San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-09-04
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Through Mexico Hunting Suitable
Location to CoIonize 10000
AFRO

On the 10th of August we left tn
City of Mexico for the state of Vera
| Cruz by the Mexican r. r.. passin!
| through the states of TalaXcala ant
Puebla. The morning we left, being
in August, we had on our Overcoat'
and with them all huttoued up we
felt comfortably good. After travel
ing about 100 miles we stopped at 8
station called EsperanZa, where we
changed engines. The engine we left
Mexico with was a three driver en-
CINE, with one boiler, but the engine
we took at EsperanZa was dOub BILE, with
two boilers, two smoke stacks, and in
fact, two engines in one. After leav-
ing the station we began climbing
mountains ranging from 500 to 4, OOO
feet, passing through tunnels every
Is or 20 minutes. After reaching the
top of one of these mountains, we came
in sight of the great Peak of Orizaba
and Nc. Popocatapetl, one of these
mountains being at least $50 miles
from the railroad and the other $50
miles, whereas they look only about
three miles distant. These mountains
are covered with snow the year round,
plain as if one was only three miles
distant. The adjoining country being
so high above the level Of
the sea and being in a posi-
ton to catch the fresh air,
that blows over these mountains, it
causes the temperature to remain at
from 4So to 30 : which makes it very
cool. A few miles down further we
reached the large canyon called
Little Help and from this point
L discovered little town and on
looking at my watch we found it
was Ills; we ran around this
mountain every once in while
catching glimpse through some
canyon of this little town until l2.45
at when time we reached this town.
After pulling out of the station we
began laying aside our over aud even
our dress coats and longed for our
summer suits. inside of an hour our
thermometer was up to about 500.
Everything then began to put on it's
green dress and presented the ap-
pearance of a hot climate. Then the
brakeman called out estate Line,n
and we knew we were in the state of
Vera Cruz. On reaching the state of
Vera Cruz we noticed large coffee
all along the line. A few
miles before reaching Cordova my
was called to the beautiful
odor which seemed as pure as the air
itself and the fragrant smell was of
such a nature that one would imagine
that he was suddenly plunged into a
establishment. AS the
train slowed tor water we descended
in search of this magnificent vapOr
that seemed to be from the air, and
after wandering about for so yards l
discovered about an acre of cape jes-
samlnes surrounded by roses, water
lilies, magnolia blossoms, and various
kinds of flowers that seemed to dis
solve themselves into one solid odor.
To the left of the railroad noticed a
large plantation where the pine apple
was abundant. The train then moved
on and we soon reached the station
of Cordoba. Cordoba is a station on
the Mexican Vera CRUZ r. r., in the
state Of Vera Cruz, with $4,000 inhab-
itants, founded in the year 1913, and
is celebrated for it's excellent coffee as
is the Indian village of Amatlan de
las Reyes 1920 inhabitants).
The city is being connected by stage
line and has several churches, two
hospitals and literary institute, tele-
phone and telegraph offices and
bank. We stopped in this city all
night and next morning we arose ear
ly and went out for the first time in
our lives to see coffee on its stem.
We also walked into a large grove
where bananas were hanging on their
stalks by hundreds of thousands.
Further down we noticed large plan
tations of sugar cane. After strOlliDg
around for one and a half miles and
reaching the forks of two large roads
we concluded to return to the city
where we prepared to leave on the
$50 train to complete our tour in the
southern portion of the state of Vera
Cruz. On our way we passed a large
orange grove. The oranges seemed to
be of the size of our Louisiana oranges
and were growing in abundance.
Further up in passing by an Indians
hut, | discovered several large lemons
by their stems in front OF his
door. We asked him where they
grew and he escorted us to the rear of
mis- house and pointed out large
grove OF about ) acres. After break
fast General Pacheco, Secretary OF
Public works, also member of the
Cabinet, with whom we journeyed,
told US that on leaving this station
we would pass some of the finest
and richest land in the Republic.
The General also said that the
Government had instructed him to
show us these lands as they thought
they were the proper place for us to
plant ourCOlOny of from 5000 to 10000