The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-21
Another Letter from Mexico.
New LoRADo, MEXICO,

January 26th, 1889.
When I wrote last told you we were
having a little cold weather but that
only lasted day or two. To-day we are
having delightful weather again, in
fact, rather warm. This is given up to
be the finest climate in the world.
With the exception of a few days, we
have had spring weather ever since
last October, when I came here, and
when morniug is cool enough for a
slight frost, the people here complain of
nearly freezing, and you will see them
walking about wrapped in heavy
blanket. They wear no coats at all,
and when the weather is cool, they
throw a blanket around their shoulders,
and work this way. Everything on the
Mexican sideis very cheap. I can buy
a suit of clothes here for SIS that will
cost s25 in the United States anywhere,
and yet Mexican money is worth only
p cents on the dollar in the United
States. But you are not allowed to
carry anything across the river. A
man is allowed three suits of clothes,
three suits of underwear, and two pair
of shoes, and these all have to be- worn
before you can take them over, and to-
bacco and whiskey, after paying the
duty, you have to get permit also to
carry it over. Any one caught trying
to smuggle goods over stands pretty
good chance Of life time in prison. I
take trip across the Rio Grande occa-
sionally, just to get my foot on "Uncle
Sam's'' soil, or as they call it here,
"God's country" can, I almost i'm
agine, feel freedom in the air breathe.
The Rio Grande. River is about $50
yards wide, the banks are 25 or 80 feet
high, the current is about so feet deep,
but on the side of the current the water
is shallow. The water is not muddy,
as most rivers, but ''kinder" blue and
very cold. The Mexican National Rail-
road has bridge for trains, but people
have to cross in boats. Texas and
Mexico are building foot bridge tnat
will cost several millions of dollars, but
will not be completed in several
months.
Well, I did not get to go back the
next day to skin my tiger as I wrote
you would. had to 60 out early
that morning. Wish I could have got
his hide to send you. Guess I will not
kill any more.
: Some time ago I took an extra train
down to Corpus Christi, in Texas,
about l6l miles from dorado, for a load
OF cattle. The first 100 miles is nothing
but vast prairie of waving grass about
three feet high, and had all ripened
and looks something like our broom
sedge, only it is finer grass, and is as
smooth as if it had been cut off to a
measure, and to look at it at night, IN
less you know what it was, you would
think it was water, and as there is al
ways a cool strong breeze from the gulf,
it looks like waves on the water. The
next 81 miles, that is from Corpus
Christi, was nearly all under water.
The country is so level that when it
rains the water cannot run off. so it is
under water nearly all the time, with
not tree, bush, or sprig of grass to be-
seen; nothing but wild geese, ducks,
and pigeons, but it is matted with them.
When they fly between you and the
sun it looks like cloud. There are
millions and millions of them in droves.
The track is a sight to see, running
along through the swamps. Sometimes
it sinks in the mud and water when
the train rolls on it, and you cannot see
the track at all. This beats all the rail
roading ever saw, but the engines on
this division are very small and light,
and run very slow, so there is no dan
ger. Corpus Christi is beautiful place,
down on the coast, it reminds me
very much of Charleston, and there be-
ing strong salt breeze from the gulf,
makes it very pleasant. and said to be
very healty. You talk about fish and
oysters, you ought to see them come in
here, great boat loads at time. I was