The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-03-13
AN INTERESTING JOURNEY
Through Texas and Into MeXico-Visit
to the Old Town of Monterey.

S"h no
Editors Messenger:
My plan of stopping at various points
in the south tor a month or two. on
my trip around the world. in order to
get out of the winter, etc, has been
carried out without a hitch so far and
1 am now about ready to go to San
Francisco, where 1 hope to stop u few
weeks. / am ordering my mail, etc,
to that point.
So far 1 nave made stops at Jack
sonville, Houston, Galveston, Laredo.
San Antonio and Monterey, Mexico
having Travelled about 5000 miles in
all.
/ found Houston, Galveston and San
Antonio to be u~p-to-date Texas cities,
but my visit to Mexico has been the
most interesting part Of my travels so
far. / went 16S miles beyond the Dor
der to the city of Monterey, which l
found to be a pretty Mexican town of
some $1,000 people. l was told that near
1000 Americans lived there and there
were thousands of visitors from differ
emf sections of the states. The city is
situated in the midst of some Of the
grandest mountain scenery 1 have ever
seen.
When I crossed the line I travelled OF
the Mexican National railroad. 1t is
narrow guage and the fare is first, sec
OnO anu uITu CLASS, dlu ~, = liz y
cents, respectively, per mile is charged.
In Spanish the railroad is called the
"Nacional M~exicano' and the coaches
are marked Primera, Segunda and Ter
cera clase. Smoking is allowed on all
the cars, and the Mexican women ds
well as the men smoke.
On reaching the border entering or
leaving Mexico there is an agent who
changes your money free of charge.
On o~ocrip0 into 1Iaxinn xynlr p OtN1Yl
sos for $1.0O American money, and
when you come out it is the reverse
There is considerable American CAPT
tai invested in the city of Monterey,
and I was told hat there was more and
more invested every year.
The Windsor hotel at which |
stopped is conducted by Americans and
I was made to feel at home there. They
have no winter there scarcely.
For more thar 300 miles from San
Antonio to Monterey there is scarcely
any timber except a low growth called
musquite. There is also the Spanish
dagger, but prickley pear is the pri1l-
cipal growth For hundreds of miles
the ground is almost covered with il.
They now burn the thorns from the
leaves and feed it to cattle. 1t is fine
food for them and they like it, but
cannot eat it until it has passed
through the fire.
Your correspondent could write many
descriptive of the beautiful city
of Monterey, its people and the pic
turesque scenery through which the
Mexican National railroad passes, but
I nave neither time nor space now, but
I must moi close without saying some
thing about pretty San Antonio. 1t is
a city of about $4,000 people, situated
in Bexar pronounced Bear) county,
and is one of the cleaneS cities in the
world. 1t is a $500 fine to spit or the
sidewalks here. 1t is to Texas what
Jacksonville is to Florida or Ashevilln
is to North Carolina in the way of re-
sorts. Thousands Of people are mere
now for health. 1t is an excellent
climate for consumptives, it is said.
There are Twenty-Five corporations,
thirty-fve parks. nail and public build
ings, $50 lawyers and other professions
in proportion. The county court house,
which is built or brown sandstone like
the postoffice IN Wilmington, cost
about S4O0. 900, postoffice 5000, 900, city
|. hall $3.50, 900 and sewe-s $500, 600. There
| pre- forty artesian wells. etc. Altogether
IL is a fine city.
There is one OF the largest army
, posts in the United States situated
here. 1t is called Fort San houston
| and was established in 1888. City as
sessment for last year was S31 600. 900.
city tax is $40, state and county 20
! cents. 1t is claimed here that San An
tonic is the Oldest town or city i'll the
United States, having been settled in
1853 by the Spaniards.
I forgot to tell you that in Monterey
they have electric lights, but mules to
pull the street cars. I was told that
the city of Mexico was he only place
in that country where electric cars
were in use. Respectfully yours,
j. a.