The Monte Vista journal., 1913-03-29
A LETTER FROM OUR
TRAVELLERS ABROAD
The JOURNAL.

Monte Vista, Colorado.
You very kindly offered the use OF
your columns to me, and take great
pleasure in talking to my Monte Vista
friends via the Journal
We are having a delightful voyage:
some rough sea, but this ship is an un-
usually fine sailer and rides the waves
with little perceptible motion. Our
company is fairly representative, being
from nearly every state in the Union,
and comprises Cos passengers and the
crew number 45S; 50 that we are quite a
little community.
We have the usual quota OF freaks.
The man who has sailed the seas fire.
quently is in evidence. One can get
much fun out OF him by referring to the
aft deck as the back porch or the port
holes as windows. AT once he sidles up
and asks, Have you ever been across
beforcY Honesty compels you to admit
this Is your first trip. At once he tells
you how many trips he has made. They
tell story OF a Kansas City man who
W." oh his hiSt tIip dcTOSS. lie asked
the steward to close the window. That
marked him rs a victim. The ancient
mariner fixed him with his glittering
eye and asked, "You have been in Liver
pool?" No" was the answer. That's
strange, l have been there IL times"
To which the Kansas City man answer
ed, Have you ever been in st. Joseph,
MoY' and the much travelled one replied,
NO "Why, that's strange, go there
every month";" was the reply.
Our first stop was at Fonchal, Nader
ion lsland-a perfect gem of an island
IN Madeira. 1t rises abruptly from the
sea to an altitude OF 5000 feet. The
steep hillsides are terraced and flower
covered to the top. After the snow and
ice Of New York, it was delight to
wander about among gardens blooming
with roses, fuchsias, geraniums, wisteria,
orange trees, yellow with fruit and white
with blossom. White Gala lilies, tulip
trees and violets were everywhere. Beg
gars were everywhere-lame, halt and
blind, old, middle-aged and mere babies
followed you with their ceaseless impor-
tunities, the most impudent and per-
sistent dogging your steps until you
grew weary OF them. The island has
many quaint and interesting features.
The roads and streets are very steep
and the burdens of sugar cane, fruits
and kegs Of wine carried on the heads
OF men, women and children are un-
believable. The carriages are sleds
drawn by oxen, each team having a boy
with wisp to keep off the flies and
man to drive. A mans wages for day S |
labor is about 25 cents American money,
SO one can get some idea OF the poverty
OF the people. Perhaps the most marked |
feature of the island is the Slide. This
Is street that winds down the hill |
among the gardens; the vehicles are
sleds guided by two men to sled and |
carrying two passengers. The drop lis
lSOO feet in two miles and the trip was
made by some of our party in four min
utes. We asked for a slower schedule |
and used up ten minutes. The diving |
boys amused us greatly-one especially. |
He would dive after coin and remain |
under until you were sure he had met |
with some accident and was drowned; |
Then he would climb into his boat with |
every show Of having failed to get the |
coin and when you were convinced he |
had missed it, by his showing his empty |
hands and splitting to show 1t was not |
in his mouth, he would take the coin
from between his toes and show it with |
grin. Nothing less than quarter or
an English shilling, however was worth
any such effort.
So far this has been most delightful
trip and l have only one regret and that
is that cannot have all my Monte Vista
friends to share its joys with me.
Truly Yours,
SAMUEL ii. MOORE