The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1909-01-14
.CHAS. HICKS IN TEXAS
Where He Finds anEaTth|y Paradise.

Mr.. Bryan is having his land cleared
or at least they have commenced to-
clear it and he is going to plant it to
fruit at once. While it is pretty hard
to tell what the exact outcome of this |
country will be and as to what the
people will settle down to for acrop to
be depended upon but there is one
thing sure and that is, that it is going
to sustain an immense population of
big hearted, sociable northern people
for they are all northern people who
are buying this land. The men that
are opening it up are invariably
northern people.
The beautiful town of Mercedes is
located on tract owned by st. Lou
is Company and up to date they have
spent over $4,000 600 on their plant.
This climate here is as near like South
ern California as can be. If it is any
different, it is little warmer in winter.
saw a man hang a thermometer out
on post in the sun in front of the
hotel in Brownsville the other day and
it registered ia degrees, while in the
house it registered Is. I know that
most of the time after the sun comes
up one can hardly walk around and
keep his coat on. Since yesterday
morning it has been little cool on
account of cold wave up north, but
it hasn't been anyways near frost
Now must Tell you about our trip in
to Old Mexico. We crossed the river
from Brownsville over to old Mata-
moras, a city, am told, had at one
time 10000 people and today, don't
believe has more than 25,O00, but we
crossed over on the ferry, consisting
of two boats, one called the Diaz and
/ the other the Roosevelt. The fare is
four cents Mexican and two cents U.
S., or four centavos. The first thing
of note was the immense street railway.
The cars seat ten persons and are pro-
pelled by one little Spanish mule.
Well, we boarded one of them and f.
nally landed up town. The first place
we went was the opera house, which is,
worth seeing, Of course, it is old archi-
lecture, but it is substantial and con-
venient. Some st. Paul people that I
Egot acquainted with attended Christ
mas ball in the old opera house given
by the upper class of the city. They
tell me they met some very refined and
we'll educated Spanish people and that
the ball was success and strictly q
social event. The next place we visit
ed was the cemetery, an interesting
place to visit for one that has not vis-
tied Mexico. The place was enclosed
by huge brick wall and about twelve
feet high and the space seems to be
rented and as soon as family can't
pay the rent for the space occupied
by the departed the coffin is pulled out
of the vault and bursted open and the
bones are thrown into pit built for
that purpose in one corner of the GEM
etery, together with those of hundreds
of others that have shared the same
fate. We saw coffin that had been
bursted open just day or SO before
and the bones dumped in with the
others. You could tell that it had
: been woman by some of the burial
appearel clinging around her neck.
The poor people that live in that city,
and the filth. I saw hogs walking in
and out of houses and they run all
over the city, wherever they please and
oh my! What hogs.
We saw the barracks where the bril-
liant Mexican soldiers reside and from
} their demeanor I don't believe they
} would change places with President
Diaz. I almost forgot to tell you
l about visiting the barracks at Browns
) vile where the famous colored batal-
} lion was stationed when they shot up
| the town of Brownsville and stopped
/ at the house, the Miller Hotel, which
Y was one of the buildings that they shot
t up. &
Now 1 must tell you that feel first.
rate and have an appetite like a steam
threshing machine. You will heal
from me again either from San An
tonic or West Texas.
Respectfully yours,
t CHAS. E. HICKS. 4