Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-01

We pay twenty five cents and enter.
What II scene of beauty must have
once been presented II is still beauti-
ful. Here this wealthy miner in
vested 81 800, 600. Everything tropical
was cultivated; beautiful lakes,
walks, and everything to attract.
Take trip over to the wonderful
lizard and stop where they are making
pottery, Cuernavaca is noted for it's
pottery. Here they are pounding the
clay with maui, here is girl kneed-
ing it, here is a man whirling and
shaping it and another finishing,
while still another is inlaying with
broken china. They told me they
used all the broken china that could
be had in Mexico. We purchase what
we can carry in large basket, have
it we'll packed and carry it home.
We are back at the park. Women are
at the fountain getting water. They
ill thin large jars that hold at least
two pals. lift them to their heads
and you see them walk Off with their
hands at their sides. carrying them as
though they were only bonnets. All
the luggage in Mexico is carried on
lie head l might write chapters ON
Cuernavaca, but space will not per-
NIT.
We have become acquainted with
some excursionists from st. Louis and
they want us to visit the wonderful
ruins at Militia, about 400 miles south
of Mexico City. We decide to go.
leaving the rest of our company
Mrs. Baker and the writer return to
Mexico City. expecting the following
day to go to Militia. We are notified
the following morning that one of the
ladies of the ST. Louis party has had
a sinking spell from the altitude, and
they will return home that day. We
decide to defer the trip until another
company is formed.
AS we go to breakfast down San
Francisco street soldiers are stationed
about ten feet apart on each side of.
the street for about half mile and
squads are riding up the street. SonpS
a carriage moves by about ten feet
from the writer 1t is the president
and we get good view of him. A
heavy man, quite stopped, more than
70 years old, and shows his Indian or
Mexican origin. His sharp eve shows
he is not asleep.
We meet with an acquaintance from
st. Joe, Mo. He wants our company
to Vera Cruz We are ready. We get
our transportation and the following
morning at six are at the Mexican
railway station. This is the first rail
road built in Mexico, and was over
thirty years in building. 1t is 263
miles from the city of Mexico to
Vera Cruz When the charter was
granted to an English company they
insisted that they build as fast from
the city as from the gulf end. as they
feared foreign enemy and must meet
them half way to che coast. Imagine
the labor of transporting all rails and
ties 263 miles over these mOuHtains,
but they did it, The ties are all
covered with case of iron about one
fourth of an inch thick. reaching
into the ground to protect them from
the insects. The engines are built
with two stacks aud boilers, one
ahead and one in the rear, the engi
neer standing between them. This is
done to get power to make the heavy
grades. many of them being ten per
cent. We have three cars, first.
second, and third class. Few ride
first class. there were not half a
dozen. The Mexican rides third class.
aud that car is always so full ! do not
see how the conductor collects fares.
We pass out along the great drainage,
ditch of which notice should be taken,
along level country not thoroughly
drained yet. We are out twenty-seven
miles, still the level country extends,
though We are approaching the.
heights. What is this we see to the.
right it is the pyramid Of the sun and
moon. that of the sun is 76O feet
at the base and 22O feet high, the
other of the moon is not so large a
giant causeway connects the two.
They have tunneled into the sun and
found as in Egypt only the remains
of two persons We move on: we are
on the plains of Apam. Here the
Magua or Century plant may be seen
cultivated rs extensive as corn is in
Iowa. For miles we see nothing else
cultivated. The rows are sot about ten
feet apart, the plant grows about
seven feet high. At from eight to
twelve years it is ready to blossom.
When the blossom starts it is dug out
and cavity made in the top of the
plant that will hold about two quarts.
into this the sap perculates. Phis sap
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