The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1866-04-26
LETTER FROM MEXICO.

interesting. The letter was not intended Tor pub
lication, and we have to return thanks TO another
friend for the pleasure of its reproduction
| CoaDorA, Msxiuo March 16, 1866.
This is the most beautiful country in some re-
spects, have ever seen. Our days are Such as
YOU have In the month of May; the nights are
cool and we sleep under two or three blankets
every night We have all the tropical fruits IN
abundance; the trees are all green and good
many aowers and any amount of Birds and such
caroling and singing never heard We have all
kinds of vegetables in the market that ever saw
in the Charleston market, and great many moro
that do not know-green corn, peas, beans, let
tuce radishcs, potatoes and tomatoes, etc., and
vet. lust above u.s. we have most beautiful noun
tain, 900 feet above the sea, with its top always
white with snow. 1t is the most beautiful sight
ever saw. Sugar cane grows from twelve to fifteen
feet high and has only to be planted once in nine
years, and they are grinding it all the year round
Coffee grows very finely and produces pounds
to the tree when four years old. Tobacco grows
well also the rule is to plant corn, and when it is
pretty we'll grown, to plant tobacco between the
rows and when the tobacco is pretty we'll grown
and ready to gather, plant corn between the rows,
thus making three crops during the year; the
lands are very rich This is the dry season, and
said to be the warmest weather we have. The wells
here are about sixty feet deep; there are some
running streams but very few. We have had TWO
or three good showers since have been here the
rainy season will commence in May. The lands
are exceedingly thickly covered with bushes, vines
and shrubs; it costs five dollars On acre to clear
them. There is a good deal of stone upon the
ground the timber is generally small, but in some
places is sufficient for crossties for Railroads The
whole country bears evidence of laziness and neg
lect, and the country is all over-grown for the
want of work there are the ruins OF large ha-
ciendas all over the country, some OF which must
have cost 100000 dollars these haciendas are
cultivated now in spots by the natives, who pay
the proprietors certain rent; they contain from
one to two thousand acres and can be bought for
shout four dollars per acre, paying one-hfth down,
and waiting four or five years for the balance !;
these are considered better than the Government
lands. The Government lands about &C, OOO acres
have all been taken up here, faster than they
4
! grants coming here every day from the States OF
the very best people; some of these are disap-
pointed, while others are delighted and settling
down. This is fixed fact, and large and supe-
rior colony is settled here now there will be good
American society here in short time.
Carlota is about eight miles from here, all in the
bush vet: it will be some time before any one can
/ Gan oud(
Harris are at this place. they have laid 1t out and
named it in honor of the Empress. It's very diff,
cult to build frame house out here, there having
been no saw mills; one or two are now being put
1 up; every one seems more anxious to get their
| lands open for cultivation than anything else
| The country is vast wilderness and abounds in
ruins of former wealth and grandeur. The natives
| live in huts built of bamboo and covered with
straw the higher class live in houses built OF
stone and lime, or cement. Some of the Indians
work well, and you can hire them for fifty cents
per day, finding themselves. They have the best
staging and wagoning here ever saw. The Rail-
road will be here in about eighteen months' it is
about fifteen miles from here This place is about
2, $50 feet above the went up to town fifteen
miles above here; it contains $4,000 inhabitants,
nineteen run of mill ll-stones, three or four tne
Touring mills and large cotton factory with
1000 spindles and 800 looms. 1t is In valley,
amidst the mountains, and one of the most wealthy
places ever sow. TIE city has fourteen foun-
tains spouting up in every quarter of the city, and
constant running stream in the middle of the
street, and the streets are all finely paved. l
would rather live here than any place ever saw
Il there was American society, but it has but four
or five American families. This is 1000 feet
above the sea, and has all the tropical fruits;
this is the land of fruits aad flowers Horses and
COWS are used here oil the year, eating nothing but
| grass. Taking all together, this is the atrangest
and most beautiful country ever saw one can
work out here with pleasure morning and evening
but hot in the middle of the day; no flies or mus
! ouitoes as haye seen, and not many insects or
reptiles.
H's surveying has taken him into very wild
country, fifteen or twenty miles from here where
he had the tiger, panther and wolves around their
camp they were near to q camp of Liberals, and
were afraid to fire their guns for fear they would
be taken for French spies. We take no part in
politics. and the Liberals do not object 10 our COM
Ing here; we have not had any difficulty with any
of them; there are some robberies committed on
the roads sometimes. There is plenty of deer and
partridees and different kinds of game here.
person can live here eaD for thirty-fve cents per
day. Hotels charge one dollar and fifty cents per
day. 1fa man will work here he ought to make
1000 dollars year. am sure it can be DONE
Now, for the objections to the country. These
people are as mean as they can be as general
thing, and as lazy as they can be. Nine-tenths of
the people are Indians and look like the Indians
you see about Pendleton. You have to learn the