Mexico weekly ledger., 1897-07-22
In Americas Metropolis.
EDITOR WHITE IN NEW YORK
EN- ROUTE TO LONG ISLAND
SEA SHORE.
Washington City So Hot That Sam
Jones Must Be Somewhere About
The Editor Touches Upon
Local Issues-The Colonel
Gone a-Fishin'.

The big cities of this country are all
similar in that they are heaps of brick,
stone and mortar alike, with thousands
of toiling men and women almost
| fighting for the almighty dollar. This
is bad enough in the winter'but during
July 1t is intoierable to man from the
country. 1t keeps me busy here to
avoid being run over, and being run
over is one of the things never could
get used to.
made a very short stop in Wash
ington and will leave New York for
the seaside tomorrow. No wonder
strange ideas originate in Washington.
1t is the hottest place know of and I
think Sam Jones must be preaching
only half mile from them most OF
June, July and August. Why, your
shoes actually make tracks in the
asphalt pavement.
That reminds me that Mexico ia
likely to have some paved streets soon
and they will be a big thing for the
town. Cities the size of Mexico all
over the country have paved streets
and with granitoid walks the result is
fine. 1t is worth ten times what 1T
costs to adjoining property. At least
ten blocks will follow the two pro-
posed just as soon as our people ap-
preciate the benefits.
1 wonder why it Ia that some of our
councilmen are SO opposed to having
the macadaln put down by contract?
Quite number of Mexico men want
to bid on the work. The city printing
is always let to ssthe lowest and best
bidder" and 1t amounts to less than
800 per year. The sum of $500 is
going to be put In macadam at once.
1t should be madeto 60 just as far as
possible. am told that some very
cheap rock has been put down by con-
tract in Mexico. This work should be
done well and should be done by
Mexico labor, but I see no reason why
it should not be let out by contract to
the lowest and best bidder, subject to
these conditions, /. g., it must be done
by home labor and must be done we'll.
II the City Council wants to make a
record let it show just how much rock
can be put down for the money.
Macadam lis no account unless 1t is
well laid, and, of course, this will be
properly looked after. When Mexico
gets Ave miles of paved streets and
ten miles of rocked streets, with about
six miles Of granitoid walks, she will
look like city. We can get all of
this in the next ten years and without
bonding the city for cent.
The strike among the coal miners is
causing great deal of uneasiness
here. There is no question that many
of the miners should be paid more
wages, but the question is, whether
the end should not have been reached
in some other way and without causing
so much suffering among the families
of the workmen. The miners are
getting the worst of it as the owners
of the mines have put up the price of
coal and are getting rich. tbs openly
claimed here that the owners of the
mines wanted the strike and that they
are paying the agitators and walking
delegates to bring on the stlke so that
they can put up the price of coal and
force the people to pay anything they
ask.
In connection with the report that
some operators were trying to corner
the market, w. p. De Armit, of the
New York and Cleveland Company,
tells sensational story. He said:
ga prominent banker told me the
other day that a Pittsburg coal opera
tor came to him some weeks ago and
wanted to negotiate a loan. The
banker was told that part of the money
was to be used in cornering the coal
that is now lying in the river here.
When asked what the remainder of
the money was to 60 for he was
even more surprised when told that
it was to be used for q strike fund.-
sNow," said Mr.. De Armit, seven il
this money was used In the most legiti-
mate manner possible, 1t was to be
given for the purpose Of acting as an
incentive to the miners to declare .
strike. And what could that amount
of money accomplish among the min
ers of the district, even though they
received every cent OF it, IL a strike
were to continue for two, three or six
months, as 1t certainly must after 1t is
declared?
"Upon further questioning on the
part of the banker 1t was ascertained
that the operator who had desired to
negotiate the loan had made similar
advances to three other banks in the
city for equal amounts, the total
sum that was desired being $100, 600.
or this amount $90, 900 was to be used
/ In corneriug the coal market, and the
remaining SIC, 900 was to be offered to
the officials OF the United Mine Work
ers to 90 into the strike fund.
The "strike fund.- is for the agitators
and walking delegates who prowl
around the country trying to make
people dissatisfied and dispieassd with
this country and its government
Unless they can get up . strike once
in awhile they are out Of job. AL
of these troubles should be settled BY
arbitration and not by riots and force
Thousands Of people are out on this
strike who wanted to keep on work
ing and were satisfied. Their families
are now suffering-many OF them
almost starving. What viii happen
IL they do not go to work soonf Arbi-
tration alone can bring peace anc
harmony out OF this trouble. In the
meantime the. agitators are getting n
their Iwork and are fat, sleek sne
ihapry Hnunn af thar. will hA f.RHfff-