The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-02

suits and straw hats At this season tho climate is ideal, but becomes almost un- bearable in summer. It has population of 4OO00 1 noticed the absence of car riages or hacks of any kind and inquired of a bright little American boy about them. He replied that there was one au- tomobile in town and that 1t was broken down. and one carriage which belonged to a Mexican doctor and only came out on Sunday. l found this to be literally true. The trip from Mexico City to Vera Cruz is one of the grandest and most spectacu- lar on this continent A descent from an elevation of 5000 feet to the sea level is made and one gets view of what is considered the most marvellous railway engineering In the world In going fifty miles one passes from the cool temperate region down in the tropics, where appear the coffee, banana and other tropical fruit plantations. We also pass the foot of 'Pico de Orizaba.' the Mountain of the Star whose pinnacle is always covered with snow and rises 1923 feet above the sea level, the highest peak on the North American continent.
 NO one should miss the trip to Cuernavaca, the most delightful spot In Mexico. It was the home of Cortez in the year 1590 and his original palace Is still to be seen. Cuernavaca Is reach ed bv rail. crossing mountain 10000 feet high and descending on the other side to an elevation of about 40O0 feet. It Is perpetual springtime the thermome- ter never goes below sixty nor over eighty at any time of the year. yet m plain view of the town you see the mountains covered with snow at all sea- sons.
 Governors Appointed.
 Mexico is supposed to be republic similar to our own, but the voting is done differently. For instance, the gov ernors of each state, twenty-seven In number, are appointed by the President; they in turn appoint commissioners who ascertain the will of the people, as to say the election of the president. It does not take much of a guess to know that the will of the people Is Tor Dlaz to continue president as he has been Tor twenty years and will be until he dies' under that system. No paper would dare print this in Mexico. however, as the editor would be immediately arrested Tor libel and thrown in prison.
 Lands are cheap, 50 cents per acre up to S25, and this Is where I saw the great est opportunity for investors on q small or large scale. Those who get in now will reap a harvest as they are sure to greatly enhance in value. There are
 
 through the country that appear to be valueless still there is a future even in these lands. The best lands are in the semi-tropical regions where there IS no malaria and where anything on earth grows with but little labor. Two crops a year can be grown on this character of land You still see the primitive and I might say the savage style of cultivat- ing the lands, with oxen and blow made of q small forked tree with no iron whatever on It.
 "The Mexican peon is the lowest type of the human race l have ever seen. The negro of our country is far more desirable both as a citizen and labor CT. The peon gets from 2b to 10 cents, Mexican money. per uay' equivalent Tn our money to 12lz to 37Ia cents and those who employ him say he Is not worth that. When he gets something ahead he units until 1t is used up and he Is forced to work again
 -"I visited many other places in the republic, going as far west as Guada- lajara on the Pacific coast side. which has a population of 10000 and has climate similar to Cuernavaca. Near this place is the only active volcano on the North American continent Mexico is no place for the Globe Trotter. You are compelled from the habits and motions of the people to go slow. If you at tempt to rush things you will find you are alone in the rush and soon slow down The people there do not hurry or worry, but take life easy.
 "The country is historical In reality if becomes tlresome in that respect from the fact 1t keeps one constantly trying to remember something we read about in history in our school days. In taking an automobile ride over the City of Mex leo we passed by statue of Christopher Columbus The guide stopped his ma chine and dwelt at some leng.. on the achievements of this gentleman and final lv asked us if we had anything about him in our history.
 "There are many things of interest in this country which would take too much space to tell about in the news paper. No one who can spare the time should miss an opportunity Of seeing Mexico"