Oakes Republican. (Oakes, N.D.) 1898-1906, 1904-04-01
SAW PRESIDENT DlAZ
North Dakota Editors Formally
Greeted by this Grand Old Man
Some Thing Of Note In and About Mexico CITY
and Cuernavaca.. Members Of Our Party
Trip the Light Fantastic with Natives

Cuernavaca is q sort OF health re-
sort-a place where the busy peo-
pie of the capitol city often seek rest
from employment. The two daya
there were extremely warm-to us-
and altho peace and quiet seems to
pervade the very atmosphere, there
was no rest for the soles of our feet.
We we're out to see things, and We
kept meandering pretty much all the
time. In Mexico the people sit in
the shade or repose during the heat
of the day, but we fool Americans
from the north are generally tho
most wide awake after dinner.
This primitive old city is an ex-
cellent place to see the Mexican in
his native element. 1t has not yet
become much contaminated by the
corrupting hand of civilization, and
we had an excellent chance to yet in
among them and learn more of their
ancient ways and customs. The
ancient ruins and old churches tell
story almost identical with Egypt
and Palestine. The pigskin carried
on the back, the heavy-laden tray or
basket balanced on the head, the
rubbing end pounding of clothes on
stone by the brook to wash them,
the crude articles of everyday USE,
the unwieldy, heavy vehicles, the
manner of dress, remind us of the
stories we have read aud the pictures
we have see0 in ancient history. A
country bordering ours, yet the very
farthest removed from American life
and customs. This is the home of
the Aztec pottery, aud many beauti-
full specimens of the haudiwork found
its way into the baskets of our party.
On our return to Mexico City we
enjoyed the novelty of a rain and
hail storm in the mountains. The
air was really refreshing to we North
Dskotans, and it was so home like
we filed our lungs chuck full of it.
Editor Wilson so far forgot himself,
when he shifted this light, cold air,
that he filed up on atmosphere and
busted the two top buttons off his
pants.
Having visited about all the points
. of interes: in the Americanized por-
ton of the City of Mexico, q party of
us set out one afternoon to get a
glimpse of the suburbs. We OK.
changed the electric cars for the
mule cars and rode for several miles.
Our route lay alongside swift canal
on which were many boats filled with
pleasure'seeking passengers. The
crafts were of the crude fiat bottomed
variety and were pushed along by
means of long poles in the hands of
natives, the poles touching the bot
tom OF the water ut each stroke.
After reaching the end of the track,
we were fessting our eyes on seeing
what we could see-and seeing some
things which we should not see-
when an old native invited us into
his house. Some of the ladies were
q little leary of the place, but after
assurances from such brave gentlemen
as Patterson and Keene, we entered.
On getting inside we found ourselves
in q square on which faced several
small adolie houses. Overhead were
branches Of trees to shade off the sun
with seats on the outside of the
square, something like our boweries.
We were asked to be seated, and to
add to the comfort of tie ladies
chairs were provided and zerapes or
blankets spread as covering on the
seats and mating placed on the
earthen floor. Five pieces of music
soon let loose of dulcet strains from
the inside and members of our party
were invited to dance. Editor Patter-
son led off with swift two-step,
other couples of the natives joined in
and the old gentleman and his wife
paired with ladies of our party. We
saw Mrs. Patterson and Miss Glidden