The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-09
LITTLE SHOPS OF MEXICO.
Iadividua1ism I'm Trade Is Essentially
the Feature.
Mexican Herald.

Mexican Herald.
mexico still remains characteristically
a: country where individualism prevails in
trade. The small shop is everywhere in evil
dence. In this city the petty trader. the
man. and sometimes woman. with a shop
whose stock of goods is worth only a
few hundred dollars is very common. Ev-
cry side street has its little businesses.
The estanquillo. the tiny tienda of one
SORT or another. abounds. In the interior
cities and towns the number of small busi-
ness men, petty shopkeepers. is remarSa-
bic. 1t is often a matter of wonder how
these people manage to make sufficient
profits 10 pay rent and taxes. TO say moth
i5g of getting living. There must be
thousands of shops the country over that
do not give more than $40 20 SlOe month
net profit
Naturally this is an uneconomical way Of
distributing merchandise, and the modern
business man who thinks In big figures viii
condemn IL offhand as taxing the commun-
ily heavily, for the rate OF profit must be
large 10 enable so many people TO make
D living, even bare living. Political econ
envy. that science which takes no account
of humane sentiments. Is offended at the
prevalent method OF purveying articles OF
common consumption here. But looked at
rnany people To preserve a certain measure
CT dignity and Independence. The petty
tradesman feels himself "A man and ths
mere clerk in the big department store
Knows that he is an insignificant part OF a
huge machine and may easily be replaced.
EIe has surrendered his individuality.
Women who with few hundred dollars
set up an estanquillo and sell notions. the
odds and ends OF neighborhood demand,
are, we must believe, better of than n they
we're mere assistants in great shops. The
little shop is in close touch with it's patrons.
Ii is a rendezvous for a small circle OF
friendly people who drop in for a chat and
end often by making a purchase. In many
q town the tiny shop is a sort OF club. a
Eews center. and the patron drops in. as
Icy right, to have his dish of DISCOURSE
when Mexico is modernized according 10
the ideas of the men who talk of ten-stOry
buildings and the massing of the trade OF
a populous town under one roof. the little
shop will have gone forever and we shall
see something imposing. in a way con-
venient and undoubtedly selling cheaper,
Eut the humane side, the friendly side. OF
trade will have been clean forgotten. And
there will have vanished, also. the kindly
personal relation OF customer and trades
I.lan. The community VIII have made a
gain, commercially speaking, but al
Ways. there will be loss-this time OF
pleasant feeling. of something that makes
Euying and selling something better than
mere business.
The Gradgrinds of these latter days will
say that this is all nonsense and mere
sentiment. But sentiment counts for a
great deal in the making of life tolerable.
II is a matter of Importance for the
Healthy life of a community that existence
should not be reduced 10 terms OF cold
business" The conservation of the feel
ing of independence is much. In the United
States all tends 10 monstrous commercial
fsudaism; a small minority of great lords
Of trade, merchant princes, IL you will.
and a host of serfs and retaners. This
does not tend TO a healthy old-fashioned
sentiment of individual worth. Men be-
come, as they will under socialism when il
IL realized, parts of vast mechanism. One
IF no good things a Mexico
l'fe here is not yet reduced to the utterly
commonplace.