Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1907-05-08
A TRIP TO OLD MEXICO
While Recuperains From Typhoid Fever. Mr.. A. Baker
Writes Interesting Description Of His Recent Trip
the City Of Mexico for Public Opinion Readers ~

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 760 feet
at the base and 220 feet high, the
other of the moon is not 80 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 culti-
waited as extensive as corn is in Iowa.
For miles we see nothing else culti-
waited. The rows are set 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 a cavity made in the top of the
plant that will hold about two quarts,
into this the sap perculates. This sap
is called pulque and from it most of
the intoxicants are made When
fermented it produces most beastly
drunk or intoXication. In gathering.
the native has gourd with two
stems. He puts one stem in the plant
and sucks through the other. Over a
mule he has a number of hog skins,
skinned to the hoof, and sown up
tight, mouth and all but nose. Into
this he pours the pulque. AS soon
as full they are hustled to market.
Extra trains entirely loaded with
pulque are run each day. The plant
dies after about three months and
from the fiber in the leaves is made a
cloth and many articles. At Apam
we are told to take drink of pulque,
as there is none better than there.
We open our cup, pay two cents, our
cup is filled, drink about one-fourth
of cup. take the cup from my lips
and the nasty slime strings the full
length of my arm. In taste it resem-
bles soured buttermilk. o We gods
Where does the Mexican get his taste!
1 throw out the slime. Did get the
typhoid from that drink?
Our next stop is at Apizaco. Here
are made all the canes for Mexico.
1t is said all the coffee plantations
have been despOiled for cane timber.
l secure bundle Of nine and we move
on for Esphranza, our dinner station.
Here we have letter of introduction
to Mr.. Bassett, the Methodist presi-
ding elder for southern Mexico. He is
to take the TRAIN here, and will
travel as far as Orisabo with us. He
tells us that he is from Cedar Rapids
and has been in Mexico for ten years.
He could give us much information.
For the benefit of those who might
be inclined to invest in southern
Mexican ventures, give some infor-
nation given by him. He had been
requested by some northern investors
to look up these companies. He said.
out of all the stock companies in
southern Mexico operated by northern
capital, he found but two that were
doing anything to make expenses and
only one that was paying dividends
from their plantations; where Others
were paying dividends it was from
stock sales. Millions of American
capital have been taken from the
American people in stock alone.
At Orisabo are situated the largest
cotton mills in Mexico. This city has
sixty thousand people. We have a
letter of introduction to Mr.. Jeffries,
an English gentleman who is super
intendent of the mills; at the station
before we arrive at Orisabo he and his
wife get on the train and we are made
acquainted by our missionary friend.
Iney nave ntu q Striho III tuo HILL,
terminating in an insurrection. Two
hundred natives have been shot. Our
missionary has a native preacher
whom they have placed in contine-
ment and for sixteen days no word
can be had of him. Our missionary
labored two days while there to find
if he were alive and If so what
charges were preferred against him,
but the judge would not see him. The
city is under martial law. The next
day is Sunday. Jeffries and wife in
vite us to their home. We go to the
La France hotel, it is said to be the
best hotel in Mexico. The rooms were
scrupulously neat and here l will des'
cribe what is called high living in
this country. Breakfast is served at
twelve to one. If you desire an early
lunch small tables are set around the
patio and coffee and French rolls are
served. The coffee is the same as IL
made all through that country, one
cup strong enough to make twenty.