advanced means of Frightening
his existence, but retains all the primitive
characteristics of centuries ago, when Cor
8 tez first invaded that country. To this day
the poem sweeps the public streets with a
whisp broom and carries the sweepings
away in a bag on his head or back. Where
there is running stream of water there
the women do the family washing other
wise 1t is done in hollow log. The wom-
en-, whether of high or low degree. paint
and powder in manner comica1 to behold,
and have not yet acquired the artistic touch
of their American sisters Everybody
smokes cigarettes at all times and places.
The poems cut grass or grain with sickle
or knife.
solution in the habits of the peon is that
he lays on the cold ground or fiagstones
day or night with impunty from catching
Geld or contracting rheumatism while the
traveller in that country to be comfort
able must wear a light overcoat and light
covering on the bed. Very curly in the
morning one meets large numbers of the
natives barefooted, in cotton shirt and
knee pants, seeming to be quite comfort
able.
THE COMMITTEE SHOCKED.
Your committee, on learning of the low
prices paid for labor in Mexico, looking at
that fact from humanitarian standpoint
and that the laborer was worthy of his
later, when we that although it took
but 20 or % cents per day to keep a peon
family of five and all members worked,
and that to pay him more was his ruina-
tion, we were somewhat relieved. If
poems wages are raised he will only work
until he earns certain amount and then
quit and not do another stroke while he
has cent of money. Consequently they
are totally unreliable and dear workmen.
tnattention and lack of interest manifested
In them as workers by their indoent mas
our advanced civiiiza ton Mesico has been
marking time while other nations have
been marching on.
Millinery is a scarce article in Mexico,
excepting IN the city. Your committee did
not see a female with hat on until we
reached the City of Mexico and there only
on the heads of the 400 and the FOREIGNERS.
AS rule even there women were bare
hrassed heaaed their wora hair creased yet nicely
which costs about $50, which is worn
about the upper part of the body and so
is wrapped around the breast and shoulders
and takes the place of waist or basque.
Icy by % neing drawn closely over the chest
babies, instead of on their backs as the
squaw carries her pappoose 3. In a few in
stnnces the ends of this serape serve as
covering for the head.
"A mans chief article of dress is his SOM
brero, often costing as much as S35 (Which
is bought on the installment plan) while the
balance of his clothing would make a crazy
quilt turn green with envy, owing to its
variety of colorS and assortment of patches
making 1t a hard problem to solve as to
which is the original garment and which
the patch. No stockings are worn by either
sex, and only about one-third wear Sandals
which made from a piece of sole leather
5nd tea C, the foot with straps. These sam
dals cost from IL to 20 cents per pair. The
average cost of the necessities OF life for a
peon family of five IS 20 cents per day, and
ciolninR Ior sne same costs about $40 per
Street cars in MEXICO are as pood as can
be expected, consisting principally of the
small cars formerly IN use in American
m,ilas IN IeUaI cn,,tr, urawn 9y one OF TWO
four mules in a hilIy country The fare is
=. ), IL and Is cents for first-class passage
aiaa nIas en-. us VI .nal ahount ior second
All cars run on the side of the street IN
one street and back on another.
ran nraa,r,nt az ,,t ~ NJ. 1d odAea' @ aiia man
poems to keep other souatters off of. II is
not even necessary for him to till or work
a. ans pal. VI .ne ,anu, put II II is intended
~ s uss any iiIu loI asplcuilural, INNING or
li:aihuIactur1ng :ii purposes the government
t,a.ls snape OF admlttIng macninery or agricul-
aS e1i a. ainpieHehts Tree OF outy Tor number
VI years.
q. me cactus, Whlch grows IN abundance,
- ts us1u 10y py .ie peons IN Iiahy ways. The
+nn,, t 81 ~ u eu, srouiiu mtg iiour pc
s rmeaii t~u NJ stoies pies anu d sort OF pancake
tua.t. Inc lIuit cttlltu lufisiS, Wnlcn re-