The Mena star., 1898-09-28
OLD MEXICO.
AS Seen by chas. A. Hc0ee Formerly
Of This City.

The Star reported recently that Mr..
Chas. A. McGee, formerly of this place
had gone to Mexico The Carthage,
MOL Press, contains the following in
terview with him since his return, of
interest to our readers:
.'Chas A. McGee, the Carthage fur
niture man, who left here about three
weeks ago on business trip to Mexico
City, the capital of old Mexico, re-
turned last night and gives an inter-
estibg account of life and general con-
ditions OF that country.
1.-The native poems are slow IN
adopting the advanced ideas Of their
Northern neigh bors, said Mr.. MCGEE,
land the skilled laborers for the
country come largely from the United
| States and some of them receive as
| high as SIS per day in Mexican silver.
The wages of the poems are from Is to
| 90 cents in silver or 6 to Q cents per
day in United States money. He saw.
while on the streets in Mexico City, a
delivery man In lieu OF furniture van
carrying twenty-four chars on his
back. Four men frequently carry
piano through the streets, men are
cheaper than wagons.
"'The Mexicans live in very primi-
tive way" continued Mr.. MCGEE,
and are inyeterate thieves. Pickpock-
cts abound everywhere. One went
through Mr.. Notices outside pockets
in the Mexican central station. He
had taken the precaution to place his
watch and other valua bles in an inside
pocket and the light fingered artist
got only handkerchief and some
newspapers for his pains.
Policemen receive 81 cents day and
ope uniform year.
There ARE large number OF Amer
cans in the city and scattered through
out the country so that there is some
social enjoyment to foreigners who go
there. There are three American news
papers in the city which daily receive
the associated press reports from the
United States, and, while they devote
large amount of space to Mexican
affairs, they keep thoroughly in touch
with the great questions of the day
The st. Lous papers are received each
day. although several days old
"When a letter is received at the
postoffic for an American 1t is imme-
diately advertised. The American pa
pers doing this through courtesy and
the letter may then be obtained by the
applicant writing his name and address
and handing it in to the postal author
tiles, not one of whom speak English.
There are churches in abundance,
there being a place of worship for
every 1000 inhabitants. In Mexico
the affairs of the church and
state are closely intertwined. The
Catholic cathedral in the city
is one of the finest edifces
that can be seen anywhere. There Is
church near the city that has rail-
ing around the altar Of solid silver and
weighing twenty-five tons, this being
one of the very few things that is safe
from the depredations of the natives.
"While Mr.. McGee was in Mexico
President Diaz received team of
horses from Missouri which cost S6lO
in gold for transportation alone.
"As stated at the time of Mr. McGee's
departure, he was rendered the posi-
ton of superintendent of large silver
mine In Mexico, employing 500 men,
and he made the trip in order to better
investigate the offer. He expects to
return to Mexico in the spring, but has
not fully made up his mind as to
whether he will locate there or not
He has a sprained arm, the result
of shaking up received in a railroad
collision in Mexico while on his way
down. 1t was bid smash up. but
fortunately no one was killed and only
a Chinaman was seriously hurt"
~d