The Republican., 1897-04-22

OBdl HldIhSl VI MeAlCO, anu SCOEeS Ol
opal peddlers beseiged the train while
it stopped, endeavoring to dispose of
their goods. Some of the party Sc
cured bargains in these gems, but
more of them bought bits of glass
supposing them to be opals.
%*%
The greatest silver mines in Mexico
are situated at Zacatecas, which lies
at an elevation of over 5000 feet above
sea level. We made a short stop here
of three hours on our way home, but
did not have time to visit the mines.
1t is very much like all other Mexican
towns. When we reached this point
of our journey going down, probably
hundred of our party were afflicted
with nose bleeding, the trouble being
due to the extreme rarity of the at
mosphere. The altitude of Zacatecas
is greater than that of the highest
mountain on the Atlantic coast, and
many visitors here have difficulty
with their breathing apparatus until
they become accustomed to the eli
mate.
a&%
The thieves market of the city of
Mexico is one of the curiosities which
| forgot to mention. AS heretofore
noted, thieves are very numerous
there. On Sunday the fellows who
make their living this way have the
privilege of taking their plumber to
the thieves market for the purpose
of dispOsing of it. Such a lot of
truck as we found there one would
not find again in a life time. There
was everything imaginable, from dia-
mOnds to old scrap iron. 1t is said to
be law of the country that if per
son from whom goods are stolen finds
them in the thieves market, he can
not take them, but must pay for them
just the same as anybody else would
do. We spent more than an hour in
this singular place, and some of the
party left good many shekels there.
*ss%
have so far said but little concern
ing the"fre silver''of Mexico of which
we heard so much during the cam
paign of last fall. Perhaps it would
be as well to leave the subject I'M
touched, but for fear that action
might be miscOnstrued ! have thought
best to touch briefly upon the matter
which | do in the hope that what is
said may not be considered as coming
from a partisan standpoint in any
sense of the word.
a number of our party had an in
! terview with the Governor of the
State of Aguas Calientes in the town
of the same name, and incidentally
one of the free silver brethren asked
the Interpreter to say to the governor
that a good many in our party were
free silver men and in sympathy with
! the financial system of Mexico. With
shake of the head the Governor
replied, Say to the gentleman that
| it is much better to be a citizen of the
United States, and loyal to her best
interest, than to be in favor of any
particular system of finance, and
there are many of the best people of
Mexico who are not satisfied that free
silver is the best thing for the coun-
try"
This is a fair sample of the answers
to all questions in regard to free sill
yer. Mexico is a free silver country
not from choice but from necessity
| She mines all the silver she can use,
and much more, while her product of
gold is insignificant. As for the pros
perity of the country of which we
heard so much last fall, | think any
body who has followed these letters
will agree that we failed to tindit Mex
leo is said to be more prosperous now
than ever before, but if this is true !
don't know what must have been the
condition of things there before pros
perity came. A fair index to the sit
uatiOn may be gained by consulting
! the wage table. The best paid class
/ in Mexico, aside from the foreigners
| who go there to railroad, are the po-
| licemen. These are numerous, and
made up of the better men of the mid
die class. mentally and physically.
| These policemen are paid from $50 to
$35 per month, which is equivalent to
| $15 to $3.50 of our money. Eirst-class
| operatives in the woolen mills get so
to 80 cents per day. Laborers on the
railroad tracks, or section men as we
would call them are paid 20 to 30 cents
per day. These are samples of course.
There is very little manufacturing
done in Mexico, and very little demand
| for skilled labor AS | have said be-
4 fore, it is difficult to see how these
| people live, even if they have a job.
, The free silver man who uses Mexico
and her condition as an argument in
| favor of his hobby is simply not posted
! on the facts. Or course money Is
plenty there, but there is no place on
earth where it is harder to obtain,
and it won't buy much when you get
! it, except of labor.
A gentleman at Ciudad Portirio Diaz
| Just across the Rio Grande from Eagle
| Pass, in discussing this matter said:
MANY of our people expected to get
rich from the adoption of free coinage
in the States. If, as the silver men
claim, free coinage at 16 to would
raise the price is silver bullion accord
ingly we would have no trouble in get
ting rich. 1t would be an easy matter
! to send into the States 100000 every
month from this point alone and the
| difference in price between SO cents an
ounce, what it is worth here and 81. 20
what the silver men expect to make
| it worth in the States, would soon
make a man rich. If the States had
adopted free coinage we would simply
have tipped up this country a little
and let the silver slide right off into
| the States
1t is perfectly plain to any observer
that the best part of Mexico of half Il
century ago was ceded to the United
| States at the close of the war with