The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1905-12-28
A MARIETTA BOY IN MEXICO.

ers something of the country be-
tween our city and the City Of
Mexico, and of Mexico in general.
There Is, of coulse, great interest
shown IN travelling in a country
where one never sees anything like
ne has ever seen it before, except
telegraph poles and here and there
mail crane. Such was our ex-
perience in Mexico.
The first thing that members of
our party began to notice with
interest was the low land beyond
New Orleans, where acres and
acres are covered with sugar cane,
broken into now and then by a
swamp, where much timber is OBJ
tanned. The industries in this
part Of the country alternate be-
tween sugar and the lumber bust
ness. Then further we merge into
the oil region of Texas, which is
included, roughly, between Jen-
nlngs, La, and Beaumont. All
this country is low-nothing re-
sembling a hill is seen until we
pass San Antonio. Here the land
begins to roll, and cotton can
be raised. Beyond the land
OF cotton, we find section
covered with a small evergreen
bush, mesquite" with occasion.
ally live oak tree and cactus
plant, Nothing else will grow
and this land for a stretch of 500
miles or more, is of no value ex-
cept for grazing and the only
industry here is cattle raising. A
days ride before we get to Ell
Paso carries us through beautiful
scenery mountains, hills and
canons, with no vegetation ex-
cept shrubs. On the one side we
have the Rio Grande, and on the
other, the mountains, whose rocks
In some places extend out over the
railroad track. Here we pass over
the second highest bridge in the
world. 1t is made entirely of
iron, and is 321 feet above the
river that flows beneath. At Ell
Paso we spent a short time
Among the things we saw was the
large smelter, using ton furnaces,
and copper, silver and gold were
being taken out, Mexican labor
is used altogether. They can az
ford to work cheaper, as they
swap their mobey, one for two, on
crossing the line into Mexico.
The better houses here are made
of stone, and the poorer ones of
mud, mud sometimes made into
squares and baked in the sun, and
sometimes heaped up in a rough
way. The same way throughout
Mexico.
After the unpleasantness of hav-
ing our baggage searched for duti-
able articles, we were on our way
through the barren country of
northern Mexico. This land is
capable of producing where there
is water. On irrigated land, We
saw very fine cotton and corn, but
where it cannot be irrigated, it is
used for grazing. About eight
hours ride carried us over the
farm of lazarus, The greatest land
own on the globe. His cattle are
estimated at 100000 head. On
this farm is lake, eighteen miles
long, five miles wide and few
inches deep, formed by rains,
Millions of wild ducks are seen on
it all the time.
Our first pause in Mexico was
at Parral, Chihauhau, a little
CITY of $1,000 inhabitants, $500
feet above sea level, situated
among mountains said to contain
more silver than any other section
in Mexico. The mines constitute
the only resource of Parral. The
interesting things here are the
home of AIverado the Peon, the
Catholic cathedral and the old
Indian temple, built over 400
years ago. Throughout Mexico
the old three class social system
exists. The country is unfortu-
nate IN having extremely rich and
extremely poor people. Alyerado,
characteristic member Of the
poverty-stricken Peon tribe, was
told by his father, Of place he
could find ore. 1t was not until
some time after his fathers death
that continuous labor brought the
ore into sight, He has taken out
millions of dollars worth of ore
and the mine cannot be bought
now for five million dollars. He
spent over a million dollars OIL his
home. made of carved stone, all
hand work. In the CENTER of the
building is the court-in this in
stance, more of q park-with q
Tonn+oin in the center. nlanf 9