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About The Loup City northwestern. (Loup City, Neb.) 189?-1917 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 10, 1907)
MYTHS WOVEN ABOUT SIMPLE MEXICAN PEON PEDRO ALVARADO NOT MINING CROESUS HE HAS BEEN REP RESENTED TO BE. EXTRAVAGANT TALES ARE WITHOUT TRUTH J ___>_ Believes Himself to Be Worth Mil lions, But in Reality Has Hard Work to Raise Comparatively Small Sum—Systematically Plun dered by Those in His Employ— is Famed Throughout Region for Generosity, But Shirks Publicity. Meulco City.—Pedro Alvarado, about whom Action and fancy have woven tales cf fabulous wealth and countless treasures,.!s a Mexican.peon. Willing ly has he submitted to the iiattery and :'.'filiation which his fellow townsmen have lavished ui->on him on account of ills ownership of a bonanza silver mine, albeit in the profits of that m.'nc be has had but a meagre share. All the extravagant tales of Pedro Alvarado’s wealth, <Sf his ability to pay the Mexican national debt, and of bis efforts to commission several regiments of Mexicans to subdue the Yaquis, arc pure myths. He believes himself to-day the wealthiest man of the universe, and no one has ever dared to dispossess him of the delusion he cherishes, that ids mine is the greatest thing of its hind in the world. Hut notwithstanding be is reputed to be worth $150,000,000, he has had the greatest trouble with in the last three months to raise $l!00. 001). The fact, thal he only has been able tb accomplish this at a sacrifice! of practically all he possessed has still failed to bring him to a proper esti mate of his fortune. Lack of Management. As one approaches Parral on the branch of the Mexican Central rail road from Jiminez, tales of Alvarado’s greatness are heard on all sides, it the average Mexican peons are doing the miking. If, on the other hand, one .strikes the expatriated American who iias been living in the vicinity for a year or two, he will confidentally tell one. “on the side,” that the Mexicans are simply reporting what they have heard. If one fraternizes with the I i cons for any length of time one will find that their ideas of Alvarado's wealth are derived largely from the rich ere which their relatives employ ed at the mine abstract surreptitious ly from time to time. Visit to Alvarado. After becoming acquainted with the important developments at Parral, ii ’me has the necessary influence and pull with somebody who is cn friend ly terms with Alvarado, an invitation 0 visit his property is soon forthcom ing. While his ideas of hospitality dif fer in many respects from those tc which we are accustomed in the United States, still, when showing his guests his property, he seems to for get. his alleged greatness and be comes quite chummy with those lie is entertaining. The invitation to the writer of this article to go into the Palmilla mine called for a prompt attendance at the mouth of the shaft at 8 o’clock in the morning. The mine being situated on the very top of one of the highest peaks in the district, and the road leading to it being very difficult, the visitor was half an hour late. Sitting on Ore Pile. Alvarado was round sitting on the apex of one of his richest ore piles. Without even so much as rising he ex 1 ended his hand smilingly as the In terpreter performed the introduction. After a time Alvarado suggested a halt in the exploration, and seating himself passed around cigarettes and began to talk about his output and other items connected with the opera tion of the mine. The exaggeration he made use of was staggering. He thought nothing of saying that before long his mine would a .lord employ ment to 100,000 men, and backed this up with the assertion that he would hoist 10,000 tons of ore every day, once he got the mine working as he planned to have it. This sort of talk easily suggested the origin of many of the stories of wealth that one hears in Mexico and elsewhere concerning this interesting personage. Exploring the Mine. Strange as u may seem, Alvarado is almost totally in ignorance of what is being done from day to day at his property. Those in charge of the de velopment, who seem to be mostly rel atives, are satisfied to give him a per centage of the daily receipts, pocket ing a good deal'of the balance and •spending the rest upon silly operations that fall to make any appreciable im provement of the mine. EVER FEED HORSES MOLASSES! Experiments in New York Have Re suited in RemarkaEte Success. Feed your horse on old fashioned black New Orleans molasses. This is uo joke. No anhnal has a sweetei tooth than the horse. And this char acteristic of equus has not been suf ficiently encouraged. There is noth iug new in the proposition, but the common run of people never heard ot it and will scarcely believe it. Look at those magnificent Percherons draw ing great loads in our streets. Set those giant Normandies, weighing 2, 000 pounds each. Feast your eyes or those sturdy Clydesdales, those dapple grays, able to pull a few tons without flinching. All fed on molasses. A firm in Brooklyn has been experl men ting with molasses as a food foi horses and tries to keep the results se cret, writes Victor Smith in the New .York Press. From an inside source 1 leant this: Two of the horses in the stable were given up as worthless They got so thin and weak that the] couffl 'dnt do k day's work, and were about to be retired on pensions it fi After a while Alvarado suggested a continuation of the exploration of his mine, and showed the way into huge chambers cut' Into the rock from which great quantiles of ore had al ready been abstracted. Here and there the interpreter pointed out big streaks of the rich chlorides of silver that go to make the property a bonanza. Then came the hardest part of the trip—the descent of what Is known as a “chick en ladder,” which is not any too agree able for one unaccustomed to moving about in mines. The “Chicken Ladder.” The chicken ladder is a huge post inclined at about 45 degrees, upon which wooden blocks have been fast ened about 14 inches apart. Wonder ful to relate, the Mexican peons em ployed in the mines, carry on their backs suspended by heavy thongs across their foreheads loads varying in weight from .75 to 100 pounds. They mount the chicken ladders with the utmost celerity and do not seem to think the performance anything won derful. At the bottom of the chicken lad der a group of Mexicans were squatted in one of the drifts, consuming the ever-famous tortilla, which, together with the everlasting friola, makes up character. Up to five months ago Alvarado's mine was hoisting about 160 tons a day, of which about 60 tons were sent away for treatment and the balance left on the dumps. The American min ing engineer is almost overcome when , told that it takes 500 men to accom-' plish such a little work, but of course, he does not appreciate the extraordi-; nary conditions that prevail at the Pal milla. While no one at the mine knows definitely what the ore yields per ton, it is believed that the high crade will average from $250 to $500 per ton, and that the low-grade will run from $16 to $35 a ton. The values are all pres ent in silver, with some occasional lead ores. The mine at the time of the viBit referred to was making about 800 gal lons of water per minute, but the pumps were quite able to take care of this flow. Here again one is put in close touch with Alvarado’s lack of business sense. Instead of draining the mine by a tunnel which he could easily run at the base of the moun tain, where his mine is located, he goes to work and has all the water pumped to the top of the hill, from where it flows to the bottom again Loaned O.e Wagor.s Leaving Mine. me daily tare oi mese numan oeasis oi uuruen. Alvarado Is careful to see that his visiters do not ml3s any Important item in his mine, and on this occa sion It was all of four hours before he had shown everything he wished to ex hibit. Then came an invitation to din ner. and the invitation having been accepted, the mine owner accompanied his guest to the surface and gave the necessary orders to his cook. While Alvardo was waiting the call of the cook his visitor had an excel lent opportunity to study his person ality and his churacter. He is a little man. weighing about 120 pounds, quick, alert and extremely nervous. He has a well-shaped head with prom inent forehead, topped by a short crop of black hair. He wears a stubby beard that shows the lack of care. His features are pleasant, barring an un usually pointed nose, and when he smiles he shows some very good teeth mrougn sluices uum ior me purpose. The surface equipment at the Pal milla is on a part with the best which can be seen at any large American mine. His repair shops are of the best and he has never been known to turn down any suggestion for improve ments that have ever been made to him. unless the offers interfered with his principles. There is a leak some where, however, between the gross profits and the net Income, which up to this time no one has ever been able to explain. It is this unknown drain that has practically ruined Alvarado to-day and that has made it necessary for him to pledge all he owns to raise a bare $300,000. He Shirks Publicity. Strange as it may seem, Alvarado personally shirks publicity. On no ac count would he allow a photograph of himself to be taken, although quite willing to have his entire mine and equipment photographed under any Where the Richer Ores Are Sacked He is 44 years old. He has a keen sense of humor, appreciates a joke, and is always ready both to give and take. His knowledge of things is limit ed to the confines of Chihuahua, his native state. He knows almost noth ing of the world. He is a devout Catholic, and in va rious little nooks In his mine chapels have been constructed, which he never , passes without dofiQng his cap and making the sign of the cross. A Generous Giver. His charity abounds on all sides, and he constantly has men employed in ex cess of his needs simply to keep their families out of want. When he was isked why he still retained the anti quated burros and ore wagons to carry his ore to Parral instead of installing a tramway, he said: ‘‘What would an my men and 500 burros do if they had no ore to carry?” It is along this line or reasoning that Alvarado has built up a philosophy of his own, which, while It perhaps is comical, cannot help arouse certain admiration for his circumstances that may suit the one taking the picture. “I do not want people to think I am a monkey,” said Alvarado, His residence at Parral is a mini ature palace, and its furnishings con tain many expensive pieces of wrought silver, any of which he is quite willing to part with as gifts, to those who catch his fancy. He has invested some or his money in a large hotel in Par ral, but he has wisely decided not to run the hotel himself. For an individual who has seen so little of the world and who, one might say, has been buried in his native town from his birth, Alvarado shows a genius that cannot fail to obtain for him respect throughout the district in which he lives. His ambitions are cen tered in doing good, and he still clings to the idea that some day he will be able to help every Mexican who re quires his assistance. The value of the world’s railways is put at 527,776,000,000. years, when the molasses man came your poor, old, broken down nag. He along. The horses were off their feed, will live to bless you, and be pulling prcbahly sick at the stomach. They you around the country or the town refused oats, hay, corn, clover and at 27. shorts. He looked them over and said — he should like to try an altogether new , London’s Most Populous Parish* regimen. “Go ahead,” said the superin- The population of Islington appears tendent of the stables, in which there at last to have reached high water are over 200 magnificent animals, mark, says the Pall Mall Gazette. A worth from $700 to $1,000 each. In century ago a great part of the bor two uiuuius uittJ ul tuc uuisca, a puvor uugu uuuaiaicu ui uptfu OlUlliry; out cql wreck, gained 400 pounds, and the now all is thickly covered with other, u physical wreck, 356. Their houses, and a» a result the population, coats were as satin. They were restor- at well over 300,000, is the largest of ed to duty and are still holding their any district in the metropolis. When own—on molasses. , the development of the building es In administering the molasses—the tates was entered upon, the figures blackest: you can buy—first chop your rose with astounding rapidity. In hay into bits and to each peck add one 1811 the percentage of increase was pint of molasses. Mb: thoroughly. The 39.7, in 1841 it stood at 49.4, and in horse will do the rest. Use about the 1851 it advanced to 70.7. A period of same quantity of syrup with oats, declining increased then set in, the fig shorts, com, etc. If you find that one ures at succeeding decennial periods horse may have a sweeter tooth than being 63.1, 37.1, 32.3, and 12.8. In 1901 another, regulate the treacle accord- die population was 334,991, the per ingly. So regulate It, in fact, that centage of the increase being only 4.9; nothing well be left in the trough. You while for the twelvemonth now re can buy good New Orleans (or Porto ported upon the latter figure appears Rico) molasses for thirteen and one- at 0.49. In other words, the popula half celts a gallon; by the hogshead tion is all but (Stationary, and ere long or barrel for a little less. Try it on an actual falling off may be looked for. IIJ THE TUNA A COMING FOOD? Hb • mEZJMr7'XU4S TmanLOx: The prickly pear of the American and Australian, the Indian fig of the Englishman, the Barbary fig of the Frenchman, the tuna of the Spanish American, and the higos chumbos of the Spaniard is a fruit concerning which there are more varied beliefs, contradictory opinions, and grades of appreciation than concerning any known to us. The plant and its fruits are subjected to both praise and abuse. •> While the Mexican prays that there may be no rain w-hen the plants are in bloom that the fruit may set well and produce a good crop of tunas, the legislative assemblies in some of the Australian colonies pass laws looking toward their eradication. While the Australian governments spend much money to eradicate the “weed," some ranchmen find that it can be fed to stock with profit. , While the southern Texan was im ploring the government in the early nineties to conduct investigations looking to the eradication of prickly pear, shrewd cattlemen and Ingenious machinists were devising means whereby it could be divested of its objectionable characteristics at small expense and turned to a profitable use. While the minister of agriculture of India pronounced against its use in unqualified terms, it was found" in this country that it could play a profitable role in both beef and dairy produc-_ tion in at least one section of the United States. While the South Afri can is said to revile its presence, the poorest inhabitants of the Island of Sicily are said to largely subsist on its fruit for three or four months each year. The average American traveling in Mexico can see no value whatever in the tremendous stretches of prickly pear upon the plateau, but the native peon grows these plants and similar ones in his orchards and gives them fully as careful attention as any plants which he attempts to cultivate. Enthusiastic magazine writers would revolutionize conditions in the arid region by the establishment of plantations of prickly pear without spines, thus converting the most arid deserts into populous, prosperous communities. Experience teaches, however, that the spineless varieties of cultivation are not hardly under natural desert conditions; that all of the valuable spineless species which produce either fruit or forage In economic quantities require consider able precipitation at some time during the year; and that economic species are not known which thrive under a maximum temperature of less than ten degrees F. One exception to this may be noted in the case of opuntia i arborescens of Colorado; but the amount of stock feed produced by this species is comparatively small and its distribution limited. Conservative judgment based upon observation and experiment, on the other hand, would pronounce many species of prickly pear to be decidedly susceptible to cultivation and highly productive of both fruit and forage under proper conditions of tempera ture and moisture. There are in Mexico many varieties of prickly pear which are found only in cultivation. This is especially true of the spineless forms in general. Others are native and may or may not be cultivated. Of the first group the peon may speak collectively as man sas or tame forms, but he has names for all of the varieties which are grown in his orchards as well as for the wild ones of the mountains. To say that any of the forms are cultivated as we think of cultivation in this country, however, is a gross error. They are rarely ever cultivated. Cuttings are put into the ground and surrounded by a fence to protect them from animal depredations. Aside from this they get little or no cultivation. It Is common for the peon to get a large portion of his living during the tuna season from the plants as they stand in the field. A large part of the crop is therefore consumed directly from the plants. The solid matter in the fruit is about an average of that found in other fruits. Like ait other fruits the amount of solids differs for the dif-' ferent varieties, amounting to from 5.23 to 11.60. It is seldom that one can get any idea of the amount of boiling and evaporating to which the tuna juice is subjected by talking to the men who make the queso. Fortunately, in 1906, an opportunity was had -a visit Lcs Campos in season. Through the kindness of Senor Enrique Guerra a day was spent at the queso factory. At six o'clock in the morning of the day spent at the factory the kettles were charged with 65 gallons of the juice of tuna cardona, a portion of which had been seeded the night be fore. A brisk fire was started at,the same time of wood of the same species of prickly pear. During the day 25 gallons more of the juice were added as evaporation proceeded. The evap oration was carried on very slowly and somewhat irregularly until eight o'clock in the evening. But little at tention was paid to the kettle until toward evening, when the juice was constantly stirred. The juice was se cured from 150 gallons of peeled tunas from which the rind had been com pletely removed, the shrinkage in seeding being very largely due to the bulky seed. The melcocha which was kneaded into queso the next day measured 12 gallons and weighed 130 pounds. A very distinctive feature of the markets of the different cities of the highland region of Mexico is the space or booths assigned to the sale of the tunas. The business is general ly carried on by the poorer population in the most simple and primitive way. Not that the poor are the only ones who eat them, but they are eaten more extensively by the poorer class than any other. One of our illustra tions gives a good idea of the appear ance of the tuna markets. By far the greater amount of fruit is sold unpeeled. This is especially true during the season when fruits are not abundant, for less waste at tends it. Positive Proof. “John has wrote a sketch,” said the old man, “and had it printed in the paper.” "Goin’ to be a literary man, is he?” “I reckon so. He’s just drawed on me for >50!" I HOW POSIES ARE FAKED. All Sort of Tricks Played on Unsus pecting Customers. The gentle art of “faking” flowers Is flourishing exceedingly, and one may purchase at many of the florists' shops green carnations and lilies of the valley. White flowers readily ab sorb the dye, and so perfectly natural are the green tints that only an ex pert well versed in the natural colors of flowers could possibly detect the deception. The flowers are Cut just before they ire fuly developed, and their stalks are then placed in a solution of ani line dye. Flowers so treated readily absorb the solution, and pass it upward into the cells of the petals, thus convert ing the neutral white surface into a green tint. Scarlet and green shades of color seem so far to be the most popular, but other tints are produced In the same way. Genuine lovers of flowers taboo this' color “faking.” and regard it ag a gross outrage on the natural beauties of the flowers so treated. They know that there is no such thing in nature as a scarlet daffodil, or a grene lily of the valley, carna tion, or pansy, and therefore are not likely to be deceived Into purchasing “faked" flowers. It Is only those lack ing an Intimate knowledge of flowers, who would be tempted to buy dyed blossoms and then endeavor to pro cure bulbs or seeds thereof. Plant or flower “faking" Is an old art. One of the most familiar exam ples of it is the “Carrot fern.” ThiB merely consists of the crown of a carrot cut off, fixed firmly by means of wooden pegs in a pot of soil, then allowed to produce a tuft of green foliage and in this state palmed off on unsuspecting folk as a rare or choice fern at sixpence or so each. Beet, parsnip and even mangold roots are treated in the same way and disposed of as the latest floral wonder during the spring months. The skeleton in the closet wouldn't be so bad if it Would only stay where it belongs. 1^-—— - — Washington Gossip Interesting Bits of News Picked Up Here and There at the National Capital -~ J A MOVE FOR PUBLIC BATHS AND LAUNDRIES WASHINGTON. — Preparatory to submitting their annual reports and estimates to congress at the com ing session, the commissioners are considering the advisability of pro viding public baths in the District. They strongly favor the establishment of public baths, and last year recom mended that an appropriation be made sufficient to build two, but congress turned it down. This year, it is stated, the commissioners will ask for an ap propriation with which jto establish public baths for the accommodation of pupils of the public schools, and the establishment of public laundries in connection with the public baths. All of the commissioners are anx ious to provide some kind of bathing or swimming scheme for the school children. It is their aim to make the scheme of such a nature as to have swimming lessons as part o£ the course of studies at the schools. They ANOTHER matter which is to be urged upon the attention of con-1 gress is the liquor question. Every year now for several years the Little fleld-Dolliver bill for the regulation oL the traffic has made its appearance, but the National Association of Brew ers, the National Liquor Dealers’ asso ciation and various other organiza tions have always been on the look out for it, and have always succeeded in blocking its passage. This year it begins to lcok^as though the liquor traffic which has been get ting so many hard knocks from the states lately is to get a national shak ing up as well. At the coming session the Anti-Sa loon League of the United States, which has become a powerful organi zation. will make a strenuous effort to get legislation through. The league believes the time is ripe for the long-! delayed federal legislation. With the fight against the liquor power raging successfully in more than half the states in the union, the league officers feel encouraged to believe that con gress will no longer refuse to enact .he desired legislation. The states are doing handsomely, say men who are preparing to lead the temperance fight before congress at the coming session, but what has the federal government been doing? think every child, boy or girl, should learn the art of swimming. In connection with the effort of the commissioners to secure these publk baths it is also likely they will en deavor to establish one or two publk laundries in the District. This idee is something new and novel in thi part of the country, although such places are common throughout Eu rope. It is the belief that a public laundr> should be connected with eVery public bathhouse erected in the District and to have each laundry suppneu with not less than 30 stationary wash tubs where the women of the poorer class eB can take their clothing to be wash ed, requiring only a trifling sum foi soap and other incidentals. Connectec with each laundry it is the idea to have a "drying-room,” where the worn en can take clothes after the washing to be dried, either by hot air or steam. CaNGRESS MAY SHAKE UP THE LIQUOR TRAFFIC It has, they say, been nullifying the state laws in two ways. The offense of which most complaint is made is that of permitting the shipment of liquor in unbroken packages from one state in the “dry” territory of an other state. It is also asserted that the federal government is directly antagonizing states by licensing the sale of liquor in territory that has been made “dry’ under state laws. In its anxiety to swell its internal revenue receipts, it is alleged, the government, through its internal revenue department, is constantly recognizing the lawless liquor element by issuing government Jicenses. The fight of the session will center around the bill giving state control of interstate shipments of liquor into “dry” territory when they reach the state border, but the temperance 0-rces may go further and demand that the federal government’s internal revenue department shall not issue a government license to any person who has not first complied with all the re quirements of the state law governing the sale of intoxicating liquors. The movement, in short, is to bring the federal government to the support of the states in the effort that is being made everywhere for the better regu lation and control of the liquor traffic ——■■——. ——— AIDS AT WHITE HOUSE ON THE ANXIOUS SEAT IT hia own request, it is said, Lieut, returned to their regular stations and Philip H. Sherida-. has been re- on warships in foreign waters, lieved as military aid at the white Of the ten White House aids of last, house and returned to active service season it is now understood in mili in his regiment, r.s he is desirous of ^ary an<* naval circles that it is doubt* working out his future in the army *ul ^ more than four will be retained, as a soldier in the field rather than Sheridan, following enjoying the life of comparative idle- “*at °f L,*ut U’ Grant 111 ,ast sea ness at Washington son- breaks Up the trio combination ness at Washington. of the three 80ns Qf noted c,v„ war Lieut. Sheridan was one of the generals who surrounded the president most popular aids at the white house at his social functions. Lee .being the during the last two seasons, and it only one now retained. The Whit* was understood among his many Hcuse aids last season, in addition to friends that he would be enabled to Col. Bromwell, Capts. McCoy and Le* retain the choice social position and Lieut. Sheridan, were: Capt. Ar throughout the coming season. Re- thur E. Harding, United States ma cently, however, it developed that rine corps; Chauncey Shark ford, pressure was being brought by friends United States navy; Lieut. Douglas of other young officers to land the MacArthur, United States army engi Wfiite House detail for them, and It neer corps, son of Lieut. Gen. Arthur is thought possible that the president MacArthur; Lieut. C. R. Train, United may have decided upon a change in States navy, son of the late Rear Ad order to give others an opportunity miral Train; Ensign Sumner Read, to shine at the executive mansion. In United States navy; Lieut. Roscoe C. this connection it is now rumored that Bulmer, United States navy, and a number of other officers will be re- Lieut. C. R. Miller. United States lieved of the White House detail and navy. AND LATER IT WAS 23 FOR THE FLORIST THE other day one of the well-known clerks of the war department died. He had been a telegraph op erator before he was appointed to his clerkship and had worked In the tele graph division In the war department for some years. When his fellow op erators learned of his death they de termined to send a floral tribute, and a collection was taken up and order given to the florist to make a large pil low of flowers and mark in the center the figures ' 73,” which in telegraph language means the signal between operators “My compliments and re membrance.” On the day of the fu neral the operators went to pay their last respects to their clerk, and were greatly shocked when they saw their floral tribute on the casket, for instead of the figures “73” there, in red im mortels, on a white field of roses were the figures "23.” It was too late to do anything, and as the casket was borne to the grave the pillow sent with “Complimentn and remembrances” was marked with the message “23." The next day an indignant commit tee of telegraphers waited on the flor iah dor an explanation. All he could say was that he had never heard ot “73,” but he knew “23” and thought that was what they wanted. Eternal Love. The bride of three short months was weeping convulsively. “What’s the trouble?” queried the other fraction of toe combine. “You swore to live and cherish me until time should be no more. You said your love was eternal,” she re plied, “and now after a few weeks of married life you are cold and indiffer ent” “Oh, well, you needn't make such a fuss about it,” he growled. “How long did you expect eternal affection to last, anyway?” Not the Right Kind. “I have been trying the so-called fruit cure,” said the dyspeptic. “For the last month 1 have eaten nothing but fruit, but it hasn’t benefited me in the least.” “That’s strange,” rejoined the healthy man. "Just look at me; I subsist entirely upon fruit” “What kind of fruit?” queHed the Other., . “The fruit of my own labor,” was the significant reply.