The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1913-03-11
agents in Mexico, representing Eng
lish importing houses
What Some Americans DO.

NIdl SOLIC
Our mighty investments give some
idea of what our people are doing
south of the Rio Grande river. a
great number of those Who nave ~
m are on the ground TO tahe
care of them. There are ndr OF
American miners and scores or Amer
lean civil, electrical n MINING ehsi-
neers. There are American farmers
with American foremen and American
coffee planters and many fruit raisers.
There are a large number or AMER
cans engaged in the oil not
only in the properties belonging 10
the citizens of the United States, but
as overseerS. well drillerS and laborerS
in prospecting the oil territory ana
caring for the petroleum. Every
large city has its American colony ana
you can find an American boarding
house, usually run by an American
woman, in every important town.
There are a number of such at the
ca pital. and they are usually better
the hotels, with much lower
prices.
The big railroads are largely man
aged by Americans, although or late
ears the engineers, conductors ana
brakemen have been replaced by ma
tiVes. There are many American pro
fessional men and especially doctors
and dentists. l am toid there are two
American physicians at the cap1tal
who have practices worth $4,000 2
year, and I know of numerous dentists
from the United States who are put
ting peas of silver amalgum into the
mouths of Mexicans and taking pump
kins of gold out of their pockets.
AS far back as ten years ago our
consul general to Mexico City estlnlat-
ed that there we're 1000 American
companies and capitalists who had in
vestments in Mexico. There are some
where between 5000 and 5000 Ameri-
cans living at the capital and they
have wholesale and retail stores here
of various kinds. The city has three
clubs which are American. One is
the University Club in the COlOnla
section, to which belong many Aneri-
can civil and electrical engineers, as
well as leading business men. An
other is the American Club, in the
heart Of the city, which is always
filed with Americans and others at
the noon lunching hour, and a third
is the Country Club, outside the city,
where Americans go to loaf and play
golf.
We have here a newspaper, which
is owned and edited by Americans,
and there are several hotels managed
by Americans and at which most Of
the Americans stay. In the first fight
between Diaz and Madero the former
dropped a shell through the rOO Of
Mrs. POrter's new American House.
Gringoes and Greasers.
In addition to the above eminently
respectable class of Americans who
have Skill, money and brains. there
are others from our country Of a far
different type. We have a few Amer
leans in Mexico who have left the
United States under clouds of one
kind or other, and we have some from
over the border, who have come in
with chips or their shoulders which
they dare any native to knock off.
This is the type which the Mexican
calls the gringo. He thinks there is
no land like the United States, and
Is ready to prove it with first or re-
volver. He wounds the feelings of
the Mexican, who is naturally polite,
and he calls him a greaser. It is this
class that has had much to do with
the i'll feeling between the two coun-
tries. The word greaser should be ap-
pIed only to the rough and tough
Mexican, who compares with the bet
ter and SOberer classes much as grim
go does with the gentlemanly Ameri-
can.
There are undoubtedly many bad
men of both nations in the country
just now. and the present conditions
OF brlgandage and revolution have led
to a large increase in outrages Of one
KIND or other. This is SO not only
upon the Mexicans. but upon the for
eigners as we'll. I am told hat these
outrages in out-of-the-way places
have been far more numerous thar
the United States thinks, and that a
much greater number of Americans
have been killed han is generally SUD-
posed.
Docs the Mexican Like the American,
h is a question which is often
asked. If you put it to a Mexican gen-
tleman of the bette class he will tel
you yes, and that his country looks to
ours for its development and culture
He will show you that a large proper
ton of h Mexican boys and girls
who go abroad to be educated are
sent to the United States. and thai
Mexico's trade is greater with us thar
with any other nation. On the othe,
hand. the Mexican is much like the