Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-06-14
grou Coautp Register.
What Was Seen IN Mexico by An
EXcurlOnist From Missouri.

transferred TO tne MeAlCah oeioh"
Railway, new narrow-gauge road no'
completed to Garcia, beyond Montere
some twenty-five miles or more.
We cross the Rio Grande, and are i
Mexico-in foreign land; but we di
not fully realize it till custom-hous
officer began to go through our bag
gage; but he soon got tired, as he sale
looking at old dirty shirts, and gave
up and permitted US to go without fur
ther examination. If Texas was beau
tiful and grand, Mexico is desolate AM
dreary. Itseems almost impossible TO
two countries to lie in such close prox
unity to each other and yet be so dis
similar. The ground looks as if it would
produce well if it were just somewhere
else: but here it does not rain often, ant
it is as hard as rock, and produces M
dust. In fact, we have not been troubled
with dust since we left Missouri or AR
kansas. In some places the ground is
perfectly barren; in others mesquite
trees (Which look like cid peach trees,
and some species of cactus and prickly
pear is the only vegetation. We see
occasionally drove of horses, sheep
or goats; but, for the life of me, don't
see how they live. 1t is to all intents
and purposes a desert. After about
seventy miles we come to the city of
Lampazos. This was the first place
where we saw signs of habitations,
except for a few section men. The
city of two or three thousand IS a mile
off, and did not choose to walk up
under such burning sun, hut many
did go, for we were here for couple
of hours. Here we came to the noun
tains, which for barrenness are unsur-
passed; but they present fine scenery,
as they lie on our right and left. This
valley is said to be from ten to thirty
miles wide, but it looks as if it were
only two to five. We follow up the
valley to Monterey. There is some ir-
rigation, and we see some corn, cane
and other things, but most of it looked
bad. We see few century plants up
this valley, some Of which were in
bloom. Parrots live here, and some
are caught. One of our party bought
one for Sc; but it speaks Spanish, and
we can't understand it. Several towns
are passed, and at P. NJ. we are at
Monterey, thirteen hundred miles from
home and among heathens. The first |
thing that strikes us is to see the first
nd nil oil hive
The latter is seen in the railway street |
cars and a few buses and carriages;
the former in the dObys, or mud hous-
es, pack horses, and in almost every
custom of this people. I understand
that an import of $50 per wheel is
charged on any and all vehicles brought
to Mexico. They have the meanest
looking scrub stock 1 ever saw; and
after piling up much wood or other
things upon the back of poor little
ass, big Mexican, about as large as
the animal, gets on top of the burden.
These people are like some know of
in the United States-very lazy. We
were entertained by the little mission
Baptist Church of So members, who
had rented a large hotel. They gave
us the best afforded in Mexico, but it
was so unlike our fare at home that
very few if any enjoyed it. I confess
that for three days l did not eat as
much as do at one meal when I am
in the United States. Our party rails
ed, while here, nearly two thousand I
dollars to build the little congregation
a church house. l.. B. Ely, of the firm
of Ely, Walker & Co., of st. Louis, got
up this collection. Our money is worth
from ten to twenty per cent. premium
here over the Mexican money. The
language spoken here is very euphoni-
BUS, and 1 think easy to learn. saw
no flies or other insects, though sup /
pose there are such things here. The .
people are for the most part very dark,
but some few are white; and saw
lew pure Castillian girls, who were fair
md beautiful, and some of whom could
speak little English. The people are
Ill polite, and can shake hands very
luently in English; and heard some ,
If our party say that the ROSTERS
,rowed in good English. The Next
ANS have no manners, and neither did
We; for we soon learned to go right in ,
o private houses without leave or Ii
,ense and to look into everything we
Jaw, and the natives seemed to enjoy
t and think we were doing them an
honor. The women were nearly all
and would stand or sit in
he hot sun and seem to feel no dis
,omfiture. Most of them were nearly
lalf nude. The men dress more, and
Ill wear very heavy hats, some of
which would weigh five pounds. 1
aw a Mexican ride jenny along the :
treet from house to house, at each of +,
which he would sell milk, getting down