The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1899-04-01
The Magnificent Cathedrals in
the Ancient Towns.
CLINE OF SUNSHINE and FLOWERS
The Many Strange Things Seen
in His Ramblings.

The following interesting letter from
Jerry ). Coughlin. dated Vera Cruz
Mexico. March 20. came too late for
publication in las, weeks issue oi the
Irish Standard. Though quite long we
give the letter in its entirety as follows:
! scarcely know how 10 begin this let
ter. have seen so MANY things and
places both interesting and beautiful
that when il comes to writing about
them ] am at loss how to proceed. NV
trip through Mexico has been one of
the pleasantcst experiences oi my lie
and when look back and think of
the beauty, light and color that is soon
to fade into dim remembrance have an
almost irresistible longing to give up
everything in order to larry here under
the bright sunshine and surrounded by
i wealth oi tropical vegetation where
every breeze blows fresh perfumes and
the songs OF brilliant and many hucd
| birds
On the 9TH OF February. lett French
Lake much improved in health and
soon arrived in that famous center Of
alcoholic beverages, Louisville, Ken.
tuckv. Notwithstanding the amount
OF warming and invigora,ing fluid the
city contains ! found i, extremely cold.
| ! therefore started for New Orleans,
which ] upon arriving found full OF
strangers eager to see the Mardi Gras
festivities. | had a hard time finding
place to rest my weary bones, but
finally got i'll al the St. Charles on the
first floor next To the roof. That city
was also very cold although ii is in
1any respects a beautiful place
concluded that il ! was to get warm
spot | would have to keep on travelling
- uih so ! arranged to sail on the Ward
line steamer "Arccuna" for Tampico,
Mexico | went by rail to Mobile and
there embarked for the south.
The steamer was 4 good one but was
loaded heavily with railroad iron. On
account Of wind storms and Jog she
was three days longer on the trip than
usual The agent at Mobile cabled to
Tampico that the steamer had left and
when she did not arrive on time Tam
pico people reported to the associated
press that she was lost. We finally
arrived i'll safety and Notwithstanding
the delay enjoyed the voyage very
much.
When got on shore found myself
in very strange land. The people and
the way they did business surprised me.
.Ater making arrangements for my
room and board at the hotel, visited
the Cathedral and gave thanks for my
safe arrival While in the Cathedral
four men came in with coffin in which
was a corpse on their shoulders.
later followed them out and mingled
with the mourncrs as they proceeded
to the cemetery. Arriving there they
took the corpse out OF the coffin and
rolling it in beautiful blanket placed
it in the grave which was then filled
| W hil cstltu HIS ".S, VI SOul 81, d lull-
cral OF the poorer class. 1t is an old
custom and is a great saving to those in
poverty I approve OF it as it lifts
great burden from the suffering ones
Tampico is thriving city on the
gulf shore at the mouth of the noble
river Panuco 1t is rival of Veracruz
as the chief seaport of the east coast
of Mexico and has great future. The
government is putting in custom
house two blocks long. Anchored in
the stream and lying at the wharfs are
steamships, schooncrs, brigs, river
steamers, tugs, lighters, in fact all sorts
OF craft from all parts of the world.
The beach is one of the finest in the
world, and magnificent surf makes the
bathing, which can be indulged in in
winter as we'll as in summer, very fine. I
took several baths while there.
Upon leaving Tampico went west
over the Mexican Central railroad. The
scenery on this line is the grandest
ever beheld. We rose from the level of
the sea to the height of the great CEN
trail plateau OF Mexico by successive
stages. The road winds about through
magnificent tropical scenery. climbing
higher and higher towards the table
land. Deep gorges are below and cliffs
rise abruptly above. Sometimes it