Guatemala and Her People of To-day / Being an Account of the Land, Its History and Development; the People, Their Customs and Characteristics; to Which Are Added Chapters on British Honduras and the Republic of Honduras, with References to the Other Countries of Central America, Salvador, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica

by Nevin O. Winter

In such a case the best way to do is to enter the house and hunt around for yourself, and blandly order the woman to prepare whatever you chance to find. Then, if you leave a small sum of money with her on departing, she will not take any offence but will politely thank you. Time is the only thing with which they seem to be well supplied. It is equally hard to get anything done, for, unless the party is willing to do the work requested, he will find some plausible excuse. An American travelling across the country a few years ago found it necessary to have his horse shod at one of the small towns. There were three blacksmiths in the town; of these one was sick but had supplies, a second had no nails and the third no charcoal. As there was no lending among the craft the horse could not be shod.

The great vices of the inhabitants are a general indolence and improvidence, and for that reason labour is hard to secure. This has led to the system of peonage by means of which the labourer is obliged to work for his employer so long as he is indebted to him. This condition is generally entered into voluntarily on the part of the Indian by borrowing a small sum of money from a plantation owner and the signing of a contract of employment. The following is a literal copy of one of these contracts which I obtained from the manager of a coffee plantation:

The mozo herewith employed binds himself:

1. To discharge with his work daily and personally the debt contracted on this finca.

2. To do every class of work after the customs established on the finca.

3. To absent himself from the finca on no pretext without previous permission in writing.

4. To pay all expenses made necessary in case of flight, and rendering himself subject to the proceedings brought against him through the proper authority.

5. To remain on the finca eleven months of each year.

6. To subject himself to all articles of the law of labourers decreed by the government.

7. The loan is given not to the man alone but to his entire family; and each and every one will be individually responsible for what they receive.