The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1905-02-23
THE AMERICAN N Mexico.
Learn Spanish Easily and Adapt
Themselves to Conditions.
HIGH SCALE OF WAGES

NO race For a Poor Man VINO is NOT
Specisist-Best Salaries and
Steadiest Employment Given
Young Men With Trades--Advice
10 Permanent Settlers.
What opportunities does Mexico Of
fer to the young American who wants
to come here to grow up with the
country? This is question that
modern Mexico and people who live
here are asked great many times
every year
In new country where laws. Gus
toms, in fact, almost every condition
differ in SO many material points with
those of the Northern states, young
men more quickly adapt themselves
to the changed conditions, and they
learn Spanish more readily. 1t must
be remembered. however, that the
number of positions open to Eng
disappearing foreigners is limited. In
the great field of general Office work
there is scarcely one opportunity in
thousand of them. In the first
place, the laws OF the country require
that books be kept in Spanish, and it
naturally requires a thorough knowl-
edge of the language to enable an
American to safely handle a set of
Spanish accounts Furthermore tho
tendency of the great bulk of tho
young men in Mexico is toward the
professions and clerical work, and the
foreigner is seldom able or willing to
compete with the native scale Of
weSes
The best salaries and the steadiest
employment are found by the young
Americans who are masters of some
practical trade. If they are thorough
ly equipped in some profession and
are willing to work up as they prove
their worth they can frequently get
start. 1t must be remembered that
the field for Americans in Mexico
is not as wide as the population fig
ures indicate. Beside the MeXicans
themselves there are many other
nationalities in business here, and
each naturally favors the capable
men of its own race first 1t is not
entirely fair comparison, because
ans in every branch of industry in
the United States than in Mexico, but
it will, nevertheless, assist in the ap-
probation of the condition in which
an American would find himself in
Mexico if he will imagine the case of
a foreigner in the United States.
Suppose youngGerman or Frenchman
were suddenly dropped down in your
community without a knowledge of
English, and without a particular
training in any practical line, what
would be his chances of securing
work other than manual labor.
American in Mexico would, as rule
fare better; yet his opportunities for
usefulness are very limited. He can
not sell goods to Spanish-spealling
people, and he cannot direct Spanish
speaking labor and even in the larger
cities the English-speaking foreigners
constitute only about l per cent of
this population
Modern Mexico has always urged
young Americans to come TO this
country when they came properly
really offered them If a position
with any degree of permanency is
open to you, take it. If you know both
English and Spanish and are a first
class stenographer, or practical min
ing or electrical engineer, or COM
petent machinist or mechanic, you
can doubtless get position in Mex
in oh 10,
dangerous to come to new country
and location in any event without a
little capital to support yourself while
seeking a position He who would
come without these special qualifica-
tions should have a capital of at least
$500 to $1,000 in American money in
order to support himself during
quainted with his new location and
secure a rudimentary knowledge of
the language.
In a word, Mexico is a very poor
place for poor man who is not spe-
cialist. General Office men can be had
by the carload for one hundred dol
lars month, while an American girl,
who is a graduate trained nurse, gets
$40 a day with board and lodging.
Ordinary clerks are paid from $40 to
500 month, while a competent two
language stenographer commands
from 5000 to $500. To the young man
who knows his trade or business thor,
oughly who will come to Mexico de-
termined to master Spanish, and who
is willing to work for few years
as hard as it would be necessary for
him to do at home where there is
more competition, we would have no
hesitancy in saying come to Mexico.
Laws Made to be Broken