The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1881-11-10
Mexican Letter.


I'VE are permitted to publish the
following interesting letters from our
young friend, Harry Jennings, to his !
parents and grandparents
CoL1NA, Sept. %. 1881.
Dear parents:-I arrived here yester-
day all right and feeling first rate. My
voyage was most pleasant. Starting
from New York Aug. 81, at O'Clock,
we had on board about as fine crowd
as you very often scare up. There were
two young ladies, the Misses Beach and
Mason, who entertained Mr.. Moore
and myself at all times when we were
willing to be :" talked to DEATH" We
ran past a school of sharks just off
Hatteras, and fortunately caught one,
so we had shark for number of days
at the dinner table. We passed no
ships from the time we left New York
until we arrived in Aspinwall, where
we staid Is hours, during which time
we took in" the place. The most
interesting points here are the shops
of the Panama r. R., blacksmith shop,
wood shop and machine shop. They
only run two trains per day, but they
charge 40 cents per mile. We went
down to the orange and banana planta-
tions about half mile out of Aspin-
wall, and bought 100 oranges for 25
cents and $50 bananas for 80 cents.
This is very nasty place; the pigs
live with the people, and are much
neater, neither pigs nor people wear
any clothing and the pigs keep their
bodies much the cleanest. Aspinwall
has about 1900 inhabitants and can be
set down as fraud.
I At a. M, Sept. 9, 1881, we started
on board, and had a most enjoyable
} trip, for although this is the rainy sea-
son here we had a very fine day. AS
we rode along the Shaggers River we
saw great many alligators, at which
I tried my revolver, but, of course.
of the window anywhere between AS
pinwan and Mani, % miles, and pick
bans" or bananas enough to last Ra-
VIENNA ten years. The mountain
scenery is grand. At times you are
riding along and can see below for bal
mile, when suddenly you find your
self staring very hard at the sides Of
cut almost touching the very skies
Again you come out into q pleasant
valley. with Cocoanuts and Palms
clustered together, and flowers which
in their elegance and perfume almost
make one think he is in Paradise. 81
on until you reach Panama, the scene
shifting from one sight to another 81
you never tire of looking. We raI
into Panama at IL o'clock, making {
distance of Al miles in hours. How
is that for high speed.
Panama is just ten times larger thar
Aspinwall, 1900 Inhabitants. and il
therefore ten times nastier. But if yoI
were here to see the old ruined Cathe
drals, which abound here, you woule
feel paid for the voyage. Occasionally
you find man who can haba Ingles, ,an(
of course you Immediately talk to hin
so much about the ownership Of Ger
tain property that he gazes in aston
ishment at your wonderful amount o
lip, and Immediately proceeds on his
way in spite of all your entreaties
We stayed over night at the Crane
Hotel and then went out to the shiI
Rio de Janeiro, which is the siste
ship of the City of Para, so our new
quarters were not strange to us. W.
had very pleasant run up to La Lii
bratad, where we stayed three hours
but were not allowed to go ashore. W.
then went to San Jose de Guatemala
where we were again refused permits
sion to land, on account of the fever
The next place was Acapulco, where
we went ashore aud witnessed bul
fight, one of the most disgusting sights
I ever witnessed. They first led il
two bulls, which fought and goreC
each other until one of them died
when two very brave cavaliers sprans
into the arena and killed the other
and with great cry of bravo! the
crowd dispersed, and we went back ts
the ship to continue our journey, ar
irving at Manzanillo Sept. 10, where
we found orders for Mr.. Moore to stay
and for me to report to Mr.. Flagg.
found two ponies and Moso, or serv
ant, awaiting me, and started out i'm
mediately. Although one would i'm
agine a ride of Is miles, over a rough
country, would be very fatiguing te
person not accustomed to horseback
riding, I arrived o. X, found a gCot
supper awaiting me. Found Mr.
Flagg very we'll indeed, and rs fat al
could be expected of any one who il
sweating all the time. He seemed very
glad to see me, and am sure I was t.
see him. He says 1 need not go t.
work for a week, which is very kint
of him, as am very tired after my
long journey.
1 tell you we live in style down here
Each man on Mr.. Flagg's corps has
Moso to wait upon him any time; w
each have a nice pony to ride to ant
from work, and only work six hours
day:
The office is the finest building il
the city, and as it has $4,000 inhahit
ants, it must therefore be nice one.
am very much pleased with Colims
the cleanliness is something wonderful
for Mexican town.
Mr.. Flagg just asked me if 1 kne,
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