The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1910-07-02
AWAY FROM HOME
Fifty Thousand Of Our Folks Among
the Latin Americans.

The question has been asked, How
many Americans are living in the va
rious countries Of Latin America!
Also, Are they contented?
From the Southern border OF the
United States to Punta Arenas at the
tip end of Chile, and including CUBA,
the Isle of Pines and Porto Rico, the
total number of Americans, with their
wives and children, settled in all the
countries can hardly exceed fifty thou
sand, far less than the number OF
Americans who have taken up new
homes in the Canadian northwest.
There has been no immigration into
Latin America of wcr.iingmen IRON
the great northern republic, for that
class can, as a rule, earn better wages
at home than they could hope to OBJ
tain anywhere south of the Rlo
Grande. Skilled mechanics from the
United States have been drifting into
Mexico, the Argentine and the west
coast countries of South America
ever since the rise Of the new re-
publics, formerly colonies OF SPAN,
and some of these adventurous me-
chanical experts have prospered, mar
ried and founded families.
Then there have been small num-
Der of successful American railway
| builders in these lands, men Ike
! Wheelwright and Meigs, who have lelt
! names deeply impressed on the rec
4 ord Of Latin American progress. 10
7 be added to this honorable roll are
! American educators and professional
men. large merchants and bankers,
like the Graces, Halls and Pearsons
in South America, and pioneer Amer
lean fruit growers and farmers IN
| these southern lands.
OF late years railway men nave
sought their fortunes in Mexico ana
Central America, also thousands OF
miners, business men, doctors ana den-
tists-some of the earlier American
dentists being really advance agents
of progress in Latin America. IN
brief, the various activities OF the
people of the United States are well
represented in the larger countries
here considered.
It is estimated that nearly a thou
sand million dollars of American capi'
tai are now invested in this country,
Cuba and Central and South Amer
ica-principally in Mexico and CUBA
This investment in railways, mines
and lands has naturally brought a
picked body of men to care for II
and they remain with a fair degree
of permanence. The number OF Amer
leans residing in these southern coun
tries is bound to increase-not very
rapidly, but in proportion to the IN
vestment of their home capital II
these regions.
To the second question, with re
spect to the contentedness of the
Americans living in Latin America
It is not so easy to give an answer
Few people are contented anywhere
not even when in fair circumstances
in their native country. And the rest
less emigrating type Of man is al
WAYS ambitious and so not likely tt
5e mentally at rest in his new 1om;
unless quite successful. Still, We thlnl
, that the majority Of American resi-
dents here are fond Of the country
ad its climate, the older residents
particularly so.
One thing is certain, the great ma
jority of Americans in these lano'
Of the south are law-abiding and indus
|, trious and loyal to the governments
under which they live. They onl!
ask for a square DEAL, and When
:. as in Central America, they com
plain it will be found that the loca
, rulers are unjust, rapacious and op
pressive. But to find Americans II
, Latin America mixing in politics il
avooAdinol, rare Mexican Herald,