The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-03-30

20"
You can get fairly good cigar for
nickel. and that cost 10 cents
here would he worth % cents in the
United states The cigarettes, which
are often put up in black paper, look
deadly. but the tobacco in them is
mild and / am told they are good
A Lnnd of Small .;us:nessex.
Mexico has many house industries
and there are towns that make certain
kinds of wares which are peddled about
over the country or sold in small shops
by the natives About every city
market you will find booths devoted to
fancy work. pottery, shoes or cheap
dry goods and notions. Every town
has its plaza public square. and
around this are arcades uphc!. by
pillars which run along in front of the
stores. These arcades are filled with
petty merchants. whose establishments
consist of cupboard and counter set
against one OF the pillars. These ped
dlers sell all sorts OF things and they
arc OF all ages and OF both sexes
Here the wife OF "A shoemaker stands
with her back against the wall and n
half dozen pairs OF sharptoed childrcn's
shoes on the flags before her. Next
her is a black bearded man peddling
bride bits and ornamental Mexican
spurs. while near him. perhaps, is n
cane peddler who has carved sticks
to catch the eye Of the tourist.
Ia all the villages there are littli
stores run by Indians. and here there
are street peddlcrs and market men
who do not average more than five
or ten dollars day in the amounts Of
their sales.
PcddIinE Goods mt the Capital.
Mexico city is full OF peddlers, and
they accost you on every block There
are hundreds OF men and women sen-
ing lottery tickets. ! meet one such
every time ! go outside my hotel He
Is n native Mexican. six feet tall and
as heavy as former President Taft He
has n brightcolorcd blanket over his
shoulders and on his head som
brero as big as an umbrella He also
wears a red shirt and trousers and
brown jacket. gayly enbi oidercd This
representative of Dame Fortune walks
up and down Sixteenth OF September
street all day long asking every one
to buy his lotte.'y wares photo
graphed him to-day and he insisted on
having "A copy OF the pictura the
moment ] snapped it. There are many
! lottery ticket sellers about the cathe-
dral and in front of the national pawn
shop. and also at the entrance 10 the
ring where the bull Nights are held
There arc street pcddlers selling
clothing. some selling straw bats and
baskets and some VINO are loaded with
toys and trays OF candy and sweet
meats. saw a man to-day VINO had
n score OF birdcages tied to his ba elk
He was peddline canarics and parrots.
Near him was n woman with an open
umbrella nlled with picture post cards
, and farther on walked porter loaded
with dressed chickens which were tied
by the legs in great bundle. He
offered them 10 the passers-by at SO
much apiece There are men VINO carry
kids over their shoulders and peddic
them from house 10 house, and boys
who go along with great screenlilie
Trans Of shoe strings tied to q stick
There are some men peddling books
and others with mirrors and notions
for women. There are some who drive
live turkeys through the streets so
that YOU can buy your Thanksgiving
bird on the hoof and know it is fresh.
There are even peddlers selling game
cocks Think OF the demand that such
trade must imply There is game
chicken man now. We can see only
! his legs. which show out below the
great framework of baskets covering
his back and reaching high over his
head. Out OF each basket waves the
tail Of cock and as he goes by we
| hear a great squawking. Each of che
! baskets contains game cock. and the
best of them will bring twice as much
as n turkey. The cocks have their
heads inside the baskets. that they may
| not peck at one another Cock fight
ing here Is favorite sport, and game
chicken reddiing is regular business.
They Sell by the Pile
| 1t is wonderful now small the sales
! of these street pcddlers are. In many
/ places the merchants sit on the street.
! with their goods spread out before
! them. About the cathedral are scores
! who sell candies peanuts and fruit.
The peanuts are not measured out by
/ the glass or tho pint as with u.s. but
are counted You can get about ten
| for cent. Another pile may be four
| or iivn candies. and a third may be four
oranges laid up like pyramid
In the great market, where most of
4, the MeNicans do their meat and vege-
table buying. are little piles OF pota-
toes containing dozen tubers not
more than an inch In diameter. Such
| a pile may sell for n nickel. Onions
and green peppers are counted and
squash and pumpkins are cut into
pieces and sold by the slice. saw
women today buying cabbage at I
cent q slice. Think of cents worth
Of cabbage! But there are many poor
/ here. and cents worth will flavor
stew These small piles are for the
poor with WON 10 or Is cents may
| buy whole mornings marketing
Vegetables and Fruits.
You must not think, however, tint
| the market business is made up of
small trading. 1t is one of the finest
markets on the Continent. and | doubt
whether better fruits and vegetables
are anywhere sold. The celery and