The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-03-09

&C Ssed sailor reach port with more JOY
than I felt as I stepped across thai
threshold where United States was both
spoke and eat
The food proposition IS a 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
- the best hotels. in which meat was
ne 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
mysterious mass, or rather mess. I had
supplied myself with some bread. tea
and a few canned meats for this trip.
and one day. after helping myself TO
some sardines, gave the larger share 10
my men. and they at once put the ssr
dimes into a pan OF rice and had a great
dish from that mixture. l saw them
drinking what I called an extract made
from corn meal The meal seemed to
have been made into a stiff dough by the
addition Of a little water, and then packed
in some green leaf and laid aside fo-
journeys. Y -hen one wants q drink he
takes a handful Of this dough, adding
water, mixes the mass with his hand,
until il is thin enough TO drink. It then
disappears with much gustO on the part
o. the imbiber. I tried II, but found 1t
too thin for my taste; in fact 1 had in
my grip an extract of corn meal much
more to my taste, and it needed no
mixing to make it palatable. Stopping
one day for lunch, when we saw native
woman cooking, 1 saw lot of chickens,
and at once grew hungry for some eggs;
but how to get them WIS another thing
altogether. I looked into every nook and
corner, where thought an egg might
be found. but saw none, My hunger for
eggs srew apace. and drawing an artistic
cut of an egg on a board. and pointing
TO hen ] was sure I would win. But
my scheme was a fat failure. and hun
grier sim. 7 grew. Then I drew rom my
pocket a white envelope, with another
cut o an egg on that. I got the eggs, to
the great amusement Of the natives.
The following day I again boarded my
canoe and went UP the river about three
miles TO another plantation. I'm charge Of
some friends from Chicago, who gave me
a hearty welcome. At this place / spent
two days, and was in the woods a great
portion Of the time, and saw much that
was new to me. Here the wild rubber
tree is found. and tapping one, I was as
tonished at the great flow of milk also
saw the tree from which We get our
chocolate. and the way this fruit Is pro-
duced might almost be called one Of ma
lures freaks. The bean grows in pods
that are about ST inches in length, every
pod packed with beans. similar to a
paw-paw with seed. These pods 90 not
grow from small branches or twigs, but
from the trunk and large branches They
actually burst right through the bark.
and I saw them thus hanging from six to
ten inches apart. 1 also saw the water
vine and had q man cut out a piece of
about fifteen inches in diameter, from
which the water simply powered, and fur
nished me a spler sid drink.
Vegetation is very rank here, and in
many places we had TO cut our way
through. The rainfall last year was 132
inches. Both Of these plantations are
being planted IN sugar cane, rubber and
oranges-one OF them being owned by Mr..
Zach. Embry. and his manager was busy
working the cane into sugar. Tho growth
of cane is heavy. ! found many stalks
six inches in circumference.
"On my way up the river I saw two men
in charge Of a canoe, and I noticed a
piece Of wood across each end Of it. and
by a closer inspection discovered the
head OF a bullock securely tied 70 each
end of these pieces OF timber. They were
actually swimming four head Of cattle
TO market
while in Minatitian. the seat o gov
eminent Of this district. I noticed the
jahor sang out the hours Of the day and
night. there beng no city clock. \
strange custom indeed. bat the people /
were kept duly informed OF times fight
and the prisoners duly notified OF the
wakeful presence Of their keeper.
THE attention OF our county commits +
sioners is respectfully called 10 the Gus /
tom. The woods were fun OF parrots. (
and they kept mp an everlasting 5argon .
OF parrot talk that ] failed 70 appreciate. I
Should YOU 50 down there and want a +
real talking parrot. buy the green bird Z
with the yellow head and you VIII get /
the best brand.
''The best business point I ound IN Mex /
iC0 is Torreon. about 900 miles south OF +
III P5so. M the junction q the Mexican
Central and Mexican National railroads. +
The third road win he there within sixty
DAYS.
.Six years ago the place was q goat +
ranch. Now there is population Of Io.coo .
in Torreon and TWO suburha1 towns. +
There are thirty manufacturing plants,
and. strange In say, nine tenths of ali the 4
money invested is owned by Nexicans. /
The town was plated b an American s
engineer. and Is ALREADY q beautiful place.
This IS the great cotton belt OF Mexico.
and three large cotton mills are running
rUn time.
"FUlly 1ooa Americans are located in (
b ali branches - business.
FL enjoyed uy visig very much, and do
not dislike THE counrry or It's seoQle"
STOLE HIS SHINGLES