, 1904-02-18
Dear Father and Mother:


Well, we are here, at last. and |
was very glad to get to a place
where l could rest, because we
mad an awfully hard trip, and the
roads were something awful with
mud, hills, and rocks, and the
mules were the littlest, measliest
things that you could imagine.
L am very sorry that 1 had to
wait SO long before | coutd write.
to you, but it could not be helped;
for when we started out on the
rrail they told us that the pack
mule would keep up with us, and
III writing material was all in
our grips on that mule. We
started out, expecting to write, so
as to send it to the Porte with
the mail man when we net him.
but fate was against us, and as
yet we haven't seen anything of
the pack.
We got here about 3 O'Clock
yesterday and the pack wont be
until sometime today. So it was
MT my fault that you didn't hear
ooner / tried to buy writing
paper all along the road, but it
was impossible, mostly because |
couldn't make the natives under
stand what / wanted.
| will commence now and dies.
cribe my trip, from the time we
landed at Puerto Cortes at half
past two, January 18th, and the
custom house officers took our
baggage to the custom house.
When We got a room at the hotel
we went for our grips, and had to
pay what they call wharfage
that is one dollar for each person
that lands and 25 cents for each
piece of baggage, or trunk, and as
we only had one grip apiece it
cost MS $1:25 each. We then
went to the hotel, had supper and
started out to see the town, and a
swell place it was. There is but
one street in the town, and that is
the railroad and the town is about
half a mile long We didn't see
anything of interest, SO we went
pack and retired for the night
but not to sleep. for just as we
were getting drowsy we had a
call-in fact about a million of
them-in the form of heas, and |
want to state, right now, that a
bedbug isn't in it with a flea. We
didn't gel very much rest that
night.
We arose the next morning and
went in to breakfast, (which they
call coffee" instead, for they
have their breakfast at about l
o'clock,) and for that meal all we
got was some oatmeal without any
milk, (for milk is unknown here
a couple hot cakes, and a cup OF
the blacklist coffee you ever saw.
You a easily guess that we did
MT realish it over much.
We had to lay in town all that
day, for the trains only run twice
a week. The only funny thing
we saw was a fellow with a mon
key and a dog going up the street
They we're walking at first, but
from appearances the monkey
got tired; for he ran along by the
side of the dog, gave a little
spring and landed on the dogs
back, wrapped his hind legs
around the dogs body and his
front ones around the dogs neck,
and the last we saw of them the
dog was trotting up the track.
Mr.. Monkey riding along
lust as contented MS you please.
The next day we got on the
train and started inland. The
road is the poorest excuse OF a
road possible. 1t is Just all they
can do to run the nj over the
track, on account of the rails be-
ing SO badly worn and the ties so
BADLY rotted. They never pre-
tend to put in a new rail, ora tie,
until the old one is completely
gone. We passed through a very
nice LOOKING country. though II