The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1902-02-25
FROM
SUNNY
MEXICO
Salem Man Writes of
Strange Scenes
Spirited Description of a Bull
Fight.
Character and Progress OF
the Country.

tertaining letter to his friends in Salem
describing h.s experiences in the land ol
the Azlecs.
Mexico Cry, Feb 10 1902.
DEAR MOTHER AND ALL:-l promised
that [ would write again coon aud tell
YOU something Of my trip. have had
very pleasant trip and am seeing and
Learning every day. left E Paso We'd
nesday morning at l0:l0 crossed the Rio
tirande river which hasn't as much
water i'm il at the present time az your
little creek in the back yard. But IN
lime and July flood time II is monster
-overilows its banks.
When we crossed the river my trunk
was thrown out OF the baggage cars ana
wheeled into the baggage room. lol-
lowed in and unlocked and unstrapped u
raised the lid ,an inspector came towards
me, lifted the till, he picked up one
corner OF my OvercOat and looked
i'm and said "all right" the inspection
was over. | locked up and was very
much relieved you can bet. From
El Paso down, the trip was
yery dusty aud through a dry and desert
mountainous country, sometimes Just
bare saud aud then palm trees anc again
cactus trees. But little vegetation other
than that which grows on desert.
The eating houses come very regularly
along the road but are all run by emma o.
men. They put up a very good meal
| During our last day'e journey the scenery
became more interesting. There were
small farms Of ten TO twelve acres aud IN
the fields one could see eighteen or
twenty natives driving team oi oxen
dragging plow made Of curved stick
| will a small piece Of metal on the point.
| There il not a tree any place along the
railroad long enough or large enough TO
make 2xl l4it long. The natives,
where there is such scarcity OF wood
dig up a small bush which grows two or
three feet high, and use the roots when
are from one.hali inch TO five or Six
inches in diameter. This wood burns
readily, / suppose because the sand
ia so dry. There are no wooden
fences in this district, did not see one
| hut saw miles and miles OF rock lencesr
which have required years TO build
Houses all OF stone aud brick with
walls from two TO s'x feet through.
1 received S2.lG Mexican tol
l$l L. $. Mexico has made ont
Of the greatest strides in the last Tour OF
hve years that / ever heard OF. lh'
lCity of Mexico IL one Of the best lighted
lcities in the world. There is light II
run IUf mhub-rn|y, eSi5'-SJVi tina slreeli
IA beautiful sight to look down on any OF
these streets during an evening. AZ to
hOr es there are no liner Cnes IN the
world.
Streets are paved for blocks and blocks
with asphalt. Policemen are found on
every corner. AT night each policeman
carries hand lantern and person Car
find policeman by his light. The light
IL scheme OF President Diaz's, 80 that
person can tell when the policeman II
on duty. Rents are very high here
lcostinZ from $50 TO 500 Mexican
money, and then you haven't hOus'
TO yourself, as the houses are bull
around an open space called a patio
high walls running to the roof all aroun'
the rooms. The walls run 10 the roo
aud there is only one way 10 get into you
house and that IL the front door. TheI,
Ia no back door or back window Tn
front doors are lsrge, massive thing
like the front doors TO the state hous
aud there are anywhere from two 10 sl'
familes living In this one house with a
many children 80 you can see that I
There is another very quaint custom
followed here, and that Is this: Ever
house, or houses whichever you ma
call these clusters OF rooms, has ma
who guards the entrance, called u pOr
terO, aud at the hour of ten these iron
doors are closed and II you are out sid
you may have TO make very nois
demonstration for some time. Th
Porter cor guard) sleeps very sound an
when you finally get him to open th
door YOU have 10 pay him a fee OF 81
cents (Mexican) for his trouble. This
! the law aud no Joke. You have the sam
ltrOuble II YOU are inside and want out
you have TO pay the six cents TO get on
after 10 o'clock.
Music Is grand. The government ha
some i've or six bands employed VIII
are required to play certain hours ever
day for the amusement OF the peOpl,
Maybe In the afternoon band will Civ
a concert down In the poor quarters tC
the ,peOns) or poor people) and iroI
seven 10 eight the same band will pla
in another part OF the city for th
fashionable people and vice versa, Thes
Mex lcans are great lovers OF music as
seems they will stand for hours an
listen TO t.
Attended a Bull Fight.
Yesterday / attended my first bu
fight. lt was horrible but l stayed
the finish They Killed SIX BULL
They always kill the bul
there Is no ciemency shown, that Is n
fate OF every bull which enters the RIM
ate dinner at DR.. COntris', and at
O'Clock We got ON his bicycles and star
ed 90 the ring, which Is located abOI
llk miles out OF town. We rode abo,
a mile and left our wheels aud the
walked the rest of the distance aud Al
rived there about . o'clock, which Is on
hour before the hght begins, We wei
early SO / could see the crowd.
The arena is built in huge circ
about 100 feet in diameter. There Is
fence about six feet high inside OF IA
arena, 50 when any OF the lighters Al
, pursued by the bull they jump the ienc
and from this ring the seats eommen,
, aud run up Tor 10 OF 20 seats clear up
the top aud all around, ana promptly
s o'clock they are always GA time 10 q
| minute. A hugler blows his hol
l aud in comes the master of Ger
/ monies. " ho rides up % the reyieWiI
! box and takes of his hat and makes
= bow. lie then rides back 10 the ga
I aud leads a procession Of nlteen
( twenty men, all dressed IN silks an
= satins trimmed In gold spangles, and q
last of the procession Is 4 team OF thu
. mules which are used 10 haul out Il
dead bulls snd hoTses OF which there a
. sometimes many,
.....-..Na -.aa-. ~.