The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-03-16
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Mexico City, Mexico,
March 9th, 1900.

Since our last letter, written from
San Antonio, Texas, we have had a
busy time and some very unique ex-
periences After several days of fatigu-
ing rides on railroads followed by that
languid feeling of WEAKNESS which
must possess one experiencing hot
weather and whirling dust, we landed
in the metropolis of the Republic of
Mexico this morning travel-worn but
we'll, and after days rest shall GER
tainly enjoy ten days stay viewing
the many points of interest hereabouts
Before writing of Mexico, or at least
of the cities visited on our trip. we want
to say few words of two Or three
Texas cities. The first stop made of
note after leaving Minneapolis was
Galveston. This is an old city, with a
harbor of great Importance Like most
far Southern cities it does not impress
stranger with it's streets, nor its bust
ness buildings. They are far from be-
ing up to date. So with their hotels.
They are nothing as compared with the
hostelries of our Minnesota cities.
While Galveston is city of some 65,-
900 people there is not a hotel that
compares with The Saulpaugh, and
only one that bears the name or repu-
tation of being first-class. and if in
that class a Minnesotian must stretch
his imagination largely to admit of its
proper classification in anything but
the rates The charges, however, would
do credit to the West in Minneapolis or
the Auditorium in Chicago. The city
does, however, possess some very at
tractive features. 1t has goodly num-
Der of handsome homes, beautiful and
well-kept lawns and limited number
of comedy streets. 1t is is possessed OF
great wealth, but unfortunately for the
push and progress of the city, it is in
the hands of few old dodgers who
have no interest in anything or any
body but themselves and their own in
dividual comforts. AS a seaport town
it is magnificently located on the gulf,
with harbor that is protected from
the main waters by the island upon
which Galveston itself is located. This
island is twenty-seven miles long and
three miles wide with one of the finest
beach drives of thirty miles that is pos
sible to imagine. 1t is great shipping
point of cotton and other products pc
culiar to the Southern states, and can.
not fail to make great advances in this
particular line of commerce as the ex-
tensive area of uncultivated lands be-
come settled and titled,
Houston, fifty miles distant from
GALVESTON, is busy city of 10000 peo-
pie. It's streets, and many OF its busl-
ness buildings are also somewhat anti
quated, but there are on every hand
evidences of thrift and push that is at
once noticeable to Northern visitors.
This city has an outlet to the gulf
through river of sufficient size to ad.
NIT of barges and small tugs and the
docks give employment to many negroes
in the loading of cotton, cotton meal
and cotton seed of which there are i'm
mense quantities shipped direct to Eng
land. We were informed that the next
two years will see great improvements
| in streets, business blocks, etc., and if
| little rivalry can be worked up be-
tween Houston and Galveston the flu
ture will develop two grand cities of
great commercial possibilities.
From Houston we sailed" over the
Southern Pacific to San Antonio, and
here we spent three delightfully."- pleas
ant and, from the standpoint of inter-
est. profitable days. 1t is city that
no American tourist can afford to pass
by or neglect to visit. Historical and
antique, antique and historical, it is yet
beautiful to behold and still more de
lightful to study by personal visitation.
Here the tourist will find one of the
finest, best appointed and most restful
hotels to be found anywhere in the far
South, and to those who travel, it is
superfuous to add that this is feature
of 40 ignominious proportions to the
interest that city has for tourists. A
we'll fed stomach takes off heap of
that tired feeling sure to accumulate on
journey of several weeks sight see
ing
San Antonio has a population of
nearly or quite 10000 people, and they
enjoy every advantage of municipal
life and climate that is simply superb
Their winters seldom yield colder
weather than our delightful autumns,
and their summer weather rarely if
eyer goes above So degrees The city
has some beautiful stores stores in
deed that would do credit to Minneapo-
lis or st. Paul, and they are the cynosure
of all strangers, whether of one sex or
the other. 1t is located near enough to
the Mexican border to induce the wide
awake and active merchants to carry