davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

amassed great fortunes off the cheap
labor of the poor people and are grow
ing richer every year. These great ha-
ciendas contain from 10000 to 100000
acres. Each landlord employs from 300
to 500 men. | visited sev raj of these
haciendas. The owners live in palaces
and are surrounded with every COM
fort that heart could wish. Around and
about these palaces are scattered the
adobe or sundried, one-room mud
houses Of the labcrers. The average
wages paid these men Is 26 cents per
day. A few get three bits day, but
the number is limited. In many OF
these so-called homes the luxury of a
dining table, chairs, bedstead and
knives and forks 30 eat with are I'M
known. A sheepskin or a mat thrown
upon the dirt floor serves as bed Not
one in twenty of these huts have a
floor. There is no paper on the wall,
no pictures, no books, no music, except
the cries for food which come from the
lips of the half-naked. hungry children.
Ii matters not to this great class OF
people who plant, cultivate and harves.
the crops what the price of wheat, bar
ley. potatoes or other staple may be,
for they have no share in the profits
of their labor. In fact, they never taste
many of these articles. Their food is
corn. with an occasional allowance OF
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

dersold by those of the smaller towns.
For example. pair OF blankets that l
can buy in Topeka for$2.50 would cost
Sc there. A three-piece oak bed room
set that could be purchased at any fur
niture store in Kansas for SIS was Of
fered me for $3.50 in the City of Mexico.
Unbleached muslin costs 10 cents and
the cheapest calico 13 cents per yard,
and with SO inches for yard, at that
Coffee, one OF Mexicos staples, costs 90
cents per pound, and butter ranges.
from rs cents to 81 per pound.
Before going to Mexico / was told
that could buy as much with the Mex
lean dollar in Mexico as | could with
our 100-cent dollar on this side OF the
line. / am prepared to deny that prop
osition, and in proof need only refer to
another object lesson which impressed
itself on me. A street car line connects
El Paso, Texas, with the city of Juarez,
the Rio Grande river between them
forming the boundary line. / rode over
to the Mexican town, and on the car
was an intelligent young Mexican.
When the car approached the Juarez
end of the bridge he crowded up into
! the corner to hide a bundle behind
! him Just then the representative of the
| Mexican government came aboard TO
see If the occupants had dutiable goods.
Nothing was found on which tax
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Who hypnotized this hen? This
story is true, of course. otherwise the
New York Journal would never dream
of printing it. Well, farmer in the
neighborhood of Richmond, KY, has
a hen who has notwithstanding to
this true story)-a remarkable inter
est in the presidential campaign. She
has laid an egg on one side of which
stands in bas-relief the capital letter
"B," which stands for Bryan, of course.
On the other side, also in bas-relief, but
somewhat holder. is an exact repre-
sentation of an American dollar, on
which are plainly visible an eagle and
the figures 16 to l, the Il" being pre-
coded by a IS" This is certainly a
"corker," and no doubt of it. The
farmers name is Dock Cobb, his ad-
dress is Red House. KY, and he is a
brother of County Attorney T. Tcyis
Cobb, who vouehes for the absolute
truth of this astounding campaign
document"
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
Roman Canals in Britain.

The first canals in Britain were con-
structed by the Romans. OF these the
most remarkable are the Caer Dyke
and Foss Dyke cuts in Lincolnshire,
which are by general consent admitted
to have been OF Roman origin. The
former extends from Peterborough TO
the River William, near the city of
.acoln, distance of about forty
rallies; and the latter from Lincoln to
the River Trent, near Torksey. a dis
lance Of eleven miles. OF the Caer
Dyke the name only now remains, but
the Foss Dyke, though of Roman
origin, still existo, and is the Oldest
British canal. Fos5 Dyke, according to
Camden. was deepened and rendered
mere navigable in 1921 by Henry l..
About 1S41 it was widened to the min
iu1urn breadth of rs feet and deeponed
to the extent Of six feet throughout,
and thus this ancient canal, which is
quoted by Telford and Nimmo as THE
Oldest artificial canal in Britain" was
restored 10 state of perfect efficiency,
az q Coz. OF forty thousand pounds.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
COMMON CARRIERS"

day in sound money, and did not find
one who intended to vote for a policy
which would reduce the value of Amer
lean labor to a level with that of Next
co.
Another class OF poorly paid railroad
laborers in Mexico is the freight brake
men. They, too, are the victims of the
50-cent dollar, receiving from s35 TO
SIS per month, while on this side o.
the Rio Grande American railroads pay
from $50 to $1O0, in gold If they want
It.
In Mexico a section foreman who
lives in a mud house and on a mud
focs. with a sheep skin to sleep on,
without a change of clothing or enough
table linen to wad a gun, is paid the
munificent salary of from rs cents to
slips per day, in cheap dollars, OF
course. Who has not noted the we'll
painted homes of the section foreman
as he sped over the Kansas railroads?
You not only observe comfortable
houses, with green lawns in front,
bright and sweet faced children play
ing about the door, but II you will look
inside yoI will sec modern furniture
and plenty of Il, csrpeted floors. papered
walls. pictures. books. magazines, lace
curtains at the windows. and in many
Instances a piano or organ graces the
rarlor. All these things the section
foreman has accumulated from his sal
airy. which averages anywhere from
SIS to SIS per month. The reason Us
plain. Every dollar Is worth roo cents
and fits purchasing power is three
times that of the Mexican dollar.
what Money Buys.
I found in my Investigations OF
paid mechanics and skilled labor in the
shops of the Mexican railroads that
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

wages ranged about as they do In the
United States. The shop men at To-
peka receive about the same wages that
are paid on the Mexican Central and
other roads In Mexico, with possibly
few exceptions, but when you consider
the 100-cent dollar of Uncle Sam and
its purchasing power. and compare IL
with the Mexican dollar at 80 cents and
the prices of the commodities of life in
that country, on object lesson is pre-
sented that a child can understand.
Railroad men are consumers anu are
interested in buying their goods where
they can get them cheapest. III the
Mexican dollar would buy as much as
the American dollar in such articles as
food and clothing, the railroad man In
Mexico would have little to complain
of. The American dollar VIII puy
double the amount Of the staple com
modities in Mexico, and in this country
il will buy nearly three times as
much in the common articles or ioou'
| The best place to ascertain the cost OF
articles in general use is at El Paso and
Juarez, border towns separated by the
Rio Grande river, which is the bound
airy line. There the man VINO desires
to ascertain the relative values OF the
two moneys will gain some valuable
information. While / was there mayor
r. f. Campbell of Ell Paso went to the
stores in El Paso and secured prices on
the staple groceries and articles that
laboring man would have to use. Then
he went over to Juarez and got .le
prices of the Mexican merchants on the
same articles, for which they woulo
nav in Mexican silver After compiling
his figures he made affidavit to tho
statement which follows:
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

HOME OF THE SECTION FOREMAN
price of staple commodities on each side
OF the line In Juarez these prices pre-
vailed:
Beans, 5 to cents per pound.
Sugar, IA to Is cents per pound.
Coffee, so to 60 cents per pound.
Soap. Q cents per pound.
Bleached sheeting, 20 cents per yard.
Prints, 121s cents per yard (33 inch
esq.
Candles. 3 cents each.
On the western coast of Mexico corn
is a drug on the market. and the far
mers were selling crops grown two
years ago for from 20 to 25 cents per
bushel.
Beef cattle, as fine as any on the
American ranches, are sold on the Mex
lean plantations at from $25 to $35 per
head. while ranch cattle bring from s12
to SIC per head. All classes of stock
are sold by the head, and not by the
pound. Ranch horses can be bought
for s12 per head. Mules were quoted
at from $40 to $50 per head.
The above prices, OF course, prevail
in the cheap Mexican dollar, worth a
little more than so cents, and these ar
ticles are produced by the toll of mil
lions whose average daily wage is &c
cents, in the sane deprecated money.
d. o. M'AVOY.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
ZONES OF THE POOR FARMERS WHO WORK FOR DAY.

could be levied and the young man
smoked his cigar leisurely until he was
out of sight of the Mexican officer.
Then he alighted, taking with him
twenty pounds of American graduated
sugar which he had purchased at El
Paso for 81. If he paid for this sugar
in Mexican silver it cost him a little
less than 50, for Mexican silver was
worth SO cents that day. The same quail
ity of sugar was selling in Juarez for
Is cents per pound, and if he had pur-
chased it on the Mexican side would
have paid SO for 1t.
This little incident caused me to
make some Investigations as to the
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

National bank circulation outstand-
ing on Sept 80 amounted to $685.
$50 900. This represents an increase of
ISL for the month, and of $780,
7S9, 793 for the year ending Herewith.
The portion of the circulation based on
the deposit of bonds amounted to
S214,66 .694, which represents an in
crease of $4,S74,12O for the month, and
of $26,070,S17 for the year ending
Herewith. The portion of the circula-
ton based on the deposit of money
amounted to S1S,SS4, S36, which is de-
crease of $685. for the month, and
of Sc, 2S1, O24 for the year ending there
with
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

The next thing in trusts is to be an
ice trust and it is to be inaugurated
under the protection Of the Standard
Oil company which is equivalent to
its assured success. They will include
New York Philadelphia, Chicago. Bos-
ton and St. Louis in their opening op-
erations and gradually absorb every
large city in the country. This is like
ly to cut some ice" with the people
at large.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

FAHM HOUSES IN MENIO'''
more money at It than they can to work
from one to three bits per day. How
many thousand beggars there are ID
the City of Mexico can only be guessed
at. The newspapers Of that city admit
that the beggars are a reproaeh to inc
republic. II is claimed that OF the 3Oo,-
600 inhabitants, 1000 are homeless and
sleep in the parks and On the streets.
with .hc broad canopy of heaven as
their shelter
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Because Anatasias Vemeteakopolis
couldn't pronounce his name last night
he was arrested. Apparently the police
have very exaggerated ideas of what
one man can do in one night.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
a Comnnrlson of Prlccs.

The prices OF some of the common
articles OF merchandise furnished an
object lesson which | shall not soon Tor
get. The City OF Mexico Is the metrop-
oils of the republic. and 1t Is fair TO
presume that the merchants arc not un-
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

beans. These they get through the
hacienda store. The ration for each
man is one and one-half pints OF corn
per day. If he has a wife and six chill
dren as is generally the case, he would
have to draw from the store account
twelve p!nts each day. The hacienda
owner charges all the way from to IL
cents per pint for shelled corn. and at
the end Of the year when settlement
is made the poor farmer finds himself
helplessly in debt, and his slavery con-
tinues.
There are those who insist that these
people do not desire and would not en-
10y and appreciate a better condition
in life; that they prefer a mud house
to comfortable home; sheepskin in
preference to a bed, and blanket to
cover their nakedness and keep them
warm instead of clothing. There is
inst as much reason and truth in such
n declaration as in the oft-repeated
claim that TIE free silver policy of that
country is beneficial to the laboring
classes for neither assertion is true.
There is no more peaceable. patient
and Woodworking class of people on
the globe than the peon laborers of
Mexico. They arc not responsible for
the Motley that has tended to degrade
rather than lift them up. They know
nothing about the benefits and bless
ings OF education, but they can look
about them and observe the conditions
of the rich, and although they may
never hope 10 advance from the life of
slavery that is now upon them. 1t is
idle folly to say that these people would
not appreciate the little home-com-
forts that make life worth the living.
Bcggers Everywhere.
The Sity of Mexico is the flower OF
the republic. | was not disappointed
In finding there the concentration OF
enormous wealth. because | had heard
much of the magnificent homes. fine
business blocks, the beautiful drive 10
Chepultepec, the great parks-and the
| bull fights But amid all this gorgeous
| display OF wealth | found undeniable
! evidences of poverty and hunger every
| where. The halt, the lame and the
blind are not the only class who beg
you to give them money on nearly ev-
/ cry street corner. Strong men and wo-
men. able to work, vie with the af-
flicted in their appeals for "centavos"
The only reason can give for this gem
eral begging is that they can make
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Gen. Nelson A. Miles has had an
other narrow escape 1t is pretty in
clement weather when either the gen.
eral or one OF his dogs doesn't have a
narrow escape.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

1t is to be hoped that the report that
DR.. Depew has bought an opera house
doesn't indicate that he IS thinking OF
organizing himself into a stock COM
pany.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Miss Hettie Hashagan, an eastern
artist, recently created a sensation in
New York society by marrying one
Thunder Cloud, Sioux warrior. What
ever may be thought of the young
woman's taste, 1t is certain that Thur
de- Cloud has never spent any of his
days at a, BOARDING house or he never
would hiye kepted Hashagan.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Too many people imagine that do
ing things different from the way that
Others find convenient is necessarily a
mark of genius.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

When a man and woman begin to
torment each other, Satan takes up
other work that requires personal at
tention-
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

United States. For a while l was on
tho upper end of a run on the Eagle
Pass route and boarded at San Antonio,
Texas. There I paid $1S per month
board. Now l am boarding in Torreon
and pay $40 per month in Mexican
money. But the greatest expense to
railroad man in this country is the high
price he has to pay for clothing. III
could do as the Mexicans do, go half
naked, wear sandals for shoes. or go
barefooted, could get along pretty we'll
on $50 per month. for that is what SlGO
in Mexican money is worth, especially
when the cost of living here is more
than double. | have to buy American
shirts, American shoes and hats, and,
indeed, practically everything l wear
comes from the United States. They
don't manufacture articles OF a charac-
ter here in Mexico suitable for our use,
go when | buy a pair OF shoes have TO
nay double value and the duty added.
This pair OF shoes | am wearing cost me
$3.50 in Mexican money, and / could
buy the same shoes in Texas for 800
or SO. The Same is true Of every other
article that wear wish every Amer
lean railroad man who believes that
he Mexican J0-cent dollar system Is
rood thing for wage carriers would
'ome TO Mexico and take a few OBJECT
lessons. l have had all | want OF IT,
md will get back to the States as soon
IS q position opens for me"
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Dreamers are all right in their place.
but their place is in bed.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Turkey has demonstrated to the sat
fsfaction of every one that the powers
of Europe are latent.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Successful people are generally bur
dened with friends who are in evidence
only when they want something.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

The citizens of Sherburne, MINI.
made Bandit Sair's career a model in
its way by promptly catching him.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Surroundings are never congenial
for people who are not satisfied with
themselves.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
SILVER IN MEXICO.
TRIP OF OBSERVATION
THROUGH THAT COUNTRY.

Wages Low and Cost of Living High
Miserable Condition of the Farmer
Such Conditions Would Bring on a
Speedy Rev, tuition Here.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

The match girls in New York have
refused tdyhave their teeth examined.
The yourfGTomen have doubtless heard
that merlSifpz1utz16St6K2tne exact age
of hors6b5 rs teeth:
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
House Rent.

If the railroad man in Mexico should
-ent a house as good as the home OF the
"verage con iuc.or, engineer fireman,
brakeman or telegronh operator in THIS
'ountry he would find himself bank
rupt at the end OF tho first month.
Rents are double what they are In
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

Imagination generally furnishes al
the profit there is in a change.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30
Fought for Corn.


At the town Of Silica. $50 miles from
the City of Mexico, saw an object les
son of Mexican energy and activity.
Travellers who have explored Mexico
will tell you that the masses are lazy,
listless and indifferent, but there are
exceptions to the rule. When the Mex
lean Central passenger train hailed at
the station the usual great crowd OF
natives were there TO meet it. The
vendors and beggars and the curious
specimens of humanity Of the neighbour
hood were all there. On the opposite
side OF the depot stood a train OF hogs
which were being shipped by Armour
of Kansas City to the City OF Mexico.
1t had been sidetracked for the passen-
ger. Instantly there was mad rush
of men, women and children for the
hog train. The brakemen had taken
from tho caboose several sacks OF
shelled corn and were feeding the hogs.
A few gallons of the corn fell to the
ground. and orc hundred men, women
and children fought each other like
demons to get hold of few kernels 10
eat. The race was to the swift, and
decrepit old women and half-clothed
children we're trampled upon by the
muscular Mexicans whose hunger for
food made demons of them.
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

I found in my investigations OF
paid mechanics and skilled labor in the
shops of the Mexican railroads that
The Yale expositor., 1896-10-30

There are only two classes in Mexico
There are about 100000 people in
the republic, and one million OF these
own the lands, the mines, the manufac-
lures and other enterprises. The rail-
roads are owned by foreign capitalists.
This class is prosperous because 1t Is
the policy of the government TO aid by
large concessions any enterprise that
will tend to the development of Next
cos inexhaustible resources. Back OF
this Is President Diaz' standing army
which would shoot to death any body
of labo-ing men who would even con-
slider the matter OF striking for better
wages. Why should not these biz en-
terprises prosper when they can employ
labor for almost nothing? But the
magic touch OF this prosperity has not
left it's impress on the other $4,000, 900
who constitute the toiling masses OF
Mexico. The men who work on the
great haciendas. or plantations OF the
rich. are today in as depIorable condi-
tion as they were before n mile OF rail-
TOdu TRACK Was ldlu III e-lc iOP~DiiO.
During the past seventeen years that
country has experienced its greatest
growth in railroad building and min
ing. Within this period the Mexican
dollar has fallen from per cent above
par, as compared with American gold,
but labor has remained stationary. The
common farm labor has ranged from
I, % to 81 cents per day, while the Mcxi-
can dollar has fluctuated from S1.08 to
As cents. Therefore, 1t is not true that
there is a tendency TO increase the
wages of the millions whose toll pro-
duces the wheat, the corn, the cotton,
the coffee, the tobacco and the fruits
or Mexico.
The agricultural lands OF Mexico are
owned by a few men. They have
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-09
BELL COUNTY BUDGET.

LIGHT Special.
TEMPLE, Texas, Feb. S.-Several
of the sports in this section are pre-.
pairing to take in the Ell Paso fistic
carnival, tempted by sport and the
reduced rates on the rail.
w. Z. Hall did an act Of unosten-
tstious charity Monday in sending
back to Houston two runaway
boys who were tramping over the
country. He gave them tickets
home and. good advice and sent
them out Of town in charge Of the
conductor, as happy as two clans.
III. n. Newland, for many years
roadmaster of the Santa Fe, an
nounces for mayor. His expert
ence as a road maker may be util-
lied in putting the streets in con-
dinon, in case he is elected.
There is considerable complaint
at the numerous meetings of the
city council without result, more
quorum being present. Ii the
fines imposed by ordinance for non
attendance were collected the dads
would be there.
District court at Bolton has sent
five criminals to the pen this week,
among them Ben Springfield, who
went through Taylor so effectively,
burglarizing fourteen houses. His
term aggregates nine years.
The grounds in the city schools
are to have all old dead trees re-
moved and new ones planted in
their place, by order OF the board
of education; also the basement Of
the high school drained.
The basket luncheon given by
the ladies of the Christian church
on Thursday night for the benefit
of the church, at the residence Of
Mr.. and Mrs. Strange, was a pleas
ant affair.
The rain in this county is all and
more than the farmers desire to
see until they get their ground pre-
pared for sowing. 1t Is too wet to
60 upon it with plow.
The board of trade OF this city, at
its meeting this week, took the
matter Of paving the principal
streets of the city in hand. There
will be no let-up to their efforts
until the work Is done.
San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-02-09
Reautiss Of Colonial Architecture.

Ralph Adams Cram, in Feb
ruary Ladies' Home Journal,
contributes plans and details for
a colonial house that can be con-
structed for $1,000. Exterior and
interior veiws are presented, and
in referring to colonial architec-
ture Mr.. Cram says: "Nothing
is much better as model for
American domestic work than
colonial architecture Of the early
part OF the century; nothing is
worse than modern colonial,' for
to the popular architect a house
may be made colonial by cover
ing a confused plan and chaotic
exterior with details unintelligent-
ly copied from old colonial furni-
ture. He is serenely ignorant of
the fact that what is good in an
old colonial heuse is its superb
frankness, straightforwardness
and simplicity. From a purist's
standpoint much colonial detail
evidences a debased taste, and is
merely the result Of an uneducated
builders attempt to call to min d
the work with which he himself
was familiar in England. But
against the plan and general mass
OF ancient colonial houses no criti-
cism whatever can be brought"