The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1916-09-07

4
mans or their equivalent. The Mexi-
can Ry. ("The Queens OWN for
merly had its own sleeping cars, but
since the government took over the
| lire, these have either been worn out
or are being used on other lines, pro-
badly as homes for officers and their
lady friends. But there are two car
leads of soldiers-mostly on the roofs
= besides those who travelled ION
passes) In the first class car. The
train, as usual, was oyercrowded, and
to get seat one had to be at the sta
ton before a. m. Trains now run
ming only in the daytime. At each
station along the line file of soldiers
was drawn up, consisting mostly Of
old men and boys. dirty, ragged, bare
footed or sandaled, with rusty rifles
and belts of cartridges.
At one stage of the journey the
soldiers on the roof started shooting
at rabbit and the officers in the train
joined In firing through the windows of
the car Some Of the passengers,
thinking that the train was being at
tackled by bandits. followed the Gus
tom of the country and lay down on
the boor. The rabbit escaped.
Saving An Exit.
The large bridge near Maltrata is
guarded by force of soldiers night
lau at ~
minds me of the short line from Colo
RADIO Springs-to Cripple Creek. 1t is
believed that Senior Carranza means to
keep this line open il possible, in case
he has to leave Mexico City like some
of his predecessors, and that he has
had part of the old prison of San
Juan de Ullua in Vera Cruz harbor,
fitted up as a palace in case of emer-
gencies.
The journey to Vera Cruz occupied
16 hours instead of the usual 10 or IL,
and the fare was 108 pesos of Vera
Cruz money. As no foreign engineers
are now employed on the railroads,
there is frequently trouble with the
engine. After dark there were no
lights on the train nor as far as
could see, any headlight on the locomo-
tive. Some hundreds of foreigners
who stayed in Mexico City till order
ed out by the United States govern
ment had to travel in box cars and
cattle trucks and were 36 hours on the
way. When they got to Vera Cruz,
all hotels were full and they had to
sleep on the battleship Nebraska"
/ The buzzards are still a feature of
Vera Cruz. 1t is said that they left
when the American troops We're in oc-
cupation, but returned the. day the
troops evacuated the city.
On June T. in Mexico City the official
rate of exchange was pesos Vera
Cruz issue, for one peso infalsificabe
On June 9, in Vera Cruz it was $50
pesos for one infalsificable, and a few
days later 10 for l. The government
has stopped the coyotes (money
changers) from depreciating the value
of the paper and is now doing the
same thing itself.
Some of the foreign business people
In Vera Cruz were fined for giving
and accepting American money in the
course of their transactions. AS a re-
suit, one shipping company would not
accept fares in United States eurren-
cy, although that had hitherto been the
custom. One has therefore to buy
Mexican money from the government
at Toe GU. 81 per peso In this way
the government becomes possessed of
real money with which to buy ammuni-
ton and line the pockets of the faith
full. Neither will 1t allow banks to
cash checks drawn in United States
currency. The manager of the Bank
or London & Mexico was arrested for
refusing to accept Mexican paper
money. But the best joke of all was
that the government would not allow
people who were leaving the country
to exchange a draft on New York for
American money or travellers checks,
HfAuSHiy they mean 10 IOfCe the new
paper currency on the people, though
1t Is of no value outside of Mexico,
One has to get permission to leave
the country and has to tell them all
about himself, and all baggage is care
fully examined at the custom house
to make sure that no gold or silver is
being taken out of the country. On
boarding the steamer you are met by
an official who asks if you have any
Mexican silver money in your possess
sion. and woe betide you If you have.
During the eight months that I have
spent in the country have seen only
one piece of silver money.
If going to Cuba, one has to be vac |
cinated at the office of the Cuban con- |
sui in Vera Cruz, for which, strange to
say, no charge is made.
There is little shipping business now
at Vera Cruz. Wharves are deserted [
ana the rails rusty There are 30 or
40 hydraulic cranes falling to pieces
for want of paint and water pipes
leaking at every joint
The stone verandas of the WHARF
houses near the harbor are occupied
by dirty, half-naked women and child II
rem who pass the time hunting for