San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-07-09
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENT
NO. =.
Into the Land Beyond the Border
just Like a Man--Monterey
and MISUNDERSTANDING
To Picnic.

anu
To Picnic.
MONTEREY, July 4.
Daily LIGHT:
Nine hours ina bistering sun, all
hotter than the blast from a furnace
and cinders enough to bury you, that
was the ride from Laredo to Mon.
terey. BY leaving in the morning, ]
was not able to get a sleeper, nor a
regular passenger train. Had to take
small local, running only to Mon
terey. The seats were really cooler
than the heavy plush of sleeper,
but who could escape that fierce sun.
At Nueva Laredo we waited quite a
little while, until the eye of the law
had been cast upon our baggage,
which was done in the quickest and
most polite manner possible, and
ticket inscribed "Revisado ell
resguardo de la Aduana de
Laredo, Tamaullpas," was pasted on,
which means Nothing the matter
with this grip, let her CO." or words
to that effect However, further
along, another suave Aztec entered
the car, and with gesticulatory elo-
quence and many apologies, inti-
mated that the government
was not altogether satisfied, and
went through the same motions,
gingerly inserting finger here and
there in my modest wardrobe and
bid me depart in peace. Two gentle
men from Victoria, Texas, on their
way to Monterey, Messrs. Hotter and
Allnoch, who are friends of our re-
porter, Mr.. Otto Praeger, were the
only English speaking passengers
besides myself on the train, and /
was very glad to make their
acquaintance. Mr.. HOier is
fine Spanish scholar and is
likely to be in great demand among
his friends. We are soon among the
and being continually on
the up grade Thought the air would
which makes the throat parch and
crisps the very hair Oh ones head.
At small station with a long name
we stopped for dinner. AS ever
since / have lived in San An
tonic / have regarded with strict
the succulence of pelone
tamale and bronchO chile, was pre-
pared to do full justice to either or
both, and I did, and found like every
thing else, to be met with in their full
glory, they must be eaten on their
native heath. There Is peculiar
flavor about the gentle burro when he
Is at home, which is not noticed in
San Antonio, however well we may
mean by him. At last the weary day
begins to show signs Of ending,
though the sun Is hot to the very
last. AS we begin to approach Mon
terey the mountains get higher aid
higher and seem to be quite closing i'm
on US. The train winds through a
shady lane, bordered with irrigating
bitches, cornfields and tangled vines.
At last we are fairly in and as we
step on the platform a crowd of very
much alive natives.
My travelling companions insist on
taking one of the "Noah's ark" ar
despite my remonstrances, and
L submit, scarcely able
to restrain my mirth at the situation.
but as the small boy on top
with Jehu, is swinging my grip over
the brink of this fearful and wonder
full structure, with the most cheerful
disregard of its peril, my hilarity is
considerably chastened, though as
we swallow the soft mealy dust and
are almost shaken out of our caravan
bouncing along the cobbled streets
L have the satisfaction of tell
ing the men 81 told you So"
What a strange, odd, foreign city it
is. 1t seems hardly possible we are
only days ride out of the United
States. Why we might be In Cairo,
with these narrow, cobbled streets,
sidewalks wide enough for crab to
go sideways, and that article of s.
Benjamin in the last number of the
Cosmopolitan on Persia, would excel
lently describe the courtyards, the
plazas and gardens. 1t is the old
world at our very door. Every store
selling every kind of wares has
its own particular title, as if it
were a book or magazine. Over the
ugly low entrance to one store, whose
windows and doors are all guarded
with massive high iron gratings, is
this cheerful sign, LA Esperanze,"
one would be more likely to expect
Dante's contentious legend over the
gates of the Inferno. Another Vanity
Fair has this seductive description,
LA Echo de la Muda." I am
told these iron guards to
every door and window were
very necessary some years ago. OF
course the more modern buildings do
not have them. / have a delightful
room at the Hidalgo opening on the
balcony on the plaza, with the city
hall opposite. The rooms are we'll