Omaha daily bee., 1902-02-24
FROM OMAHA TO OLD MEXICO
kavid Anderson Describes a Portion Of Hir
Winter Holiday.
CONTRASTS SECTIONS OF COUNTRY
Southern Illinois. Tennessee, Nissis
sippi, Louisiana and Texas Crossed
Before Reaching President
Diaz's Capital.


The Bee: January 2i, accompanied by my
wife and grandson. Walter Fenner. / left
South OmahaNf a tour Of Mexico, Cuba
Ind the southern states. Our circuitous
route was so timed as to allow us enjoyable
daylight rides between our many stopping
places.
While riding over the Illinois Central
through that portion Of Illinois commonly
called Egypt" and nearing the city Of
Cairo, ] was forcibly reminded OF a mem
prable trip I made fifty years ago abroad
an Ohio river packet from Pittsburg to
Natchez. At that time the south was still
bound In slavery and yet a stranger 70 the
railroad. Cairo was an insignlhcent hamlet
lying In a strip of swamp at the junction
pf the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, while
All the country for miles about was a waste
Of low swamp LAM covered with dense tim
Der and hazel brush. The modern Cairo
has grown Into a large city Of considerable
commercial importance, the railroad COM
pletely circling the municipality in its APP
proach 20 the great iron bridge, two and a
half miles In length, spanning the Ohio.
and connecting the great states of Illinois
and Kentucky.
While passing through the old slave
states OF Tennessee and Mississippi the
change in scenery was marked, low, stag
liant, marshy. decaying timber land, tumble
down. dilapidated buildings and squatty
negro huts always in sight. In New Or
leans w found the population to be a mix
ture Of French, Spanish, Creoles, Italians
Ind negroes.
Here We took advantage Of the oppor-
tunity to visit the historical battlefield, IA
nous In the war Of 1912. where General
Jackson's army, protected behind a wall
Of cotton bales, successfully repulsed the
eedcoats under P~ackenham. l have often
heard my father, who served under "Old
Hickory" relate with much gusto the story
Of the famous command: Don't fire until
you can see the whites of their eyes, boys,
and then give them hi"
New Orleans and Texa Scenes.
On st. Charles street we viewed with
considerable interest the large brown stone
mansion occupied by General Ben Butler
while In command Of the union forces gar.
rlsoning New Orleans during the times of
the military government. 1t was in this
building that the celebrated silver spoon
sase occurred, in which the confederate
house owner charged the general with con-
6scating his silverware. We journeyed
aCA N0N y tAG Rl0AlluA DuIuCI
over the Southern Pacific, passing some of
the largest sugar plantations in Louisiana,
where, looking from the car windows. we
could count long professions OF nineteen
Ind twenty pillow teams in one field, while
cotton and rich plantations flew by In a
Fariegated panorama all day long. We
passed Beaumont and its oil6elds in the
lark, and were therefore forced to be con-
tent with the gushers we encountered on
the train, from whom we heard fabulous
btories OF oil finds.
We stopped for a week at Houston, where
fourteen railways meet. a city OF 5000,
pne OF the most morally corrupt cities I
ever visited, whose principal industry ia
the baiing and shipping OF cotton, 1t being
the second largest cotton market in the
world. Here politicians and hoboee seem
70 control the government. and notwith-
standing that the community receives its
share Of the general prosperity brought
about by the republican party and its
benehcent policies. yet these people are
10 blinded in political prejudice that they
never vote anything but the one brand of
b they conceive to be the stfaightout
Democratic ticket.
I Trip to Galveston.
~ mp " GdlNeblOu SuFpTlSe0 us In
he manner in which the city has recov-
bred from the effects OF the hurricane,
although the effects of that dread calamity
will be felt there for many years to come.
incidentally, / might mention that many
thiploads OF potatoes have recently been
Ihipped to this port from Germany for less
money than our northern product can be de-
lvered on account Of the high freight rates.
ThrOnUh Tawaa WA Ragoal untIoa 90 ILL.,
II stock ranges before rolling across the
border and making our first acquaintance
with the citizens of Mexico in the persons
" customs o~fhcials at Cuidad Pornia Diaz,
who examined our baggage very carefully,
while at the same time treating us with
Svery courtesy. One young fellow in our
Tar was compelled to pay 81 gold for the
privilege OF bringing his American bicycle
into this country.
For 900 miles before Va stretched the
Mexican desert. where we saw nothing but
the everlasting sagebrush and the ubiqult-
bus cactus, while at every railroad station
here was always the idling, half-clad peon
his one gorgeous article Of wearing ap-
parel being the high crowned. broad
brimmed, unsightly sombrero. with hers
and there women and children naked az
Cupid. Now and then we saw a scrawny
nghting rooster or a half starved pil
lariated before the doorway Of the huts VIZ
passed. Nearer the capital we saw sew.
bral teams In the fields blowing with ths
bid fashioned wooden plows, such as nigh
have been seen among the hills Of northern
Pennsylvania sixty-hve years ago. Pulque
the national drink. Is manufactured from
the maguey plant which is extensively cul
tivated and returns a big profit on the cap
ltal and labor invested. as II grows out o
the very rock In the poorest soil. Out OF
the arid plains we saw many irrigation
bitches and reservoirs for the conservation
u water.
Mexico City. the capital and m~etropoli
Of this republic OF seventeen states
With it's population of 5O0.0 900 souls, Is on
81 the cieanest. best policed and most In
seresting cities have ever visited. Blesse
With an ideal climate the year round,
Is a beautiful place In which to spend tn
winter. There are 10000 people her
speaking the English language. Tn
buildings are all constructed Of stone an
Sriok. from two to three stories In heighI
with wide courts, stone floors and spaciou
galleries. In many places there are build
ngs that cover whole blocks.
street Scenes I'm the Capital.
Police and soldiers are stationed at ever
sorner to preserve order and prevent acc
tents. Many street cars are double-decke
5000