davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

that doormats are usually chained
down. 1t is not safe to put an ash
barrel out into the street and potted
plants and flowers are sometimes
stolen, while vacant house frequent
ly loses its lead ipe, electric globes and
bath fixtures.
Just now in these revolutionary
times much of the stealing is bare
faced and open There are parts of
Mexico which swarm with brigands and
banditti and where. it is unsafe to
travel even by rail or in automobiles.
This is especially so outside the cities.
Indeed, in a recent railroad ride which
took through a disturbed section I
carried my surplus bills in my stock
ing. | had $3.50 in American money,
consisting of a 500 bill, two twenties
and a ten. / put these next my bare
feet, with the idea that if my train
were held UP they would not be found.
Fortunately, / got through all right,
but the passengers on the same road
two days later We're robbed by party
of bandits. and lost all but their CLOTH
ing. In the mountainous districts even
ones clothing is liable to be taken,
and there are recent instances where
men have been stripped and left naked.
So far Americans and other foreigners
have been robbed only of their money,
but such cases are frequent.
Banking and Money Matters
Speaking OF money matters, / find it
best to travel in country like this with
letter of credit. | have one issued by
the Riggs National bank of Washington
on one of the leading banks of London,
and with this can get money in any of
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

Copyrighted. 1918, by Frank G. Carpenter.
Mexico City Mex.
TIME revolutionary troubles are
crowding the national pawn shop
\ and scores who have been ruined
by the recent bombardment are "hock-
ing everything under the sun.
How would you like to borrow money OF
Uncle Sam at / per cent a month?
90 not mean big. long time loans, but
something like five, ten or fifty 'punks'
to tide you over till next salary day.
That is what you can do in Mexico City.
The government here has a pawnshop in
which you can "hock' your watch or
youi wedding ring, or even an oil stove
or porcelain bathtub. 1t is known as
a mountain of piety,'y and this noun
tain of easily getable gold stands just
opposite the cathedral and within
stones throw of the national palace, on
enc of the great plaza, right in the
heart of the corners of Cinco de Mayo
street and the great plaza, right in the
heart of the capital. 1t is a big, three
story building which looks like prison.
1t has a cross on one corner Of the roof
and the Mexican coat of arms over the
portals. 1t covers almost a block and it
is filled with everything pawnable under
the Mexican sun. 1t has millions of dol
away in its vaults. and in the sale cases
today 1 saw peck of gold ornaments
and of precious stones, and also rings
and bracelets galore.
In the National Pawnshop
During my stay went throught the va
rious rooms, seeing people OF all ages,
sexes and financial conditions borrowing
money on articles of every description.
l watched the selling and saw crowds
looking over the stocks of various pledges
to get bargains. In the loan rooms the
people stood before long counters, above
which were wire networks like those of
our banks, and in the great patio or
square, around which the rooms of the
building rum ! saw them bring in auto
mobiles, steel safes. baby cradles. parlor
sets and pianos. / watched the opening
of an upright piano The owner was a
pretty girl dressed in black, with man
tilla over her head. and the tears stood
in her eyes as she saw it unpacked. In
another part of the patio were a man
and his wife getting a loan on their par
lor carpet which still showed the dust
of recent year. and away off in one COR
ner lay a half dozen old bathtubs, which
had been evidently taken from the houses
and brought there as pledges. 1t may be
they will be redeemed by Saturday night.
In going through the building | saw
warehouse after warehouse filed with
household goods of every conceivable
kind There were hundreds of porcelain
and zinc bathtubs, chairs, stools and
candlesticks and tables and beds without
number. There were great shelves filed
with clothing, and organs, talking ma
chimes and pianos by dozens. There were
also kitchen and cooking utensils and
things one would not be able to pawn in
the states The smallest sum loaned on
any article is 6 cents of our money and
the loans run from that to $1,000. l am
told that about $4,000 pieces are pawned
every month, and something like 5000
in loans is given out in that time. All
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02
National Bank Of Mexico Whose Capt.
tai Is $17,000,0sO

bank, and 1t came near failing in 1854
on account of its issue of demand liabil-
tiles based on long-term loans. It then
held cash reserve of two and one-half
millions against circulation of four mil
lions but a panic came, a run was made
and the institution was compelled to sus-
pend. Outside aid was obtained, how
ever, and the bank kept on It's feet. Since
then there has been a change in the Mex
ioan banking laws, and | am told those
now in force are excellent
The country was put on a gold stan
dard by Diaz about six years ago, and
since then the peso has been WORTH
practically 90 cents gold. Before that
it ran up and down, fluctuating ac-
cording to the amount of silver II con-
tained. In 1901 il was worth 46 cents,
in 1902 and 1903 only Al cents, and in
1904 1t was Is cents and a fraction.
1T then ran up to so cents, which value
it has held ever since.
There Is no doubt about the sound
financial condition of the Mexican gov
ernment. In recent years it has been
taking in more money in taxes than
has been needed for the government
expenses, and the public debt, consid-
ering the assets of the country, is COM
para lively small. 1t amounts to only
a little over $500, 900, or about one
fifth of what the United States owes
y
debts of Europe. France, for instance,
is no wowing almost six thousand mil
lions, and the German empire and
is now owing almost six thousand mil
lions. Italy's debt is fast approxiInat-
ing three thousand millions, while that
of the United Kingdom,- including the
colonies, Is more than four Thousand
millions. Little Japan owes thirteen
hundred millions, while Switzerland,
that little patch of mountains and val
leys. owes considerably more than this
republic of Mexico.
am told that there is a great Zeal of
boarded money in Mexico. Up to the be-
ginning of the present generation bank
ing was comparatively unsafe and many
of the people buried their money instead
of depositing It, Even now there are
millions upon millions under the court
yards of the rich haciendados or hidden
away in the walls.
Men die who are supposed to be worth
nothing and thousands of dollars are
found in their miserable homes. Not
long ago an American brought suit to
collect a debt of man in one of the
provincial cities He got judgment
but the defendant said: "I can't pay you.
but my father will.' The father was
called on and he took the officials down
into a cellar under his house where there
was 100000 stored away. The Judgment
was for $1,000 and five of the bags were
handed over in payment therefor.
| understand that the church has Z.
great deal of secreted money and that
the boards of the common people are
just now beginning to come to the banks.
The same is true in the Philippines,
whore our soldiers dug up silver In the
courtyards of the houses, and also in
India, where hundreds of millions of dol
lars in the shape of gold coin and jewelry
are buried in places in and under the
walls of the homes of people supposedly
POOR
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

master. John White conducted religious
service on board before she sailed, in
fun sight of the hushed and crowded
quays, where folk stood marveling at
an impulse of conscience potent enough
to send their fellow countrymen across
the alternating sea. Through John White
the patent was confirmed and a royal
charter granted to the governor and COM
pany OF the Massachusetts bay colony in
1929
This apostle of the west was 81 when
the seeds of his first gigantic effort be-
gan to fructs1y. Nineteen. years of use
fulness still stretched before him. The
tiny ships plowing the waves of the AT
1antic between England and America car
lied many a missive of hope and cheer
from him to the colonists, and at the
same time brought him news of their
enterprise. But John White did not rest
content with correspondence, and was
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02
Snapshot of th Thieves, Market

interest paid in monthly amounting to
$4,000 and upward.
How Money Is Leaned
watched the process of loaning Tho
moment a pledge is brought in an ex-
pert yaluator fixes the price, and the
loan is only a certain percentage of this.
The price is low, for il the pledge is
unclaimed and it cannot be sold the
valuator has to take it himself, giving
therefor the amount of the loan and the
interest. As long as the interest is
regularly paid all pledges are held. but
after this they are offered for sale. In
going through the courts. warehouses and
salesrooms 4 found price tags on every
thing. These showed the original values
and the loans, and in many cases the
values had been reduced three or four
times, and most things seemed to me
wonderfully cheap. Indeed, the first step
is about what the goods would bring in
a second hand store. This Is held for
a month, and then. If no one comes
to buy it, is reduced. The next month
il is further marked down, and this goes
on from month to month until five
months. when, if not sold. the valuator
must take back the article.
I spent some time in the jewelry sales
room. Here were cases of pearls and dia-
mons, and quantities of rings, brooches
ana pms set WIFI jewels ol every QtScTlp-
ton. | saw earrings with pearls as big
as the end of your finger, and great
sapphres and emeralds valued at from
$500 to $1,000. Many of the jewels were
in sets, consisting of bracelets, brooches
and earrings, with now and then tiara
of diamonds to match. Most of these
trinkets seemed to me very cheap. Just
now Mexico is in the throes of hard.
times owing to the revolutionary troubles
and the sales of unredeemed pledges are
large. Sometimes tourist pick up great
bargains in jewelry. | know of one man
who got beautiful brooch containing
half dozen pears and four diamonds
for 500, and of another who bought a
fine diamond ring for half that amount.
coveted a set of jewels whose price
had been cut from $500 down to $500. but
| thought of the customs, which are rig
idly enforced on the borders of Texas
and did not invest.
AT the Pawnbroking Auctions
| wish | could show you one of the auc-
tions of this national pawnshop. They
are attended by the motley throng which
makes up the crowds of the Mexican cap
ital. There are men III sombreros, short
jackets and tight-fitting trousers There
arc women in black with mantllas over
their heads, and there are people dressed
much the same as those of our cities.
At the auctions the pledges include chro-
mos, saddles and harness, household
goods and clothing and jewelry and trim
kets of every imaginable kind and de-
scrption. The goods are put up at the
request of the would-be purchasers and
are often sold to the first bidders. The
man picks out his article and it is knock
ed off after giving the others a chance.
Everything has been appraised and there
Is no false bidding The great bargains
In good things. however, are usually sold
before the auctions take place.
In the Thieves Market
In addition to the national pawnshop
there are many private pawnshops in
Mexico City. AT these the loans are more
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

Some time ago I was asked to write
an historical novel on some lesser
known Wessex worthy. While pros
pecting among various kinds of ma
terial | came across the Rev. John
White. and his connection with the
birth of America. but soon discovered
had not time to do justice to such
big theme.
Now as the arrangements for the
celebration of 100 years of peace be-
tween England and America are in
course of preparation, l have been
thinking again of the subject. As. how
ever, / am still prevented by other
work from writing a novel around the
career of this grand old divine l have
thrown some of the material into II
news story, rather with a view to in
teresting the man in the cars than the
high brows, who doubtless have delved
more deeply than l in the archives OF
the seventeenth century.
WILLIAMSON SHERREN.
(The we'll known English novelist.)
r oNDoN. March 1.--Cspecai1 In
the church porch of a small
- town in southwest England
there is brass tablet to the memory
Of man who has never sufficiently
emerged into the limelght of public
regard for the great part he played
in speeding John Endicott and his gal
liant band to the home of freedom
The hidden romance of New England
colonization appears as soon as you be-
gin to examine the Dorset archives of
the seventeenth century, Clear for all
to see at the present day is the me-
mortal tablet in the south porch of
St Peters church. Dorchester. read
year by year by many American pill
prims 1t runs I'm this porch lies In.
body of the Rev John White, NJ. A..
Of New College, oxford He was born
at Christmas. 1876. For about 30 years
he was rector OF this parish and also
of Holy Trinity. He died here July u,
1G48. A man of great goodness, good
scholarship and wonderful ability and
Kindness. he had a very strong sway in
the town. He greatly set forward the
emigration TO the Massachusetts Bay
colony. where his name lives in un-
fading remembrance
Such a memorial uncoyers immediate
Is one Of the TAP roots of history.
which nurtured hy religious inioler-
ance in the rank soil of stuart policy,
developed into. the vigorous tree of
transatlantic liberty
Sometimes called the Apostle OF the
West. John White belongs to the great
Fellowship of staunch and independent
men who stand rock like amid the
swirl OF events and east The flux Of
opinion into the mould of their iron
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

being the peso or Mexican dollar which
is worth just about so cents
In addition to the ordinary banks there
are mortgage banks similar to those ex-
isting in France, which extend credit to
agricultural and mining enterprises
These, to a certain extent are under the
minister of finance, and they are intended
to aid in the development of the country
by loaning money to farmers and others.
One of these banks is known as the In
stitution of Loans for Irrigation Works
and the Encouragement of Agriculture.
1t was started with a capital of 81 ,000, 900
and a bond issue of $4,000, 600, guaranteed
by the national government. A few
weeks ago congress authorized the capi
tai stock to be increased to over
$200.000,0 900
Mexico's Oldest Bank
The oldest loaning institution in Mexico
Is the Monte de Piedad of which have
written. 1t was founded before our
Declaration of Independence was signed
way back in 1775, with capitalization of
100000, it's purpose being to free the poor
pie from the usurious rates of interest
charged by private pawnbrolSers. The
founder was rich mine owner, who had
what then was the bonanza mine OF
Mexico. This was situated near Pachuca.
and along about the time that We We're
lighting the revolutionary war it had al
ready yielded s15,000.000 Its owner was
noted for his extravagances.
He gave several warships to Spain and
leaned the king a million dollars. The
same mine is still worked and il is now
ov ned by Americans.
The Monte de Piedad is also a savings
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02
BY WILKINSON SHERREN


concerned throughout the rest of his life
in helping the colonists in more practical
ways
An interesting sidelight on his unceas-
ing activity in this direction is found in
the DorcheNer borough archives. From
this source we learn that Ann Samways
accused of speaking unseemly words of
John White, had declared that he did
starve the the country, and did coyne
with the devil for money, and would be
a merchant and farmer for his profit.
and did send provision to New England
in color to convey to Spayne.' The great
divine was an industrious farmer and
owned two closes, or pasture fields. where
one Nathaniel Bower sometimes worked
during the harvest. On one occasion
this worthy was hailed before Mr. Mayor
for coming into collision with the watch
and spoke in his defense of working
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02

from the council by which there was
"pargained and sold unto some knights
ana gentlemen about Dorchester, Sir
Henry Russell, Sir John Young, Thomas
Southcoat, John Humphrey. John Endi-
colt and Simon Whetcomb. gent. that
Part of New England lying between Mer-
iimac river and the Charles river at the
bottom of Massachusetts bay" Other
people of influence from the neighbor-
hood of London and Lincolnshire, men
CT strns religious convictions. were
through John Whites influence directed
into the new movement
A few weeks after Charles I. granted
the petition of right. Endicott sailed
from Weymouth (England) a port eight
miles distant from his native town. from
which pilgrims set out in the middle ages
TO visit the shrine of st. Compostella.
The intrepid knight and his company
sailed in the Abigail Henry Gauden,
The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-02
The Stores Are Locked With Heavy
Bolts


costly and or 10 per cent a month is
frequently paid. 1t is unsafe to attempt
to borrow on stolen wares at the Monte
dc Piedad, but this is not so of the pri-
vate pawnshops, and | am told that many
OF them are fences or receivers of stolen
goods.
Indeed, there is one market here when
has so much questionable merchandise
that it goes by the name of the Thieves
market. 1t Is not far from the catheslral
and just off Of the main market house of
the city. 1t is on a street once occupied
by the palace of King Montezuma and
where the first bull ring was afterward
established by the Spanards. On tie
same spot 10 heretics We're condemned to
be burned to death by the inquisition in
1469, and it is only within century or so
that the land has been cleared and the
property of the city.
III my walk through this market | kept
my hands on my pocketbook, but | was
not mclested. j examined the goods, but
there was nothing of value in the shape
of curios or gold and silver set with jew
els. The most of the wares seemed to be
trinkets household goods and old cloth
ing. There was a great stock of the lat
ter and as | looked at the silk dresses
and mems suits of one kind or another I
beihought me of the warning / had when
I spent my first night in Mexico My
adviser was an old resident. Said he:
I'm going to bed on the ground floor
you must be careful to put your trousers
under the mattress and lay your other
clothes near the wall farthest away from
the window, especially so If you keep
your blinds open. This country has many
sneak thieves and there are professionals
who have jointed rods with a hook at the
end by which they can reach through the
bars and drag out your clothing. You
must also watch out for your pockets
and especially in crowds and on the
street cars 1t is not safe to leave your
car wiz dow open while travelling on the
railways and you want to keep track of
your camera.
''The Revolution and Its Hold-Ups''
Since then l have found reason to APT
preciate these suggestions. A man trav-
cling with me had his pocket picked
two days after he entered Mexico, and
this has scared him so that he now
does not venture out without one hand
in his trousers. l am told that the
thieves steal wire cable and electric
wiring. They cut through the roofs to
get into the stores and warerooms and
even try to rob the poor boxes of the
churches. The railways lose thousands
of bolts from the cars and tracks every
year and they even take the fishplates
from the rails. Nothing left out OF
doors unmatched is safe and l am told
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-10-31
THRgs u zgET

The mechanical equipment of The Bulletin was out of
commission last night for several hours due to shut down
at the power plant of the Cairo Traction Company and of
necessity the paper makes its appearance this morning in
abbreviated FORM Many important news items and stories
we are unable to present this morning for this and ask
the consideration and indulgence of our readers
The shut down OF the power plant was due to break
of about one hundred and fifty feet OF trolley wire Just about
Twenty-Seyenh street on Commercial avenue. WOrkmen
were Immediately upon the and the wire reStung
several hours later The power plant started up again at
O'clock giving The Bulletins nOVpeS, one hour to make up
for the several lost
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-10-31
PRESIDENT WAITS
FOR FULL MEXICO
ELECT|ONRETURNS
Will Not Announce lis P ans Until
Matters Take Definite
Shape.
FOREIGN GOVERNMENTS 10
RECEIVE COPIES or VIEW s

Washington. Oct. 30--pre;ide1t
Wilson let it be known today that
lie was waiting for things to take
definite shape in Mexito as a rosui'
Of the eleC ton last Sunday anal
that the L. S government would
not act until it had information in
detail of what took place at the
POLLS.
Recently the president in a note
to the Mexican foreign offices trans
mitted by Charge 'Shaughnessy,
declared t hatthe election Of Oct.
&c would not he considered consti-
tutioEal by the t. 5, How long
the {. S. will wait for the returns is
not known. /, is believed that sew
cral days, perhaps weeks, Will
lapse before the Hueria government
handicapped by difficulties Of Com
munication will be able officially to
record the result.
November II was the day set for
the counting of ballots. No positive
information as to the government g
future course was divulged at the
White House. The president in
formed those who discussed the sit
uation with him that he had not de-
cided whether the next step would
he made kiown by word or action.
He is at work on plan by which
he homes 10 solve the trouble OF
Mexico. One OF the featres of it Is
p formal statement of the aims and
purposes Of the II. s., its stand
against influence OF material inter
ests in Latin American affairs, it,
devotion to the cause of constitu'
tlonal government on this hemis'
phere and its belief that fair anf
free election With saferuards anc
guarantees must be held in order t.
establish legal authority in the
southern republic.
This statement of the govern
ments attitude already outlined II
the presidents speeches at Mobile
and Swarthmore in all probability
will lie communicated to Mexico anC
copy of these views transmitted t:
Foreign governments generally.
The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1913-10-31
HARD IUCK7 WELL.
MAYBE YOU CAN
BEAT THIS

Hammond, Ind, Get 3O---Scott
Shattusk of Brazil Ind, an insur-
ance collector, claims this story is
the record hard luck tale lie made
fifteen calls yesterday and not one
collection He found on his first
call the husband SEX in bed; second
call, wife and family siek@ in bed
with the husband caring for them;
third he husband had just lost
three fingers in an accident; fourth,
crepe on door; fifth. the storke had
Just come; sixth, child had lost an
eve in an accident: seventh, child
dying of infantile paralysis; ninth,
man had Just dropped a barrel of oil
on his foot. Shattuck reached the
tenth home in time to help carry tho
husband into the house from an am
bulance. The next four calls re-
vealed that the families had moved
away. The last call found the head
Of the family in bed from scaiding
The fire insurance company which
Shattuck represents had three losses
In Brazil during the day and on re,
turning home Shattuck found he baC
been robbed of his poeketbook