Mexico weekly ledger., 1902-03-06
Word Pictures BY the kodaksr.
james n, Nos in he Columbia Herald.
THE sEA's LETTER BOX AND OTHER

ocean. Several were seen at the
Azores. We passed the first island in
the afternoon and we were very glad
to see land. The same night we APP
preached the second island and the
captain requested all that wanted to
send postals home to get them ready.
These were all placed In a tin can and
the can was put upon a small raft,
consisting OF an ordinary soap box.
The postals were then ready for the
sea. The ship gave several loud
whistles to notify those on the shore
to look out for the box. In the box
was placed money for the purchase Of
stamps and also money for the little
boat that would venture out to get
the box. On the box a little red flag
was raised and a fuse or candle placed
In it that would burn for about eight
hours. After lighting this candle the
box was thrown into the sea; red,green
and yellow lights were burned from
the side Of the ship to notify the par
ties on shore that the box was in the
water. These lights we're answered
from the shore by rockets which indi
Gated that they had started for the
box. We could see the little light fol
miles, bobbing up and down. This
was the last land seen until the morn
ing when Portugal was visible fol
miles, showing the forts and white
buildings on the hills.
There are all kinds Of people on
board this ship. At n end of the
ship you will see a bunch Of very ex'
elusive people. They go around with
all sorts of airs. Our captain lisa very
large mar and there is little United
States naval officer toadying aftel
him all of the time. He always car
ries with him a copy Of Smart Set
One is struck with the fact that every
one on the ship speaks several Ian
guoges and has been all oyer thu
world. With the exception mention
ed above the passengers are like ont
big family and think you queer If yor
do not join them in their amusements
An cid Spaniard sitting at our tablt
said, "My friend, you must not drinl
water, 1t has worms in it and is in
tended for the frogs" ] did not tel
him one of the reasons | was not drink
ing wine. 1t is sL.5o per bottle. 'Nu
said.
AS nearly all OF our fellow traveller
are going into Spain some fear was eX
pressed as to the treatment the,
should receive. This same old Span
lard said that because vi Presiden
quarreled with their King was n
reason why they should make NOR
keys of themselves,
PoMPEII AND THE UNDERGROUND.
PASSAGES.
Well, We visited Pompeii and foun
1t very interesting. We tried I
imagine ourselves living two thousan
I years ago, walking the same street
5 and visiting the same houses Is thos
c old distinguished Romans did.
= must have been a very wicked city,
] some Of the ruins indicate even at tn
remote date. The lava preserve
t everything wonderfully well. We sa
the identical bread that was discove
ed in the ovens; also clothing ar
looking utensils. The coloring,
some instances, Of the frescoes on q
! walls are brilliant. 1t will take IF
! years more to finish excavating POI
! peil. Nearly all of the fine statu
have been removed to the museum
Naples.
d Yesterday we visited Pozzuoll wit
all of its ancient ruins. some thrl
> thousand years old. Among the
a was one temple that entirely disa
G peared after one earthquake and
appeared after another. Here v
' Nero's prison where he made the pr
Toners dig out Of the undergroul
tlchambers with their bare hands al
r when they could work no longer tn
were murdered by being put into
II leave that was filed with deadly gas
u which killed them In two minute
II They were then thrown into the la
% and fed to the fishes. This is histor
II We visited those underground pi
sages filed with deadly gases. The
rise to a certain height. Ones lei
n and part Of the body were intense
g hot, but by keeping the head abo
a the danger line one runs no risk.
se dog was taken Ia with Us and v
d overcome In a few seconds, and AFT
being removed acted as If drunk. o
10 or two minutes longer would ha
killed him. This is rather cruel
+ pertinent. Another tunnel visited 4
re no gases, but was intensely hot I
y less you are accustomed to it you c
II not 60 in very far. A boy stripped
X the waist was given a bucket wi
some cold water and q fresh hen e
The egg was put into the water a
we started through; but It got 50 l
4 that we had TO come out The /
vent three hundred yards. coming G
~ in a different channel. We could be
his lab0red breathing long before
ie reached the entrance and when
y did come out be was drenched vi
e Precipitation. The water In the buel
was boiling hot and the egg was 5
T. boiled. Even We we're wet with pres
y ration after our short journey. Tit
ID is. no fake about this. We were
E the crater Of one OF the half extiF
! volcanoes. 1t was all hollow unf
US, as was eyineed by pounding up
the ground. Smoke was issuing fl
: every crack. And it made Us ratt
sqneamish about remaining In I
I locality, as only thirty feet below
surface was raging fire.
j IFRoM THE THEATRE TO THE CaUR(
u The Lohengrin Opera at the S
= lCarlos was q great surprise We i
never seen a theater like 1t bef0
= Nc galleries or balconies, only one
pit on the ground door, all the n
private boxes, over two hundred q
fifty with u seating capacity Of I
thousand IN all. Every box was I'll
! with handsomely dressed ladies a
!. gentlemen, many Of whom we aft
wards learned were Of the nobilt
There we're about two hundred in |
a orchestra and the music was graz
na ... ...ea u..u an Italian a