MEXICO AS IT IS. A I jwx I for W hich Mature Hu Done Very .Much and Man Very I.lttle. A late volume of reports from United States Consuls is mostly devoted to Mexico. It include^ a general descrip­ tion of the state of the various industries of the country; its agricultural, mining and manufacturing possibilities; tenure and value of land; prices of food, live­ stock, etc., and prospects for American enterprise. These reports vary in ac­ cordance with local conditions, but lhev are all of the same general purport. With an urea of 760,000 square miles, and a population of nearly 10,000,000, the total real estate valuation of Mexi­ co is only $.382.000,000, and the value of its agricultural products is less than $200,000,000 annually. The other in­ dustries oi the country, aside from m n- ing, are insignificant This is due to no lack of natural resources. The soil is rich and the climate favorable for farm­ ing operations, but there is no develop­ ment of the advantages of the country, and ignorance, indolence and poverty form the burden of the reports regard­ ing the people. The most fertile soils remain unproductive for want of arte­ sian wells and irrigating ditches. There is a variety of products which require little or no cultivation, but there are no ■pads for their transportation, no ma­ chinery for handling them, and no banking system to facilitate exchanges. Land is literally “dirt cheap,” yet it is difficult ol purchase because owners are loo conservative and inert to ei^er sell or work their holdings, and there is no cstaldished trade in real estate. The jteasantry, mostly of Indian blood, are virtually held in bondage by the system of perpetual indebtedness and the transferring of accounts from one employer to another, and they are so lazy and shiftless that they scarcely earn the twenty-live cents a dav which is their average wage. What they get for their labor after satisfying their primitive living necessities, is spent in cheap finery and merry-making. The whole teaching of these reports is that Mexico is a grand field for Ameri­ can enterprise, in all natural advan­ tages, but that a new race, or a radical transformation of the present inhabi­ tants, is necessary to make the field profitable. For instance, the use of American agricultural machinery would be a great boon to the country, but there is little or no sale for it for several reason*. Except in the immedi­ ate vicinity oi the i ail roads the cost and difficulty of transportation virtually prohibits its use. Few of the farm laborers or their employers are compe­ tent to Use II, if procured. The native mechanics are uot smart enough to make repairs, and anv breakage means disuse for months. To make a market for sueh goods, dealers must establish depot* at centers of jtopnlation, with provision for making repairs at heavy expense and considerable risk. So in other departments of industry. Alto­ gether these consular reports tell the same story of Mexico which has been told by private observers. It is a land for which nature has done much and man little. There are some signs of progress along main lines of communi­ cation, but it w ill be necessarily slow.— Naw Francisco liullelin. A Short-Tailed Cat. [Exchange] Japanese eats have the shortest kind of tails, or else none at all. Being de­ prived of this usual plaything they are very solemn pussies. An American once took one of these tailless cats to San Francisco as a- curiosity, and it utterly refused companionship with the long tailed feline specimens there; but, finding a cat whose tail had been cut off by accident, the two became friendly at once. Ancient "Concented Wtipou." |London letter ] In the tower of London are twenty- one specimens of shields, with a pistol attachment in the centre, the weapon being a breech-loader, and slightly pro­ jecting, so that it would hardly be noticed by an enemy until it was* was dis- dis­ charged. All these shields were car­ ried in former time* M “concealed weapon; •> COMPLETE SURPRISE. How a Detroit Female Righter Was Rather Disagreeably Disappointed. On the last day of registration a woman armed with a bone-handled um­ brella walked into the fourth precinct of the Second ward and asked: ••Is this where the men register?” “Yes’m, and the women, too,” WM the courteous reply. “Then I can register without any fuss?” ••Yes’m.” “I didn’t know as they allowed l it,” she explained, ••but I was determined on 1 it. V ” When I left home I had my mind aae up that I’d either register or—” made “Put your name right down on this sheet of paper,” interrupted the clerk. ••You needn’t even give your age.” •‘I needn’t! Weu, sunthin’ wonder­ ful must have happened all at once, guess yon men have found out that us women are of some account after all.” “Oh, certainly. Thai’s all, ma’am.” “And no fuss about it?” “Not a bit” “1 expected I’d have to jaw and tear around, and perhaps use a weapon, and I’m a leetle disappointed.” “Y cb . We won’t keep you longer waiting, ma’am.” •‘Well, I’ll go, but my old man won’t believe it, and I’ll hardlv dare say it myself I expected you’d re­ fuse, and I’d have to jaw and------ ” “Good day, madam.” She went out grudgingly and she stood in front of the building for three or four minutes like one knocked out, and when she finally moved off she was say­ ing to herself: “Well, mebbe the fuss will come in when 1 try to vote. Mebbe they’ll git a prize-fighter to challenge me.”— Do­ trod Free Press. What Johnnie Had Heard. Vinegary mother--Now, Johnnie, you must stop being so silly. Just think of a big boy like you playing horse! ^ear-old Johnnie (whimpering) -Well. I guess I’m no worse than pa. Vinegary mother— Stop your noise; your pa doesn’t play horse. Johnnie— No; but I beard him tell Brown that he sat up all last night playing bank. Vinegary mother—The wretch !• He won’t get a thing to eat to-day. JohnDie—1 guess be won’t be hungry, ma. Vinegary mother (growing inquisitive) —What makes you think so, my son? Johnnie — ’Cause 1 heard him tell Brown that he wonMn’t come home un­ til he got a stake.— Chicago Herald. Had Cause to Grumble. Old Bob Brayson, just after putting on a pair of new brogan shoes, went out to chop wood. While standing on a log.ehopping, his axe glanced and cut his left foot nearly off. His son came up and asked: “Pap, whut’s the matter?” ••I’ve dun i‘uint my new shoe,” the old fellow replied, “ft beats any thing ' ever seed. Ben choppin' wood for a month in my old shoe« an' never fetched ’em, but now that Fve I mboip H down two dollars fur er new pa’r I have to cut an’slash’em all to pieces.”- - Ar* Line. determining the profit or W illiam R eid , President PAWVRCo. margin to be realized out of it. Therefore all General 3X<*AI imi villo Dealers do have an ad­ LIVERY FEED AND SALE STABLES vantage over special dealers, and the greater quantity of goods sold or the volume of business done, the greater that advantage and the less the price ought to be. Hav- ing a full and Complete LOGAN BROS. & HENDERSON. ----- PROPRIETORS----- Stock of the following Fine Carriages, Hack« and lines of goods from the lead- Saddle Horary And everything in the Livery hire, ing dealers and best manu- in good shape facurers, which we replenish At Reasonable Rates with new fresh goods month­ ly or oftener as the trade re­ quires, to wit: LADIES Late of Independence, having purchased the Dre»« and Fancy Good*, Gent* TEAMS AM) TRUCKS and Boy* Clothing and Furnish­ Of Logan Bros. A Henderson, offers his ing Good*. Hat* and Cap*, Boot* services in that line to the public, and will and Shoe*, Crockery. Queen* Guarantee Satisfaction ware and Gia** ware. To all wbo favor him with their patronage. and a full line of fresh grocer- ies, so our customers do not have to deal at half dozen places to supply their wants. While we do not propose to be undersold, yet do not and can not put these goods in competition with Auction or Short Weight goods sold to the trade by unscru­ pulous dealers. We fear no honest competition. Thank­ ing people for past patron­ age and favors, will be pleas­ ed to have you call and de­ termine for yourselves what merit is in our modest claim. A. J. APPERSON. He will keep a wagon specially adapted to the delivery of parcels, trunks satchels, etc., for the aocomodation of the public. Orders left at the stable will be promptly attended to at reasonable rates. City Stables. HENDERSON BROS Ample room to care tor horses. Livery teem* at aa reasonable rates as any where in Oregon. New stable Third St., McMinnville.