The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1906-09-22
BRIEF SKETCHES.
From a Summer Tourists Travels
i'm the Far West.
RrookhaYen (Miss.l Leader.

We arrived in Ell Paso, Texas. and
went almost Immediately to Juarez, in
Mexico, lust across the Rio Grande.
You take street car in Ell Paso, and
inside of twenty minutes you have
crossed the bridge over the Rio Grande
and find yourself in Mexico. The river
is shallow at this place, and half a
dozen little Mexicans were swimming
and wading there.
The inspector boards the car as it ar
rives on the Mexican border and glances
about to see whether anything is being
carried from the estates" into Mexico.
AS a rule he is satisfied with the expla-
nation the passengers give concerning
any little package they may be carrying
and does not demand duty.
In Juarez most of the houses are like
the adobes we saw in Texas, though
some are larger and have glass windows
and nice looking front doors. A few
are made of wood.
We went first to the Old Church of
Guadalupe, which was built in t549.
The stained glass windows and statues
are very beautiful, and the high beams
of the roof are elaborately carved.
| In front of the church was the inevi-
table plaza-Mexicans and Texans alike
seem devoted to 1T, and it really adds
greatly to the appearance of town
and just back of it was the market.
This last is merely big shed with ever
so many stalls filled with fruit, vegeta-
bles and pottery. The men, in high
crowned hats with gay-colored handker-
chiefs about their necks, the women,
with black mantillas about their heads
and shoulders, and the little beady eyed
! brown babies, present picture which
makes one doubt for moment that the
| United States is really so near by.
| Juarez is a veritable paradise for shop
keepers. Few are the tourists who go
away without souvenirs, for the Mexi-
cans are pastmasters in the art of ex-
tracing the last remaining penny from
the pocket book of the unwary, and
their wares are truly fascinating. The
exquisite Mexican drawn work, the
opals, the basket work, the carved
leather, the filigree silver-a hundred
other things combine to make one long
fervently for goodly supply of what
George AIDE calls "long green.
There is large bull ring in Juarez
for bull fighting is the national sport OF
Mexico, but there will be no more until
November.
You have seen the sights of Juarez
you have bought postal cards for your
friends; you have exchanged some OF
Uncle Sans small coins for some OF
that of President Diaz; you have bought
bull fight handkerchief and carved
leather purse. Now you board your cal
and in few moments it stops at the in
spector's office. "Have you bought OF
acquired anything in Mexico ?'' asks
the inspector, as he fixes you with a
cold and inquiring eye. You timidly
show him your modest purchases; sis
that alp" he inquiries again with the
searching glance. "Yes; ALL" you
humble, and the ordeal is past. 1t is
not long before he has examined all the
other occupants of the car. One or two
must pay duty; one or two are detained
for further examination. In a moment
the car is on the bridge; the Rio Grande
shines silvery in the sunlight; below
the brown children splash in the shallow
water; another moment, and the cal
| touches on the American side. You
| have been to Mexico.