The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-06
HUMOR. IN FINAL
 CARRANzA DAYS
 AT MEXICO CITY
Food Prices Soar and One American Houses 30 Chickens in His
 Bathroom
By Associated Press

Mexico City. May 2.-The revolution which overthrow President Carranza and culmnated in his death was attended by many interesting or exciting episodes which could not be reported to the out side while the coup was in progress. Some of the discoveries which have fol- lowed the installation of new authority in tie capital city, too, have been enter. taining.
 Notable was that revealed by ad in, terim officials of the treasury depart. mert. who announced they had found evi. derce Of fraud which had netted some body an amount estimated at about l. 0ea,000 pesos. The papers here say that, when the infalcificables (paper money with which the country was flooded dur ing. the last previous revoiution) were burned. about one-quarter of the amount officially reported to have been destroyed had been previously extracted and sold st the current rate of 10 centavoS on the peso The Carranza government had been taking the old paper money in as a sort of supertax on import duties and other taxes. Later it was supposed to be burned.
 While no disorders occurred in the capital during the evacuation by the Car ranza government and the occupation oy the liberal revolutionary forces, nor did public services cease functioning for an instant the inhabitants of the capital were victims both of inconveniences and proiteers Food prices increased and change which has been the bugbear of everybody since silver began it's sensa- tional rise months ago, sold at b per cent premium.
 The Indians who sell produce in the markets demanded meta lcurrency and got it. Many foreigners fearing a pro tracted struggle and food shortage, laid in ample supplies. One American housewife bought thirty chickens which she put to roost in the bathroom of her apartment. She was too excited to heed the advice of the Indian woman who sold the fowls that she should buy ducks.
 The snectacle of a city of 1000 900 in- habitants absolutely cut off from com munication with the world for almost nine days was not the least interesting phase of the evacuation by Carranza. Both cable and telegraphic communica- ion ceased about g D. m on May 5. Until May 15 the cable lines were useless. An unreliable line was set up by the government to the American border in the Afternoon of May s, but it was devoted exclusively to military and outgoing business. Nothing was received from the outside world until the cable lines were restored
 Because of numerous relays and other wire troubles, those sending messages from the capital could not learn if thelr messages reached their destination The same conditions obtained more or less throughout those parts or the repuplie distant from the border and the coasts
 Foreign press correspondents hied stories on the national lines, trusting to luck that part of them might see print. As safeguards they left summaries With the military authorities for posslpie transmission by government wireless, 6lad other summaries with the cable con,nanv and still others with travellers leaving in attempts to reach the border