Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-02
IN OLD MEXICO.
G. E. Derenberger of South ottumwa
Returns After Fourteen Months.

VI oSt SSI VI SS6Sl SklOtlWd
Returns After Fourteen Months.
G. E. Derenberger, who resides at
624 Church street, South Ottumwa, has
recently returned from fourteen
months stay in Old Mexico He is so
well pleased with life as he found it in
the Mexican republic that he expects
to return in a few days and take up
the work which he left, that of 10.
connective engineer. Mr. Derenberger
went to Mexico in the employ of the
Midland Bridge Co., of Kansas City,
as the foreman of gang of railroae
bridge builders. He and his crew of
twenty men travelled from Kansas
City, thence to Cordova 1000 miles
joyed a royal trip. The first bridge
building was done at Estanquella in
Vera Cruz, point 200 miles further
down into the tropical zone than Cuba.
Following this 110-foot span was
thrown across the Rio Morano and up
on it's completion the gang was sent
to Santa Cruz in Guatemala. Here
they put up what is now the largest
bridge in Mexico. There are five spans
and draw and the entire length is a
little short of one and half miles.
The bridge is of steel and was manu- :
featured by the American Steel Co.
Acts as Engineer.
About a month before the compile.
| ton of this bridge the engineer upon
a passenger train on the run between
/ Rio Colorado and Cordova died of vel
! low fever while the train was in mo
/ ton just before reaching the poin,
! where the bridge was being put up. Ii
was known that Mr. Derenberger was
an engineer, and upon request of the
conductor of the train he took charge
of the engine and pulled the train to
| Cordova. Upon his arrival Mr.. Deren
| berger was met by the president of the
road, the master mechanic and the
| general superintendent, who thanked
him for bringing the train to it's desti
nation and offered him the run or any
other upon the line which he might
choose if he would stay with them
Thirty days later, when the bridge was
done he reported to the Vera Cruz anG
Poetic headquarters and accepted thai
passenger run. He remained upon this
run for five months, until the yellow
4 fever became bad, when he went tt
| Mexico City and worked for time
on the Mexican Central. He soon gave
this up for berth on the National
running from Mexico City to LAREDO
/ City, Texas. This road is the best il
Mexico and is 900 miles in length.
Mexican Customs.
Mr.. Derenberger talks Interestingly
of Mexico and the Mexicans and theil
customs and habits. In entering Mex
). leo the first great industry that on,
meets is that of the pulque plant plan
tation. The pulque plant is almos
identical with the century plant Thu
plant natures in four years. aftel
which fluid called pulque, which il
the great drink OF the lower classes
is collected from it. The manner o
collecting this fluid and of curing it i
peculiar. The natives take a specie
of gourd which grows about two fee
in length with somewhat enlarged
bowl at the lower end and punching
: two very small holes in each end dray
out all the pith. A small hole is Gu
in the matured plant, the small end Q
the gourd stuck into this. and with hi
ulOulH tiiS -olilSl Gnu VI lhS sun
the native draws the fluid from tn
. plant. The raw fluid is cured in no
skins A hog is killed. it's feet cut O.
: just above the first joints, and tn
head is cut, leaving the neck as lon
! as possible. Through the opening i
the neck the bones and the flesh ar
drawn out and the hide cured. TIL
skin is made water tight and ORA,
4 string put in the neck. Into this ski
the gourds are emptied. The skin
are then closed up and left lying in tn
! field. Later they are picked up on tw
4 wheeled carts and hauled to the raj
a road station. where the contents of th
!. skins are emptied into barrels an
! taken into the larger cities in train
! made up purposely for the bushes
e just as in this country milk trair
carry milk into the cities. The pulqr
is sold in regular pulque saloons fc
t about two cents per quart The la
! lregulates the sale Of pulque and or
. y