The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-01-18


beauty of this earthly paradise.
The city of Tehauntepec was
reached and here a stop was made.
An excited and gesticulating crowd
surrounded the station. Gay colors
abounded. striped blankets of every
hue of the rainbow were draped
gracefully around the shoulders of
the men, though the thermometer
registered ninety in the shade. Great
conical hats, nearly two and half
feet in diameter. were the only ar
ticles Of headgear in sight, and san
dals of open leather, a thong passing
between the toes and wrapped about
the ankles. the only foot covering.
The women, especially the younger
ones, were beautiful; with dark olive
compilations and jet black hair. and
possessing figures that Juno might
have envied. Red lips flashed words,
and black eyes glances at each other
that brought merry laughs or quick
retorts. Their dresses were sleeve
less and reached only to the knee;
we're heavily embroidered and made
of native silk or cotton.
Many of the women wore full tri-
bal headdress. this being an arched
mass of starched lace that rose high
above the head, falling down the
back and below the waistline Ie-
hauntepec is one of the Oldest Of the
Mexican Indian cities and has much
to interest the visitor.
Suddenly ! heard the train con-
ductor yell: "Vamoose! and clam
boring aboard amid perfect salvo
of .adieus'' and "Buenas dias" we
pulled out of the station and across
the Tehauntepec River.
This was spanned by a magnificent
structure of steel. and looking down
into the water, seventy-five feet be-
low. / saw hundreds OF men, women
and children sporting about. All
were nude. There is no false mod
esty in Tehauntepec.
Again l stood upon the rear plat
form noting the ever changing scene.
Now a coffee plantation would come
into view, a great forest OF mahogany,
a queer old hacienda, with cane huts
for the poems around it. the whole
encircled by a high stone wall. and
past a stretch of sandy road where
patient little burros toiled. ridden
astride by men and women whose feet
dragged the ground.
We passed the night at Santa Luz
cretia. half way across the isthmus.
the car being sidetracked. Supper
was served aboard, after which we
sauntered about the little depot, en-
loving our cigars The night was
gloriously star-lit. the Southern
Cross being plainly visible. Fifty
feet away from the car and as many
feet below it's banks rolled the San
Juan River, the waters rushing over
the rocks, grooming soothing mel
ody.
Native women, straight and bare
armed, went to and from the river
carrying water jars. Sellers OF fruit,
their baskets piled high, and vendors
OF Chilli" their little stands lit by
hcring fambeaux, were all around US.
Across the way. from a hotel bar,
came the tinkle OF guitar and the
soft notes of a Spanish love song.
Sleepy at last We retired to our
berths.
Early next morning, at a. m,
we were under way. and two hours
later we saw the waters Of the great
gulf flashing blue in the distance. AS
we rumbled into the freight yards.
flled with cars and warehouses ali
around, men rushing hither and
thither. in fancy found myself trans.
ported instantly to land two thou
sand miles away to the north, across
the Rio Grande. where such scenes
are common The actual running
time. exclusive Of stops. from the
Pacific to the Gulf. was four hours
New Orleans Picayune.