The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1883-06-07
AN EXCURSION TO MEXICO.
wha, "a Delegate Saw aud Heard.

an who had landed in Charleston and
travelled AZ far rs Columbia what sort Of
country the United States is.
The portion Of Mexico through which
we passed WAS largely desert. Crossing
the Rio Grande ut Larado, the railroad
runs for sixty-iiyc or seventy miles
through q level, watcrless plain, covered
with growth Of cactus, tour prckly-
pear on large scalc,) and mesquite, n
small, scrubby tree, looking something
like our water willow. The land can be
bought for ten cents an acre. and the
buyer be cheated Mt ,hat. However,
large nocks of sheep and goats are seen
here and there through this region, feed.
ing on the cactus and small twigs of the
mesquite. What little grass had sprung
nr ~ss burned dry. az by an August
drought in our land.
The first water we came 10 vas n salt
river-Salado- shortly after crossing
which, we saw in the distance, the dim
outlines of a mountain range, and were
soon entering into n wide valley, in
breadth from fifteen TO thirty miles. We
expected to find better country in the
valley, but our expectations we've doom.
ed to disappointment, the same arid
plain stretching on into the valley and
continuing almost to Monterey. The
mountains, composed Of limestone rock
presented very different appearance
from that of our beautiful Blue Ridge
range, being almost entirely destitute of
trees, and cut frequently into most fan.
tastic shapes. In one instance range
of five or six miles in length bore u
striking resemblance to an immense
giant laid out for burial-profile, round
ed chest, and abdomen, sloping legs,
even sharp elevation tor feet making
the resemblance very perfect. Another
lofty mountain had, rising from the top,
sharp peak several hundred feet in
height, which looked like an imm, q
fodder stack or lay-rick while yet
another was crowned by II perfectly
shaped vault, that might have furnished
burial place for an ancient king before
the pyramids reared their lofty forms on
Egyptian plains. Another popularity of
these mountains is, that they are not ap.
pronched by foot hills, but rise abruptly
from the plain, Mt times looking like u
vast wall built by giant hands. The
mountains increased in height as we
proceeded on our way, and when night
closed in, wc were winding our way
amid lofty, Handicapped peaks, thou
snnds Of feet high, barren and weather.
scanned from top to bottom.
Yet amid all this dcsolation wo passed
within sight of several cities, of from
three to four thousand inhabitants, so
we are told. These were evidently built
where water was found, as we judged
from the growth of trees seen in the dis
tnnce. But where tho inhabitants get
anything to cat was and is still mys.
terry. a Mexican on board told us that
they cultivated some corn and wheat
near the cities, and that in the near noun
tains we're silver mines. But we still
wonder where they get anything to eat.
The timbered land we saw about these
cities seemed not more extensive than
the cities themselves and amid the out.
lying desolation where were tho fields?
One Of these towns lay just over a
email ridge from tho railroad, and as We
had to wait..one hour for passenger
train, large party of the excursionists
walked over into the iown and caught
their first glimpse of Mexican life.
At station called Bustamente-a din.
ner station got our first lesson in
Mexican sharpness and rascality. One
of our party, Mexican missionary of
our Foreign Mission Board, teIegraphed
ahead that there were about two hundred
on our train. and that they wonld waa.
some dinner. Being detained at the
station on this side over m hour, most
Of us ate our lunch, and when We arrived
at the dinner. house wanted nothing.
Some, however, went in and tried to eat
the stuff set before them. IN handing
out the price the proprietor refused to
receive it, saying We must pay him for
two hundred dinners as ordered, or he
would have our whole party arrested,
telegraphing OIL to magistrate in an.
other place. The fellow had really about
enough TO feed twenty-five or thirty
could they have stomached it-enough
for several hundred who had not been
accustomed to Mexican cooking Our
American backbone stiffened, and we re.
fused to pay It; but finding that our
missionary brother would be liable to
imprisonment, and his influence probably
ruined in all that country, we compro-
nised by paying the fellow fifty dollars
In Mexican money, leaving his dinner
we'll. I SUPP % be hashed for the regu-
lar passenl of the next day. We
learned lesson in the FOOLS school, and
were careful in all dealings with Mexi.
cans from that time.
At nearly every station there were
either one or two tents or little wooden
shantees in which, we learned, was sold
'mescal," the pop.skull whisky of Mex.
leo, drink made from the root of a
plant called "maguey." This mescal is
said to be worse than mean whiskey for
making one drunk, Yet saw no drunk.