Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1901-02-08

MEXICAN BUSINESS WAYS.
some Experiences of Americans In
Dealing With the Natives.


''The visitor to Mexico encounters
many strange sights and curious customs
and methods of doing business, said an
American business man. "A great deal
of mining and agricultural machinery has
been brought into Mexico, and the Next
can ranchero. if not instructed in ham
ding the newfangled farm machinery, is
sometimes at a loss to get things at work.
The loss of a screw. a nut or bolt some
times completely blocks all his efforts
to get things in motion. Not long ago l
went out with a gentleman from the
states on a trip through the country sell
ing plows and during our travels IN the
state of MichOacan stopped Mt very
large hacienda. The owner was very po-
lite and kind. but when it came to the
point of buying a plow he did not seem
to be in the humor to trade. He said:
"'Why. / have bought several different |
/ kinds of tools and implements from the
/ states, but must confess l have had bad |
luck with them. Not long ago | received !
a moving machine from a well known
mandatory. and it won't work, and
am getting tired of being swindled.
1--WE thought it very queer that new
machine would not work and rQuested
that he get it out and let us look 1t over,
which of course he gladly did. We look
ed it all over very carefully and could see
nothing wrong with it, so had some of
the farm laborcrs take hold and haul it
around the yard, the owner in the mean
time following along with US and very
much interestd in the proceedings. After
/ satisfying myself that everything was in
good working order | reached over and
threw the knives into gear, and she
worked like a charm. You should have
seen the look of establishment on that
rancheros face. He could not believe
. his eyes and felt pretty cheap when he
! saw what the difficulty had been with
l the moving machine. They did not
Il. know enough to throw it into gear. This
| viii explain why n good deal of trouble is
i, had in this country in selling improved
machinery.
"a good deal of comment has been
d made on the native methods of doing
e business. A friend of mine wanted tC
buy certain grade of native made wax
matches. One day he came across 8
stand where an old woman had the iden
+ teal kind he was looking for. She hat
some two dozen boxes, and he insisted
e upon buying them all. But evidently sh'
did not understand dealing in wholesale
y way and would not consent to dispose o
y
n he very reluctantly was compelled t
A take After walking away a few step
he decided that the opportunity Nigh
II not occur again to get those matches, an
)T he returned and bought three more box
n es, and when he found that the reta
- plan of selling prevailed he kept marcel
=, ing back and forth. and every time b
II passed the old wOman's stand he bougf
i'd three more boxes until he had the who
IS two dozen.
:. Last year spent several months in
- small town in the state of Guerrero an
lie having some stock to feed decided to bU
enough corn to last me two or thr'
re months. Sd-visiting the market place {
: the next Sunday ! looked up a nati'
Il who was selling a sackfu of corn by Il
quart or small measure used by them.
90 inquired the price of a carga of cor
90 which was So and asked him how mu
90 more he had at home for sale. He to
90 me he had IL cargas and would sell it a
90 | decided that this was just the opport
90 nifty | was looking for and told him
90 would take the whole lot if he would {
80 liver it the coming week. The natl
90 proceeded to scratch his head and 10
100 me over and hem and haw. and finally
100 decided that he could not sell. To
90 initiated not familiar with the MeXica
. way of doing business this might SCI
90 strange. | pressed Kim for his reason.
~ "'Well. I'll tell you he said. 4 ra
- nothing but corn. one crop each We
Ire Now. if | sell this corn all mt once | v
md be sure to spend the money, but if s
)ut a little at time ! will have money cv,
- week until the new crop And acco
III" ing to his business views he was rig
)od and we did not trade. New York Su