Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1883-01-20
A VISIT TO MEXICO.
Letter to the Warrensburg Journal Democr

Letter to the Warrensburg Journal Democrat
MONTEREY, MEX, Dec. IA, 1882.
"Laredo on the line!!l' shouts a
man who rattles his baggage ch, cks
and shuts the car door with a bang
which makes the sleeping passengers
spring erect in their seats, yawn aud
rub their eyes. We are but a few
miles from the Rio Grandc; it is III
the early dawn and we are makilg e at
the rate of twenty-five miles an hour.
Directly the whistle sounds and we
are notified there is time for break
fast before the train leaves for Mex
leo. The passengers march through
adobe Mexican huts on either side to
the hotel and have breakfast well
suited to prepare them for what they
may expect OIL the other side of the
river.
Laredo, Texas, is a very old Next
eau town, but amounted to nothing
until the railroad was built, since
which time 1t has grown rapidly, and
now has some 6, 900 inhabitants, three
fourths of whom are Mexicans. 1t is
surrounded by an almost desert coun-
try and is "a hard place" in every
respect.
AT eight o'clock we are ready 10 be
of to Monterey. The agent tells US
the fare In American money Or what
it will be liz Mexican money. Half u
mile from the depot we reach the
bridge over the Rio Grande, which
here appears as fourth class, insig.
niticaut stream, hundred yards
wide filled with snmd bars aud sue
cesslon OF uesolaie. barren hillocks
upon either side. In q few minutes
thereafter we are on the southern
shore, and under a foreign dag. The
train slows up and we are ut Now
Laredo, Mexican city built up en-.
tirely since the completion Of the
railroad. 1t has population OF about
5000, and is even a less inviting
spot than its sister on The other shore.
AS the train checks up, the conduc.
tor tells all the passengers who have
baggage to proceed to the baggage
car aud open up their trunks for the
custom house officers The officer
said he was busy ana the passengers
got of with simply showing their
keys. This is not always 50, some
times everything, Including the per.
sons of the passengers are carefully
searched, and the finding of any
contraband article in trunk or box, ,
cOntiscates the whole.
We now realize we are beyond the
land OF the stars and stripes. Strange
sights already begin To attract our
attention. Out yonder drove OF
little darkies are picking at the stunt
ed veg-tAtion, the crowd OF iaces are
all OF color, the men with cigars in
their mouths made Of tobacco wrap
ped in corn shucks, anu wearing
bright. red sashes around their waists
ana with great broad.brinmed hats
Oh their heads.
For the first hundred miles after
leaving the river the route is over
the most desolate region imag able,
in tact desert. The country is per-
fectly level with running water cross
ed only once Ill that distance. Not
tree is to be seen save the stuuted
Mesquite, which grows scatteringly
over the gound, about ten or twelve
feet high and as large as your ley, a
the ground. Between these tree.
the poor, poverty stricken earth is
covered with cactus, which gradually
grows taller and taller as we go
south. Scattered at intervals of 80 to
80 feet grows the Spanish dagger. 1t