Weekly graphic. [volume] (Kirksville, Adair Co., Missouri) 1880-1949, 1896-12-18
Letter From Old rlexico.
TopoLoBAMpo, SINALoA, MEX. |
Dece,. Der, 5th, 1896. ]

| ToPoLoBAMPo, SINALoA, MEX,
Dece'.. Der, 5th, 1896.
| EDITOR GRAPHIC:-As | prom
ised to write. will now jot down
few thoughts pertaining to my
trip and to the country round
about where now am, and shall
in SO doing endeavor to keep in
mind brcv ity.
Iarrived at this place in due
time; witnessed beautiful prairie
and mountain scenery on the way,
and arrived here feeling better
physically, and hence of necessity
mentally, than when | left Kinks
vile or home. My destination by
railroad was Guaymas, a place OF
about four thousand inhabitants,
and located on the main land of
the gulf coast of lower California.
[ remained in this place four days
for the time of the leaving of the
boat, as I had about two hundred
miles to travel by water to where
| now am. While in Guaymas l
walked all over the place, besides
riding from one end to the other
in street car drawn by horses. A
cleaner town for its size l have
never seen. Not the least offen-
: sive smell could | detect either In
alley>or street, and yet so warm
that I sweat in walking about to
see tue place Their streets and
alleps l noticed were cleaned up
dailv. and all refuse from the
buildings taken away. Yet, one
2 from the States would incline to
3 the opinion, from the style and
2 outside appearance of the build
2 ings, that the people are of dirty
8 order. Not so. Yet one must
not infer from this that none are
: dirty. l have seen a few in rags
e and dirt. Rags I suppose through
: poverty, and dirty apparel through
d dirty work. Begging is not allow
n ed there except two days in the
i week. l saw but three begging
a two blind and the other an aged
person. Their buildings are most,
o ly one story, and built mostly Of
+ dried brick, and somewhat resem'
a BILE brick kilns. Some are cement
# d over on the outside, and inside,
g lined off to represent hewn stone
/. and some have floors of the same
v material The walls of few are
n wholly of stone and others wholly
:. of brick. A very little glass is
i, seen and that in but a few of theil
s buildings The openings in the
- store buildings, except the doors
have over them iron bars. NJ
glass. Tlghtness against cold il
not necessary here. They guart
more to keep out the sun or hea
than to keep out the cold. Stores
:, and counters are lengthwise o
IL parallel with the streets.
- The hotel at which l put up i
. nearly directly across from mum
Der of school buildings one and TIVE
stories high. They have separat
'i buildings for the boys and girls
II 1t was quite sight to me to se
e the children at the close of tn
u school march out in single file
l. the smaller children in the lead
Ie and all dressed in variety of ga,
II colors, and wearing shoes ant
"a stockings and looking nice ant
7. clean. / asked why the childrel
l. wore shoes and stockings when i
ol was so warm. The reply was tha
lie custom required this and also t.
go clean. Their playing ant
p laughing seemed the same as tha
le of children in the States, though
l. could not understand anythin,
E. they said in their talking one t.
lie another. And while there, in th'
IS midst of a people whose Language
or | could not understand, l wa
'h somewhat afflicted with that all
VI ment known as the blues. | hear'
- a man laugh, dog bark, a rooste
Vi crow, a turkey gobble, hors
y neigh, and a cat new. Thes
~ were familiar sounds and CAV
VI some relief. / was lucky eneugl
however to sit by man at the no
tel table, a resident American
who could speak the Spanisl
to language, and who was of aid t.
ne ME there and elsewhere outside
us Aboard the boat there was bu
c. one person who could speak tn
Is EnnliSh lannnana ON A marinan