Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-14
MULEBACK MAIL
ACROSS HONDURAS
Hard Overland Trips from Gull
Coast to the
Capital.

respondence in st. Louis, Mo-, within
twelve days from the date 1t is posted
at Tegucigalpa, Honduras. Such is
possible, but not always assured.
After delivery at New Orleans or Mo
bile, correspondence will reach st.
Louis within twenty-four hours.
Puerto Cortes has one mail boat
each week from New Orleans, which
leaves that port on Thursday and
reaches Puerto Cortes on the follow
ing Wednesday. In addition to these
boats there are several fruit boats
each week from and to New Orleans
and Mobile, which make the trip in
about four days. These boats carry
mail also, but do not run on any
fixed schedule. transportation of
mail and passengers between Puerto
Cortes and Tegucigalpa is by train
to Pimienta, fifty-seven miles inland,
and from there by mule back ever the
trail.
Correspondence for Tegucigalpa
leaves Pureto Cortes on Wednesdays
and Fridays and reaches that place
within eight days. Packages from
the United States for the capital are
carried to Amapala via Panama.
Parcel post packages from Europe
are taken over the trail to Tegucigal-
Dd. These are Sent UP DIT llliAtS III
carload lots and remain at Pimienta
until mules are available to trans
port them. There Is no certainty
about the time of their possible ar
rival in the capital. 1t will thus be
seen that there is poor connection
between the mail boat and the mails
to and from the capital. Most of the
mall however, to and from the
United States is sent on the fruit
boats, which give much quicker
service on account of their making
the trip direct.
Over Rough Trails.
The usual trip by visitors to Teguci-
galpa consumes about the same time
as that of the mail. Some, however,
prefer to take two days more on ac-
count of the fatigue from being in the
saddle continuously for several days,
long hours each day and over rough
trails.
The following is the estimate of the
cost and the schedule usually fol-
lowed by those who are used to the
trip during the months from Decem-
Der till May, when there is little rain
and the trails are more passable.
writes Consul David j. d. Meyers
from Puerto Cortes. The first night is
spent in Pimienta, or Portrerlho-
which is about three miles from Pr
mlenta. The mules are secured in
Portrerillo and should be engaged q
day or two in advance, which may be
done by telegraph. The 'mozo," or
servant, Is secured at the same time.
He Is an absolute necessity, being
servant, mule master, guide and in
terpreter. Although he may not be
able to speak English, he usually can
interpret ones wants
The prices given here are Central
American silver pesos, now worth AZ
cents gold each. Mules with saddles
cost 80 pesos each for the trip to the
capital, return trip the same, whether
for the traveller or his baggage. The
'mozo" costs 80 pesos for the trip up.
Each cargo mule can take up to 225
pounds. A hammock in which to
sleep at night should be carried along.
as well as partial supply of canned
goods to be used on the trip, as at
times it Is impossible to obtain the
necessary Orioles and tortillas" on
the route, due to the absolute lack of
same where one might be compelled
to spend the night.
Cost of Transportation.
The expenses along the route for
self. 'mozo" and two mules are
usually about thirty pesos. Extra
mules and "mozos" would cost about
seventy-five centaVos each per day.
The railroad fare from Puerto Cortes
to Pimienta Is four and one-half
pesos. The trip can usually be esti-
mated to cost $50 gold, but would
average less If more than one person
went along
More than four companions are not
desirable In the same party, as the
possible accommodations would prob
ably be overcrowded. The people
along the route are hospitable, but
the country for long stretches is not
inhabited, and the trip is not at all
pleasant unless it be for some of the
scenery en- route.
Comparatively speaking, one finds
good accommodations at Pimienta,
which he leaves early in the morning,
reaching Santa Cruz de Yojoa that
night, where the accommodations are
fair. With an early start Meamber is
reached the next afternoon, where the
accommodations are bad. From
Meamber there are two routes to
Comayagua, which is reached after
two more days of travel. The mail
follows the short route by Cuevas
where othe night is spent. The route
is much worse than the other, and
the accommodations are poor at Cue
vas.
The better but longer route is by
Siguatepeque, where the night Is
spent. Some Germans and Americans
also live in this place, and good ac-
Communications can be obtained, due
to the hospitality of these residents.
The night is spent at Comayagua.
where the accommodations are good.
Protection is reached the next night,
where the accommodations are poor
and where a disagreeable night must
be spent, due to the cold as Protec-
ton is on the top of the divide.
Hard Ride for Women.
Tegucigalpa is reached the follow
ing night, after six days of continu-
Gus and hard riding. l have known
OF the trip being made in three and
one-half days, but such was done I'M
der exceptional circumstances. have
been told by some people that they
had made the trip from the capital to
Pimienta in considerably less than
three days, but they must have got
ten their dates mixed. Quite often
American women make the trip, but
| am sorry for them, especially If 1t
is their first experience, as | do not
recall an instance in which one made
the trip a second time.
The most comfortable way TO reach
the capital is to leave the steamer at
Barrios, Guatemala, go through eau
temala and Salvador to the Pacific
and take q steamer to Amapala,
where. a few miles away, perhaps an
automobile may be gotten to take one
into the capital; and If not, on ac-
count of a washout in the road, the
trip can be made much more comfort
ably than by going up from the At
lantic side and within one-hah the
time on the ever needful mule.