The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1899-08-24
p THROUGH OLD MEXICO.

lhOEA AiAA1iNNAAHE 1AA1A=-N - 49,
try as be saw II:
s.X hen crossed the line from the
United States into Mexico at Juarez, l
knew without being told that was not
in America. To an American who has
never lived near the border, the change
Is very wonderful. You find YOU Sc
suddenly among people OF different
language, customs and manners, an IN
American, foreign people in every sense
Of the word.
The typical Mexican wears short
Jacket coming just below The waist-a
regular seymour cOIt-pantaloOns skin
tight, with spring bottoms, ana either
plalt or one or Two rows Of gilt buttons
down the sides. The principle part Of
their costume IS the high pointed
crown, broad trimmed sumbrero, of
every color and description. A Next
can may go barefooted ana wear cot
ton trousers but he will have 500
som brerO If he can get H.
1t would please my cowboy friends
in Nevada To see IA Mexican mounted ON
horse back. The horse and saddle arc
most ella borately bedecked in gold and
silver trimmings; the horn of the saddle
is fully four inches in diameter in the
smallest part and the top is from six To
eight inches in diameter. The spurs
have rowels from four To six inches in
diameter and correspond IN size other
wise. The Mexican saddle horses are
exceedingly small but tough and nervy
ind mucn better trained than ours.
They are all trained to walk and are
great walkers. l rode "a little horse
weig hing less than six hundred pounds
twenty five miles over rough noun.
famous trail IN five hours. There are
very few wagon roads in Mexico. Near
" all the freight is transported by
pack mules. Ia travelling this twenty.
live miles | met over six hundred pack
mules loaded with rice, sugar etc.
There are stages running between
some of the towns, and they have an
amusing appearance. They usually
drive six very small mules, two ON the
wheel and four on the lead, that is four
side by side ahead OF the wheelers Two
men always set on the box, or front
seat, one to drive and the other TO
whip. aud they herd them along most
any old way.
the carting and hauling in cities
Is dune with immense high wheeled
carts, drawn by single mules the size
Of small pack mule, harnessed with
pack saddle, collar, names and tugs.
and they move very heavy loads.
saw one mule which would weigh about
seven hundred pounds, hauling eight
barrels of eement-oyer three thousand
pounds; always two men with each cart,
one on each side of the mule.
In the country and country towns
all team work Is done with oxen. and
two-w heeled carts made entirely Of
hard Wood. No tires on bolts or any
iron or steel about them. The yOkes
are bound to the oxen 5 horns on top
Of their heads by latigo straps. The
pl1ughing Is all done by oxen in the
old primitive Mexican way; the plough,
sharpened log with a tongue ana "a
perpendicular handle. | WAS told that
some American plows were brought to
Hacienda, larger ranch. near Quad
alajara. and the poems cut of one handle,
rs they could use but one and the other
was in the way.
he climate of Mexico IS finer than
that OF California. SOME sections are
warm and others cool; the soil generally
very productive and has never been
plowed more than four inches deep
They raise corn and grain of all kinds
On the uplands, and coffee, cotton. sug-
al NaDFs iANt4 bbDdaEbf Ftfa III bnt low
lands. With irrigation two crops Of
grain etc, can be raised each year.
Il sp mt Week In the State OF Jllis-
co; week in the State of Michoacan;
Two weeks Ia the State of Mexico; one
week in the State Of Chihuahua. and
several days each in the States OF Guer-
rero and Durango. In each OF these
States | found wonderful natural re-
sources for farming, manufacturing and
business. | visited several cotton and
WOODEN factories and was told at each
one that they had orders for far more
than they could manufacture.
There are but two fruit and vege-
table cannelies in the Republic of Mex
leo. | visited one of them and was told
that they could sell ten times as many
goods as they could can, and that they
could not get half the fruit and tom l.
toes they needed. There is an excess
sive duty on canned goods, and all such
goods are high. For instance y ID.
can OF California standard table peaches
sells anywhere in Mexico at 81 30, and
other canned 90 IDS in proportion.
There arr ye'y few peaches, pears
or apples raisou IN Mexico and those
are of very inferior quality, and | am
fully convinced by what | saw and
heard that they do not make the effort
TO raise better. Fruit Of every kind
grows without cultivation and the peo-
pie there are satisfied with the wild va
rieties they have always had. They are
the most unprogressive people on the
face OF the earth.
Potatoes sell readily at from four TO
eight cents per pound: eggs from three
to six cents each; milk from fifty to
seventy cents per gallon; butter from
/ fifty TO ninety cents perl b.: alfalfa from
twenty-five to fifty dollars per ton;
| Wheat and corn from one to three cents
per h., and other products In proper
/ ton. These prices OF course are In
Mexican money, which Is worth about
half that of the United States.
"Ranch labor is plentiful at 5Octs.
day, without board-Mexiean money
1T requires no particular discern
ment To see that the resources OF Mex
leo are practically undeveloped, and In
my jud gment the field Is great for en-
terprising Americans. failed 10 meet
single American in business or manu-
featuring who was not doing well
The city of Mexico. with popu
lation of three hundred and fifty thou.
sand inhabitants, including severn
Thousand Americans, hasn't single
good American hotel or restaurant and
not one steam laundry. OF course there
are many disad vantages. but they are
not as serious as one would imagine.
Il was told by Americans there that
the Mexican lave are very similar t.
those of the United States: that the
J principle government officials as rule