Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1894-02-15
AN OVERLAND JOURNEY
To The Pacific Coast With a Train OF
Burros-Ipeidents on the Trip.
Correspondents of the Ledger.

Correspondence of the Ledger.
] GUADALAJARA, Old Mexico, Jan
22.-What noise! One would think
a whole train load OF Texas cattle
had broken loose and that the COW.
boys were trying to corral them
again. But ii was only the starting
OF long mule train for the coast
and the muleteers whacked and
swore in Spanish at the little "bur-
ros," who seemed to have loads
enough for an OK team, but they
were Indifferent to the long sticks
which came down on the only part
that was exposed under the enor.
nous packs with resounding waacks.
Finally they were all lined up and
on the go. We were on our way
from Guadalaiara to the Pacific
coast. As the railroads haven't been
extended this far into Mexico, our
only chance was to either wait for
the next stage (Which would nearly
be two weeks) or join one of the
pack trains and we preferred the
latter, as it was both novel and bid
fair to develop some excitement.
The train consisted of 40 burros
and about 40 pack mules, with 26
poems as necessary accompaniment
and the vigor they displayed in
swearing and using the whip was
only excelled, as we afterwards
found, by their capacity for pulque
and tequella. We were leaving be.
hind us the second city in size in
the Mexican Republic-Guadalajara
and the first in the form of pro-
duetiveness. For the city is situat-
ed in the midst of the most fertile
valley Of the Republic, teeming with
fruits and vegetables the year round
and where we had been feasting on
the finest Strawberries we have ever
seen, and where they can be bought
every day in the year for tOneReal'
(about twelve cents) per basket.
The city has long been noted for its
celebrated pottery ware, said to be
the finest produced on the West
ern Hemisphere and for its
beautiful women and they are
here in great numbers with
their large silyery eyes
and raven black hair and peachy
complexion with skins as white as
any Caucasian, evidently having
very little of the real Mexican or
Indian blood in their veins, but they
are called "Castillians" and are de.
scendants of the old Spanish families.
We had beer here nearly three
weeks and were anxious to get over
to the coast before the rainy season
commences, as everything comes to
a standstill during this period. The
Mexicans, as a race, are an easy
going set and their motto seems to
be "Never do anything to-day that
you can put off until tomorrow,
and their great word is ''mannana"
(to-morrow.) The newsboys on the
streets even sell their papers by cry
ing that they contain the news OF
to morrow. They are a very polite
people and can't do enough for you
if they like you, but if they take a
dislike to you it would be rather
healthy to move your abiding place.
Labor here is very cheap, as they
earn from twelve to twenty cents a
day, on which many of them support
families. They live on chlllu and
tortens, hardly ever tasting meat Of
any kind. Ham here is only worth
IS cents a pound, hence the popular
meat is burro and goats meat.
Our pack train was loaded mostly
with fruit and provisions for the
mines and as we moved up the
mountain side presented a queer
sight. J. w. Freddie was perched
on a little burro not much larger
than one of the blood hounds in
Crosswhite's Uncle Toms Cabin
show and he was holding on like a
good fellow while the little animal
climbed up the almost perpendicular
trail. 1t is astonishing ht W far
these trains can move in day, As
the sun was setting behind the
rocky sides of one of the many ex-
tinct old volcanoes casting its rays
around through the many crevices
in the old volcanoes sides, making
a sunset only to be seen in the
tropics, we begun to make our
camp, for when the sun sinks out of
sight here it is soon dark for there is
no twilight in Old Mexico.
NORMAN LAKELAND, JR.
a Smart Woman
Is always ready for any emergency.
tCst- - Eaf .,