The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-05-01

Of seeing a skirmish somewhere.
But did not take kindly to the
idea. preferring to stay on the Amer
lean side of the border had been
told Of people who had gathered
on the American side of the Rio
Grande. not far from FL Paso. for
the fun OF watching q skirmish on
the other side, and some had been
struck by stray bullets. This was
about two years ago. After that the
fun of watching a battle was not
quite so popular.
II saw a great many Mexicans In
San Antonio. The Texans told me
there never had been so many
Mexicans I'm Texas before. IL Is easy
TO tell q Mexican, from his dark
complexion and his general manner.
AS a rule they are extremely lazy
/ and shiftless. In FL Paso they were
loafIng around saloons, public halls
! or any other places. where they
could bet shelter without paying for
II. These men can live ON thirty
cents a day, and when they are hired
they are paid rs to so cents day.
That is why they do not stay at
work steadily, for, as rule they
will not wark except when they are
driven to Il by the necessity of eat
ing. or getting some clothes.
Even at that they are better
treated ir Texas than in Mexico
where they often work for 20 cents
day. Moreover. the company there.
who employ them at Numbering. min.
1 ing or working In the production OF
mineral oil, sell them food and
clothing at big prices. The object Of
\ all this is 20 keep them working. for
II one Of them gets a little ahead oi
the game, he thinks he Is rich and
can afford to retire for a while. The
companies usually manage to keeT
: their Mexican hirelings In debt TO
them. and thus they can keep then
: busy much better than they could
) in any other way. Fit
;. r Would Rather Forage. Y
! at does not look at all SURPRISING
o 10 me that Mexicans were ready {,
: Join any new revolutionary arm!
d under those conditions. To go GU
:, and forage for what they wanted, In
I stead OF working for II Is exactly Z
: their taste. Any rancher, who want
n TO protect HIS property has to hay
bands of Mexicans hired to keep OF
other Mexicans who would like I
II rob the ranch The SAME thing
8 true Of other property. A Mexica
n may be a guard at one time and
Il robber at another. II depends o.
d whether he Is hired TO guard or nc
u and whether he has guard JOB I
; his liking. ~ ~
n Tn Texas the people care yer
Z little FOR the Mexicans and have littl
Il respect for them. There are som
v thrifty Mexicans in Texas, however
In San Antonio there are Mexican
e who have become prosperous mel
0 chants and have done well in othe
e lines Of business. These men ar
e the exception. however. As a rule,
Mexican has no ambition. Many o
these Mexican business men hay,
: extended aid to other Mexicans, VIII
8 have fed over the border, seekin-
: safety in the United States from tn
. dangers that must be faced by al
:, who live in Mexico ID its presen
turbulent state.
II Mexican OF Little Value.
: "The life OF a Mexican Is not re
garded in Texns as OF equal yalu,
to the life or a white man. 1t 4
as rule fairly safe to kin Mex
can in quarrel. This is tfu,
especially on the Texas ranches. /
an American makes an enemy OF {.
. Mexican on the ranches. It IS gen
orally deemed safest to kin him
rather than wait for the Mexican
: TO watch his chance and 60 for In,
American with a knife when Inf.
back is turned. The Mexicans re
semble the Filipinos in their ex
; IRENE treachery.
= doubt very much whether Il
would be. possible Tor the Unitet
States to starye the Mexicans into
. submission by blockading the ports
Mexico Is country where wild
fruits grow in abundance, and the
! people can live on them. v neces
! sary"
From thursdays Daily,
Il Bids for grading and culyerts on
state road No. 2, running least oil
Madison Lake, and four miles In
length were opened this afternoon
AT time OF going to press the board
OF county commissioners had not
yet let the contract for the work.
i The bids opened were as follows !:
For grading. John Mcnamara, s2.4O0:
Thomas Brogap, ss.17i: John Keogh,
1 $s,465.75; J. J.. Brown. s2.59s.1s In
Guiding culverts. Mr.. Brown allowed
$3.50 Tor culverts. For culverts alone
the bids were: Russell Grader com
pany, s2sl.s0; Berger Manufacturing
COMPANY. bid by linear foot; Lam
bert Lumber company. s454. 1910 and
| s225, different bids for different
grades OF material; Fort Dodge Cul-
vert company. by linear foot; Henne-
pin Bridge company, $251.64; The
Wheeli6g company. by linear foot:
Y sNfun oo r,s.lf~ ca--t