Mexico weekly ledger., 1916-03-09
Letter From
Marie Rose
Dear READER

Lear htauefs"
San Antonio, Texas, Wednesday,
The most exciting thing that has hap
pened to me since my last letter was
a visit to the Potts ranch, 100 miles
from here. 1t was my first experience
with ranch life, and / certainly en-
joyed it. In company with Joe Potts,
Madge Potts Green and a married
couple, we started in an automobile
for the ranch. Ate our dinner on the
way and arrived in time for supper.
John Potts, who lives in a five-room
cottage IN the ranch, was our genial
host. He lives alone with "AusD for a
cook. "Aus" will be remembered by
all the younger generation Of Mexico
as the little colored boy who lived with
the Potts family. When they came to
Texas they brought "Aus" and he is
considered one Of the best "ropers" in
that part of the county. We had
Mexican dishes to eat for John wanted
the crowd to taste them. | have got
SO /. like them very much, but at first
thought ! should burn up.
There r hundreds of acres in the
ranch. John has cleared 500 acres
and has most of it in cotton. They are
planting cotton now, and this crop
will be ready to pick by July 1. He
has lots Of stock and never has TO feed
them at all. Ever so often all the
neighbors have what is called . 'round
up" and return all the cattle that have
gotten loose or jumped fences.
The next day Joe and / went riding.
/ had not been on a horse for about
five years and it was surely some job
to stick on n of those "cow horses"
| enjoyed it very much, but the next
day l was so stiff I could hardly walk.
That afternoon we went to Laredo.
1t is on the boundary line, and part of
the bridge over the Rio Grande is u.
S. and part Mexican territory. We Of
course wanted to go on across and
drive around a bit, which we did. We
didn't get out of the car, but we saw
all the ruined buildings, for il was
here that one of the f~iercest battles
took place in the Mexican revolution
just lately. The post office and other
buildings are just shells. 1t was quite
a sight (this is the third time l have
been in Old Mexico in the last few
months.)
Well, we started back, and a govern
ment inspector was there to approve
our vaccination scars. Of course |
didn't have any never having been
~vaccinated, prefering rather to take
DR.. Winans' medicine, and so when he
vaccinated a little girl that was in the
party without saying a word l was
scared nearly to death for | thought
| say my finish. While / was trying
to get my breath, M of the ladies be-
came embarrassed because she had not
been properly vaccinated on the arm,
and quick as a flash | exposed.a little
scar that had been made by a boil and
he let me pass and / breathed again.
That was the closest call / ever had. |
didn't tell any story, either. If he had
asked me if that was a vaccination
scar, ! would have told the truth but
he didn't ask me, and | was too scared
to be overly conscientious. I am glad
to have that thrilling story to tell, be-
cause the other Mexico folks-namely
DR.. N. R. Rodes, Charles Clark and
Judge Bledsoe, who have visited the
Potts ranch, bring back such marvel
Gus tales Of the deer they have killed
and the r~attlesnakes they have choked
to death. Altogether, it was a $50
mile automobile trip, and l enjoyed
every moment Of it.
Mr. and Mrs. Joe Rodes, who have
been in San Antonio, have gone for a
brief stay at Corpus Christi. Mrs.
Rodes is not in robust health. | saw
Mr.. Fry and Mr.. Ferris on the street
the other day, and they were behaving
very well. They enjoyed their ranch
life.
Sunday l went with some friends to
Comfort about fifty miles from here,
and the weather and the roads were
ideal. ! am having a perfectly won
derful time, and don't want to leave a
bit, but Mrs. McCune wants to go to
some other towns and we leave here
Monday for Houston and Galveston.
Then she will visit in Dallas, and |
will go to visit Mary Martha Bishop
in Mart, Texas, We will be home by
the fifteenth
Marie Rose.