The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-19

becoming factor in the peace settle
ment. They promise to he an element
in establishing the stable government
to which the United States is pledged
2 OF their value to any commonwealth
there can be no doubt. They combine
writes Charles NJ. Pepper in the Wash
ington Star, the qualities out of which
good citizens are formed. They are
thrifty, Woodworking, honest, and
'peaceabie. These are the positive yir-
tues. Their vices are the vices Of ig-
;norance and perhaps Of aVarice. Theil
horizon is a narrow one 1t rarely eX-
tends beyond the borders of their sugar
and tobacco acres, or the shelves OF
their stores. This will be shown when
the work of political education begins.
For the present a passing comment on
IL is enough.
The Spanish property owner in Cuba
is not simply the planter, the tobacco
grower and the merchant in the cities.
He IS also found in the small towns
and the villages Usually he came out
from Spain with a small capital and
an inherent capacity for trade. Or he
may have begun as a chore boy and
advanced from the various stages OF
clerking until he has become Droorle-
tor and landowner. In that case it has
agDIGHllCGSLlJ
beginning at 4 o'clock in the morning
and tasting till 10 at night. But the
end is always attained, for in time he
has his own shop and his own land.
He has then become a "bOdegero." Inc
''bodega" was originally wine calar.
It came to mean a general country
store where everything is sold or a
corner grocery in the village.
With the advance in his own fortunes
the dignity of the proprietor keeps
pace. He does not always know the
price of his goods, and almost any
matter of business must be transacted
with the head clerk. Nevertheless, he
loses none OF his native shreWdness-
He gives credit to his customers in
what seems to be loose way, yet there
is always a margin of profit He inVar
iably manages to collect the interest
on his mortgages while waiting for the
default in principal which will insure
TIE land falling to him.
The monc9oly of retail -rade by the
Spanish merchant is not so complete as
commonly supposed. In the interior Of
The country the Cubans hold share
of it, though notenough to be rivals.
AS a rule they own the drug stores and
the cafes, where a good cup of coffee
can always be had, are kept by them.
The Spaniards, usually from the prov
ince of Asturia, are the innkeepers.
themselves by the pretentious name Of
hotels. They are simply places of en-
tertainment Tor man and beast. Some
times the entertainment is better for
the beast than for the man, but that is
due to circumstances. Sleeping over
a stable and complaining of the SUI
perior accommodation given the horses
below, 1 have been compensated by
clean sheets and fresh towels and
portable bath. While a good meal was
enhanced by the choice of Spanish
clareU, English ale or Apollinaris water.
This was in q poor looking village,
which, from its appearance, held out
no hope. These inns are commonly far
better than the hotels in American
towns of the same size, and prices are
not much higher. The SDaniard has
found there is profit in keeping good
inn Like the Bodegero, out of his
savings the innkeeper becomes a prop
erty owner.
THE PATRIARCHAL WAY.
In managing his business, the Span
ish shopkeeper or merchant is pat
riarchal His clerks and employees sit
at the family board, and they
sleep in the store or shop. 1t is
an economical arrangement on both
sides. The wages are smaller, but the
clerks can save more than if they had
best of feeling prevails between the
employer and his employees. Though
the hours of the latter are long, they
are privileged to rest during the dull
spells of the day. Both master and
men are informally civil to customers.
There may be a tinge of servility in it,
as there is in most of the courtesy
shown in Latin-American countries,
yet this does not detract from the sat
isfaction 1t gives. All are shrewd bar
gamers. They will haggle hours over
a small difference in price, and Will
wait for the prospective buyer to re-
turn another day sooner than yield the
profit which they think can be had by
holding out It is a practical applica-
ton of the ''manaHa" habit. If the
customer won't buy today, tomorrow
will do. However, an offer once made
is good.
1 have so many occasions returned to
a shop to claim an article and never
found an attempt to take advantage OF
the failure to purchase in the first in
stance You said I could have this
hat for S4,' I once said to a shopkeeper
in village where stop has been made
three months previously. 81, senor"
yves, sir), was the reply. And it was
handed over, though the insurrection |
had in the meantime caused the prices |
to be raised a dollar.
THE WAYS ARE PRIMITIVE.
What the 'sbodegero'' is in the vii |
lagos and the small towns the mer- /
chant is in the larger towns and the |
cities. HIS methods are the same. His |
form part of his household. |
This is true of many of the large mer-
camille establishments in Havana, I
which have dormitories for their work
men. While trade is on a broader scale |
the system is the same everywhere |
The shrewdest merchants of Havana |
are said TO be Galatians. Here, as in |
other parts of Cuba, much of the bust
ness is in their hands, though the AS |
turians have a share. Many of the
methods of business are primitive. I /
have been told that some of the lead
ng houses of Havana get along with
1ut any system of bookkeeping, while
there are successful tradesmen whose
only means Of keeping accounts is by
chalk marks on the door. In the larger
transactions much simple
ty yet prevails. Checks and drafts
are not extensively used, and many of
he mercantile and shipping firms do
banking business. The standard of
integrity is high A YER
pal contract is usually as good as
written one. I have heard former Con-
;ul General Williams tell of his exper-
ence when he was a merchant in Ha-
7ana. Transactions involving many
thousand dollars, with complicated pro-
7isions which. might be made the
,rouno for dispute. would be carried on
Without a scrap of writing, and would
,e settled promptly The money was
Ilways ready when II was due" said
he ex-consuI general. Other Americans
Who dislike the Spaniards have borne
imilar testimony.