The Mt. Sterling advocate., 1902-09-02
COL. BEAN RETURNS HOME
AFTER AN EXCITING TRIP
In SOUTHERN MEXICO.
He Tells Strange Stories of The
Habits of Natives.

Col. r. T. Bean was glad to set foot in
Wichita again, last evening, and said so
at the Santa Fe depot. For six weeks he
had been in Southern Mexico investigat-
ing agricultural conditions for a Chicago
firm interested in business way in that
country. He laid his grip down on the
sidewalk and gave the Eagle reporter
some interesting incidents of his trip ut
being my first visit TO tropical Mexico, :"
he sid, Il saw much that was both new
and interesting. My first impressions after
entering the republic from FL Paso, Tex
as, were not at all favorable; in fact, af-
ter few hours ride / thought that por-
ton Of the universe had been made only
for the purpose of holding the equilibrium
until the balance could be gotten into
shape. But before had reached the city
OF lexico changed my views entirely
for | passed through some magnificent
agricultural lands that, even wit the lini
tied irrigation means employed, were
yielding splendid returns on the labor
expended. II.
"From Mexico City ! visited the town
OF Cuernavasca, about 100 miles north,
and walked through the halls of Cortes
Castle, built by the conquerors of Mexico
nearly 400 years ago. Many handsome
paintings adorn the walls, and the mater
ial used in the construction and finishing
of the Castle show a lavish expenditure
of money and fine artistic taste. But as
walked through these ancient halls and
many others in this land of ,Aztecs,
could not but draw contrast between
the labors of the pioneers of this and my
own land--one building castles and fine
churches, while the other hewed out
homes in the forests, built school houses
and worshiped God in private house or
beneath the protecting branches of some
nearby tree. On my trip to Cuernavasca
and also TO Vera Cruz, passed through
the district in which the Maguay plant
is grown 'Tis from this plant the ma
tional drink, Pulca, is drawn, and l was
simply amazed at the proportions of this
industry. 1t is to this section what wheat
is to the people living in the wheat belt
of Kansas--the mainstay of life. saw
nothing else being raised by these people
and was told by a railroad Official that be-
tween forty and fifty cars of it were daily
shipped to the city | intended trying
this national drink, but when 1 saw it
handled on the streets in pig skins /
could not muster the requisite amount of
courage for the task.
After landing at Vera Cruz, / took
boat across the Gulf to Coatzacoalcos; and
arrived to late too catch the steamer up
the Uspanopa river, and had to employ
two men to paddle me in a canoe about
100 miles to some sugar and rubber plan
tations wished to visit My canoe was
about thirty feet long and three wide,
and with canopy stretched over me |
was moved about ala Cleopatra when she
sailed out on that famous visit to the
Roman Emperor. And now my troubles,
thick and fast, came upon me. My men
knew as much of English as l did of
Spanish--not a word in common between
us Many and many a time did I bless
those idiots of Tower of Babel fame in
anything but biblical terms; who by their
tiff-necked perversity brought about that
jargon of tongues that has been bane
and trial to all who forsaKe the native
heath. My first tilt with my men oc-
CURED about half-past three, the first day
ont, when they pulled up to a landing
near some deserted huts and pronounced
the word mananya. l knew what that
meant, and in plain, emphatic English
told them tomorrow had not come, and
gesticulating violently up stream, l told
them to go ahead, and they did, but not
unwiilingly. In about all hour another
hut was reached, and the same perform
ance was enacted, with the same results.
/ sang go ahead into their ears with so
much force and vehemence that they ac-
tually learned what it meant, and when
] finally bid them adios at the end of the
voyage, about the last words l heard
them utter were go ahead.
"The river was through adense, almost
impregnable forest-the trees and cane
even hiding the banks from sight-and
seemed 10 be riding up an African III
stead of a Mexican river. When saw
colony of monkeys frolicking in the tops
of some trees, that African impression
grew stronger, and the climax was
reached that night when we camped at
the hut of a native--a big, burly, good
natured and very dark Mexican-just the
image of those cannibals of whom | had
read so much. OF clothing he had a
pair of trousers and perhaps one-fourth
of shirt, but he smiled all the while,
and when I looked at that fat, sleek
form, knew if his majesty had acquired
all of his ponderosity in feeding on mis-
sionaries, they were not of my slim build, |
and felt safe.
"The natives of the tropics wear but
iNW NiOtuCo, lnC NOluCll bClilk NidQ
low necks and short sleeves, while many |
of the children have not thought it nee
essary to alter their attire since they
were ushered into this terrestrial sphere
of sin and sorrow.
"At noon Thursday, after being in the
canoe three and half days, | drew up
in front of the home of some of my old
Kentucky friends, and received the kind
est, heartiest welcome. Never did storm
tossed sailor reach port with more Joy
than felt as / stepped across that
threshold where United States was both |
spoke and eat
The food proposition is serious one,
to the average American visiting Mexico,
for the cooking is radically different
there; mixing is the rule. / have seen
three dishes brought to the table at some
of the best hotels, in which meat was the
foundation upon which each dish was
built, but the services of a skilled chem
ist would be necessary to locate and name
each ingredient used in making up this