Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1913-08-12
A LETTER FROM MEXICO
Yrs. Agnes Murray Writes An Inter-
estine Account of Journey.

an account of Mrs. Agnes MURRAY
and daughter, Miss Margaret's s
trip TO Mexico, where Miss Mlrray
mas accepted a position in Mexico
ClCy, was received by the PILOT last
week and the account of the trip and
Gheir experience upon first arriving in
repelllous Mexico is printed here as
taken from Mrs MGrray's letter:
our Trip was decidedly pleasant. 1t
was great relief to leave New York
ana get out to sea and be cool. We
ilad very cool trip-at no time was
III as warm as in New York or Chicago.
we had very nice day in Havana,
the boat docked for the first time
before the boats had remained out
In the bay and been unloaded by
llgnLerS. But immense new docks
have been completed recently and
now the boats dock and unload, but
they unload from both sides, as
| lighters come on the water side lust
the same and the boat unloads lust
| that much quicker.
We spent day at Progresso, Yucs.-
tan, too. Crossing the straits of
ucatan is always rough and many
were Seasick. I was one of the for
tunate ones who escaped. Progresso
is most interesting. The boat stayed
out from shore as Havana and Vera
Cruz quarantine against this port be-
cause of yellow fever. We did not 90
on shore for fear of detention at Vera
Cruz. Some of the men had pass
ports and went for all day. We tished
some, one of the sailors caught
shark. Many very pretty fish were
caught, among them one shaped like
our sun fish but in iridescent shades
OF lavender and with the most beau
tlful full fins also in lavender shades
and transparent. We had grand
day on the Gulf of Mexico crossing to
Vera Cruz About the middle of the
afternoon something appeared on the
horizon and az first every one thought
1t boat adrift. The captain thought
1t was a buoy adrift and changed the
course OF the boat TO see. When we
came near enough we discovered it
was gasoline launch loaded to the
waters edge going TO Havana from
Iampico. 1t was named ''City of
Naples" and flying the stars and
stripes. The fag looked good to us
but when the waves from our boat
washed right over their little craft
things did not look very good for
them. Following behind their boat
was an immense shark. Seeing this
little craft on the wide sea was the
only excitement we had. We arrived
in Vera Cruz early Friday morning.
AS we came into the harbor we passed
the old prison located right in the
harbor. Early as it was transports
loaded With prisoners We're going
across to the prison, San Juan Ulna."
af Il, l., g
could land. In the harbor are TIVE
U. 5. Navy boats, the Minnesota and
Idaho Warships of other nations
are in the harbor and several Mexican
war ships. Some of our middies came
on the dock. People from the states
look pretty good TO these marines
and the q. S. midshipmen looked
good TO us.
We finally landed and got through
the custom house all right, soap and
all. We had been told to buy soap,
correspondence paper, shoes, etc. in
the states as such things are very
high here, for example bar of Ivory
soap is one dollar or | peso here, of
Cashmere Bouquet, one dollar, etc.
Ordinary letter paper is Sl.00 TO $500
a box We were in Vera Cruz all day
and enjoyed every minute. We eX-
pected TO find it very hot but it was
not nearly as hot as New York.
The tropical trees, plants and shrubs
interested me very much, and the
birds, such numbers of singing birds
and SO many varieties
TIE vegetation was all most inter
esting. We dined on the sidewalk,
under a wide portico at the Hotel
Diligencia which fronts on the'm most
beautiful plaza in Vera Cruz. Across
the plaza is very old cathedral
which we visited. Then we took
car and went to visit one of the old
est churches or chapelS on this con-
tinent and in which is one of the two
black ChristS in the world. When
Cortez tried to get the Mexican
Indians to worship his white Christ
they said the white Christ could not
be for them. Their Christ would be
black like them as CorteZS Christ
was white like him. Finally Cortez
sent TO Spain and had two figures of
Christ made, life-siZe and in color
like the Mexican Indian and with
black bnShy hair and black beard
Both were sent to Vera Cruz, one was
put on cross over the altar in this
little old chapel, the other is in a
similar chapel here infhe city down
near the Thieves Market.
The altar rail in this chapel in Vera
Cruz was literally covered with gar
lands of gardeniaS and cape jasmine.
There were many worShiperS in the
chapel all the time we were there.
There is beautiful garden about the
chapel and in the cocoa nut palms
the monkeys were chattering at the
| top of their voices.
We left Vera Cruz hoping to return
some time for a longer stay. We
came up to Mexico City Friday nigga
| in as fine Pullman train as | ever
| saw in the u. S. and with English
| speaking porter and dining car ser
vice. We have learned the value of
English service down here. 1t is
simply impossible to really live and
manage a home in Mexico without
some knowledge of Spanish.
We have been boarding with an
| American family who rent one of the
old houses of the city.
j sent word to Charlie Zahn that
we were here and on Sunday he and
his wife came to see us. / gave him
your letter, Mr.. Thayer, ana he was
very glad TO hear from you and from
all the Wausau friends He and his
wife have been very kind to us. We
really would have been very badly off
without them to turn to.
Mrs. Zahn has helped us so much in
our shopping and house hunting.
There are thousands of places for
rent here now but it is very hard to
find what is suitable. The For Rent"
sign of Mexico is a piece of common
paper attached TO the house. Some
times it is OF the iron window screen,
sometimes on tie iron gates, but the
paper always means For Rent .
People go about here in coaches a
good deal. There are two grades, the
, blue at one peso an hour and the red
at Seyenty-tiye cents, and as many
, people as the coach will hold can 60
/ for the same price. | have not seen
as many horses in years as | have
since coming TO Mexico. There are
1 TO 4