The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-03-30
MANKATO FREE PRESS
EDITORIAL CORRESPONDENCE.
Los Angeles, CAL.
March 10th. 1000.

AOS fAhSCiCS, Sdlst
March 10Th. 1900.
After an absence from the States of
more than three weeks touring through
Mexico, we reached FL Paso Friday eyen-
ing at 600 o'clock. and it may be put
down as certain that there was no fiction
about our joy at being again in the '1and
OF the free and the home of the brave"
This feeling possessed us in an exceptional
degree, probably. because we could fore
see ahead of US more real comforts and
palatable food than We had been steered
up against while hurrying through our
sister Republic But we do not wish to
have the readers of the Free Press draw
from this that we speak disparagingly or
regretfully of our Mexican trip Far from
it. AS we said in former letter, there
are deprivations and hardships to underg o
in travelling through Mexico. but these one
will find in any country to greater or less
degree. The things to be seen and learned
in our border republic are worth many
times the cost and the journey will always
remain with US as among the exceptional
Incl dents of our travelled experience
In FL Paso we were delighted to meet
Mr.. and Mrs. w. G. Walz and spent a
very pleasant hour with them. Mr.. Walz
has very fine store, and it would be
easier to enumerate what he has not got
for sale than to try to catalogue what he
has in stock His many Mankato friends
will be pleased to know that he is prosper
Gus and that his family is we'll. At 7:2o
o'clock Saturday morning we started for
Los Angeles where we arrived Sunday
evening-stopping off for four hours
stay at Riverside and feasting our eyes up
on hundreds of acres of orange trees laden
with ripe fruit. The sight of these orange
ranches are like an irridescent dream to a
northern tenderfoot, while the fragrant
odor from the golden colored trees waited
on the delightful breezes of California
pure air sends thrill of publication
thr ough the soul that lifts one above and
beyond things earthly. and for the nonce
he feels. indeed, as though he were in
paradise.
This morning as we we're strolling about
we ran into Gen. Baker who is enjoying
life to the full. Mrs. Baker is also we'll,
and Jamie is attending school.
But we did not start out to write of
Calf ornia but to linger little time in
Mexico with our readers. The City OF
Mexico, is thriving metropolis of $780,
900, and the next few years will see won
derful advances. Street and building i'm
provements are noticeable on every hand,
and the American idea of 'push" is by no
means lacking. There are many interest.
ing things to see in the city and some very
delightful drives to make. Street cars,
however, will take the tourist to almost
every point of interest, but carriage hire is
so cheap that they are very generally used.
Like all large cities, Mexico has its poor
con stantly in evidence only on much
iaA SCi oSdiC thdA any AhAOAASoh Stly "a
equal size. The poor of Mexico are very
poor and live miserably-or rather exist in
a most deplorable condition, while the rich
live extravagantly A stay of four days in
the city was all the time we could spare,
and as no tourist should be guilty of miss
ing trip over the hills and down the dales
to Cuernavaca we set out on a daylight
trip for this historic little city over the
Me xico, Cuernavaca and Pacific railway.
The scenery over this line of railroad is
second to none in Mexico, and is hard to
equal in America. Few tourists. indeed.
go to Mexico who do not make this side
trip, and those who fail to take it miss one
of the most pleasureable of all the Mexi-
can sights. The city is prettily laid out
and is really charming spot for quiet and
eli mate. 1t has some picturesque walks
lined with shade trees, and tropical fruits
and flowers grow luxuriantly. Coffee
thrives here and it is claimed that it is
equal in aroma and flavor to the best pro-
uced anywhere. But the Mexicans burn
their coffee almost to crisp, and when it
is made for drink it is unfit for anyone
or at least we so consider it. On our trip
to Cuernavaca we were accompanied from
the City of Mexico by Mr. and Mrs Saw
yer and Mr. and Mrs WEIGH, of Iowa City,
Iowa, whom it wasour good fortune to fall
in company with at several Mexican
points, and the journey was made doubly
pleasant and enjoyable. Several very
amusing incidents occurred while in Cuer-
navaca, not least among which was tramp
of two hours through the heat of the day
to view Maximilians country villa about
three miles distant. The unpretentious
home is surrounded by lovely park, but
the pleasurable scene was not sufficiently
bracing to the tired party to nerve them to
the point of returning to the city on foot,
so a native boy was hired to go and order
a coach to come after US. A wagon
weighing not less than two tons was
br ought, hitched to span of small mules
that would not weigh over 1900 pounds,
II IL H. -