The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1916-03-02
INTERESTING NEWS
FROM OLD MEXICO
An American Writer in Plain Language
Tells of Many Troubles
AN UNCENSORED LETTER written To MEMBER
Of Soldiers Home From a Relative Who Knows and
Can Tell of Mexican Conditions

The house you always called the Mu-
seum) who insulted our flag on nu-
merous occasions-whO led the crowd
in yells of Death to all Americans
! when we were driven out two years
ago, and who himself sought protec-
ton under that same American flag
in Vera Cruz, when the Carranza
movement began, has just returned
two weeks ago for the first time to
Mexico, and now has been given the
33d degree and told to get out in "a
hours--but the lawyers of the city
plead with the governor for II days
instead, for him to regulate his busi-
ness. All those rich will be driven
out so that~t government may con
fiscate the property on the grounds
that they had secured it illegitimate
ly. bad women and ill-gotten gains
is the text of these rough common
soldiers; yesterday on the car two OF
these men were sitting on the laps OF
their women-brazenly looking de-
cent people right in the eye. Monday
when CarranZa came in, the crowd
was nothing more than a mob of Gu
rious poor people. (There was no
cheering or enthusiasm to speak off,
And in the evening on the Plaza when
large band gave concert, there
were no pretty carriages or people OF
the better class--just a crowd of red
blankets and big sombreros.
The street cars are running again
with car fare doubled. Every one
tries to cheat you one way or anoth-
er. Even the conductors do the short
change racket just as we leave the
car. Prices are still going up, 5000
kilo (25 lbs) for lard, the same for
butter; sugar $3.40 a kilo oranges
and eggs zoe apiece; hens four dol
lars each. l was going to kill the
turkey this week, but she started to
Law and saved her life. Someone stole
PATIO" my best laying hen. These
poor" people have to steal to exist
at all, and each day grows worse for
them. Shoes and clothes are simply
out of the question for ordinary sal
aries. American shoes are now two
hundred pesos a pair; unbleached
muslin, 81 a yard. No fine thread in
town. and the coarse is 81 spool
Walter sold a sc bottle of vaseline for
$40 and could have asked twenty but
hadn't the heart. Quinine is $4,000 g
kilo (25ibs) and very scarce. Walter
sells three and four tablets, grippe OF
nerve tonic at time. Of course ne
has raised his prices some, but you
can understand he can't ask Soit
prices, as naturally no one would pay
i $50 a nose treatment!
It is so summer-like now, | had tt
put on my light underwear. We have
had no cool weather this year, ant
NO winter shower as is usual in Jan
uary
| received letter from
written January, 1915, and also
card announcing the birth of her sol
lust the other day. She will wonde
why | haven't written! Mail now
} though. is coming through in sever
, and eight days, even the magazine
and newspapers. Walter always see
7 the latter at the Club and the Con
t sulate-so we know what is going o
t in the world. We have trouble I
: keep from discussing the Europea
war with our German and Englls
f friends here. Many of the forme,
] have decided to speak Spanish to a.
Americans and English-thinking
e more loyal to their country som
t one remarked that it was a case
n necessity because they had murdere
e the English language so many time
o there was none left for them
Y speak.