Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1897-11-14
ON The SURE FOOTED MULE.
MOUNTAIN CLIMBING IN THE UNITED
- STATES OF COLOMBIA.
John L.. Case Tells of Some Interest
ing Experiences While With n
Railway Surveying Party
Some Peculiar Customs.

OAA
Colonel Theodore S. Case is in receipt
of an interesting letter from his son. Mr..
John L. Case, who is in the United States
OF Colombia on engineering duty for the
Kansas City. Pittsburg & Gulf railway. 1t
Is dated Bucamaranga, Colombia, October
II. Mr.. Case says:
MIR Hanson and myself have just re-
turned from quite a trip back over some Of
the country towards Puerto Santo. We
left here last Wednesday and rode about
thirty miles on our mules. When we
reached the river it was much too high to
ford. and after bowling around in good
English and bad Spanish for half an hour
or less a graceful, barefooted maiden of
about 1856 pounds came down and yanked
us across i'll say yanked US across. 1or
We climbed onto a little platform about
three feet square hung by pulleys from a
small wire cable thirty feet above the
water and the lady above spoken of
brought us across by a series of powerful
jerks. Getting the mules over required
more time. They were driven into the very
swift stream and cursed and stoned little
by little to the other side.
We went ahead over the mountain by a
very fair road stuck on to the side OF the
cliffs from 200 to a0 feet above the river.
to the mouth of the Rio Negro. This was
the first place on our route We had to eA-
anime.
we started on mules. but after going
straight uD for loo feet and having our
animals We abandoned them and started
OF q walk of about five miles farther.
There had been a trail started here some
follow it. having three men in front of US
cutting vines occasionally SO we could
scramble through. This was a hard ard
interesting walk. Much of the time We
were on a narrow shelf of rock. away up IN
the air, with the river directly under US.
and then We would come to q slide. when
We would have to scramble along the
ragged edge, holding on 10 the brush and
vines in order to stay on top at all.
We came to one very pretty waterfall
about go feet high, and | took some
into a very large rock basin before going
into the river, and in times of heavy rains
the noise confined within these walls must
be terrific. Finally, under the influence Of
too much 'Guirappe,' the native drink.
made of brown sugar and water fermerted.
one of the poems cut a small piece out of
further. and SO we toiled slowly and care
fully back, remounted our mules and slid
uneventfuily down the mountain to dinner
and to bed.
Every mile along the roads there is a
'pasadah' of more or less preteIsions where
the tired and thirsty mule drivers can
Intricate These mule drivers. in addi-
ton to their wages. are lowed 60 cents a
day Tor drink, and as a pint OF 'guirappe'
costs but 2t cents, and as every driver
takes pride in exceeding. his allowance
III IA ANSSp y W. tali III Z tslil llltso
places do a thriving business. The stuff is
mixed in large earthen jugs and placed in
the ground to keep cool, and probably to
make it more convenient to the ants and
reaches to reach it. l have never seen'a
glass Of it yet that ants and reaches had
not been there first or the family dog had
not accurately kicked into it a handful Of
feas:
I'VE arose the next morning about 6 and
started up the mountain. 1t had rained all
night and was very slippery indeed, and
| the trail very Sfepn
My mule worked just like a boy climbing
q tree: he would move up a, little with his
isad tHsa. n n t ahs 'G ADVANCE anse f his o sfSan pai to-
which he would sink deep into the mud
to hold that end, and SO on. 1t took us
mules a'u We're stopped tepie the to r sadnia and aae Gur
The view from here was beautiful and
grand, up and down the Rio Negro, and
farms described by Mark Twain. For in
stance, just as We got to the top of the
mountain We saw three pigs tied by the
around. and it was a wise precaution, for
If an unwary hog should root a little hard
er than common and the earth give way
a little easier than ommon, that same
hog would probably eat supper or be eaten
in the next province, some 1000 feet below.
other, and never one below, as d~islodged
stones gain a fearful velocity and are dan
gerous. We spent the night In the Tam
bour,' a very nice and well furnished house
half way up the mountain. The place is
owned by the Puyana Bros, of whom there
are seven, as gentlemanly and cordial men
Gated in the States. and who are large land
owners and coffee and cattle raisers. They
are deeply interested in the railroad, and
are doing everything possible to aid us
and give US a good idea of the country.
We had with US on three trips, a pie
eater Of the state government. by the
name of Maxine. and he was a jewel. He
knew every. man. woman and child on and
off the road, and. by the governors order,
paid all the bills and constantly besought
us by signs to eat and drink. or smoke.
He could speak no English. but ~endeavored
to drill us in his own language in a novel
and somewhat successful manner. He
and if We not 'sabe.' he would REPEAT il
twice as loud, gaining in vehemence and
pantomime until we were forced to under
equally as useful to any other Ignorant
American within five miles.
I'VE reached Bucamaranga again Sun
ing. at the club. Our next door neighbor is
a journalist. and. as We have been told. Is
a very bright fellow; He has been sober
ever. and his brilliancy is somewhat
dimmed. Last night he had a little seance
in which breaking furniture. setting. his
clothes on fire and a half dozen pistol shots
cided not to disturb him until this morn
ing. SO we do not know what the outcome
was. We expect to leave here Tomorrow
dhe 12th), if we can get mules and gel
started. but any time within three or four
days Of the date determined upon Is undue
p~romptneSS here.
Il hope very much to find some letters
and papers from home at Bogota. as we
lave seen nor heard nothing from the
States since September ]. A Mr.. Hoffman
of our place, is going to Kansas City tc
see our people, and will probably take this
with him"
Wabash Service to New York.
Tn cbappipo fime today tho H. oh Wit