The Republican journal., 1916-11-02

on to San Antonio, the city of missions.
Time was limited, 80 the travellers chose
to visit The Alamo, famous as the scene
of the great fight for Texan liberty and
so-called The Cradle of Liberty. The
mud walls and floors are cracked and
worn, and souvenir sellers booth fills
the front, but as the three stepped rev.
erently into Confessional and Bap-
tistry and the narrow, dark cells. they
seemed to echo with the footsteps Of
sandalled feet and filled with the ghosts
of the heroic men who gave their
lives to bring religion to an UNEMPLOYED
country. At St. Patrick's Claimed to
be the Oldest cathedral in the United
States) the three found the spirit of the
old religion combined with the more
modern, though the building seemed very
old.
From San Antonio, the family jour
neyed to Ell Paso. and because of floods
were obliged to stay there three days.
Here for the first time, the three ate in a
real Chinese restaurant, or eating house,
as they called it. The Mexican vendors
of candy and souvenirs were interesting.
And then one day the Simmons went
across the Rio Grande to Juarez in old
Mexico. A street car was the mode of
conveyance and the Jockey Club race
track the objective point. Nothing hap
pened except inspection by the pleasant
faced American officers at one side and
the scowling Mexicans at the other, but
an interesting discovery was made. This
was that the Rio Grande, instead of the
wide river the geography pictures was,
at this season. principally rocks and dirt
with scarcely sufficient water for the
Mexican women to launder their clothing
in. This process was unusual. for each
woman stood on the bank and beat the
article to be Numbered up and down in
the water or over the flat rocks of the
river bottom.
Juarez proved to be picturesque with
its dilapidated mud huts and old adobe
houses, many of which were sealed up
by Carranza because they belonged to
Villa supporters. The races, which were
running instead of the trotting usual in
the north, were interesting and the three
were surprised to see SO many women
betting on the horses.
At last the railway officials permitted
the travellers to proceed, and slowly the
long train pulled through the desert
lands of Texas, New Mexico and Ari-
IONA. Truly they were deserts, with
nothing to break the monotony of sage
brush and mesquite save little troop
of soldiers camped along the border,
small cattle corral and ranch house, or
the carcass of some unfortunate animal
that desert fare proved too hard for.
At Indio the tired tram crew must
rest, and for the first time the three
realized the terrible havoc of the flood.
Date growing is the principal industry
of Indio and save the green at the tops
of these palms no green could be seen.
Mud, nothing but mud, and whole day
to stay! But 10! miracle, convention
was forgotten and everybody got &C.
quainted with everybody. A small hall
was discovered, pianist and two SOLO
lists secured and the afternoon passed
quickly with dancing, cards and singing.
Once more the train started and rock
ed its way slowly across the water-cover-
ed tracks and reached Los Angeles safe
ly in the morning. Friends were await
ing the Simmons here, and for five
weeks little bungalow in suburb of
Los Angeles was home. From here
many excursions were made: To Pasa-
dena, the city of flowers and beautiful
homes; to Venice, the Coney Island of
the West; and to Sierra. Madre, in the
n