Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1909-12-23
Thursday. December %, 1900.


nave been or you would not have
said 80. However, we have recov-
cred sufficiently to write few lines
ON our trip to Mexico and will fol-
low this with some further observa.
tions next week, il the same are
acceptable. We find il very difficult
70 put into brief form so much that
10 worthy of more than passing inter-
est. Our trip took us from st. Paul
through Sioux City, Omaha, Kansas
City, Parsons, Fort Worth, San
A ntonio, Laredo and then into Mex.
leo. Most people are already famil-
lar with much of our country to the
south Of us and consequently we
shall notice only few things heIe.
We left South Dakota in severe
snow storm on the 18th Of Novem-
Der, and St. Paul the next night in
about the same conditions, but the
snow was light irdeed at Omaha.
We were soon south of the frost line
for November and were able to see
green leaves and flowers from our
car window. San Antonio was still
having summer, as warm as day in
early September They had had
but slight frost four weeks later
as we returned.
From San Antonio west to the Rio
9rande we past through vast regions
Of cactus and semi desert. Here
and there were patches where suffici-
oient water could he found for irri
cation purposes and hence there
were cultivated fields OF corn, cane,
cotton and the like. The soil looked
fairly good; but the one question
everywhere met, where is the water ?
We saw some apparently new places
being built up, at these or near them
must have been found sufficient water
90 warrant such undertakings, but
the same was not visible from the
car windows.
Just before reaching Laredo,
Texas, we saw much irrigated land,
water furnished by the Rio Grande.
Capital and labor here cooperate
with sunshine and soil to produce a
thousand fold for the hungry of the
land.
From Laredo we crossed the Rio
Grande to Neuvo Laredo and were
thus upon Mexican soil and sub
jects Of the sister Republic Our
baggage was carefully inspected and
much Of our money inflated; but
while the same doubled it did not
retain its former purchasing power.
Meals doubled in price and so did
most everything that we purchased.
Upon entering Mexico from Texas
the traveller is at once confronted
with different architectural design
Tor all buildings. The adobe is the
building material everywhere outside
oil the largest cities. The adobe
house, with it's thick walls aud roof.
furnishes greater protection against
she heat than our buildings do.
These houses are built close together,
the partition walls serving double
purpose. Many houses have no
openings but the doors, and consist
Of only one room, II is amazing to
see the number of people who can
live in room eighteen or twenty
feet or thereabouts.
Every little berg is big when we
count the Inhabitants thereof or
Judge the same by the number of
churches it contains. The narrow
streets and compact house all con-
tribute to the deception of the trav-
eler from the cities whose streets
are wide and airy and where the
dwellings are built upon spacious
lots,
Our road took US almost west
from Laredo until we entered the
valley. several times traversed by
Santa Anna and his soldiers, after
which the main direction was south
sntil Mexico City was reached To
describe this valley properly needs
. ore space than at commend. AT
the present time there Is little or no
rain from one end 70 tho other and
hence the dust everywhere- fine|