The Jasper news., 1917-11-29


~ AILING into foreign port at
the break Of day appears to be
favorite custom with the av-
erage sea captain, and the occa-
sion to which we write was no excep-
tion. For several hours our ships
course had been guided by flashes from
the friendly lighthouse, and the latter
we knew stood on the Yucatan shore
at Progreso. The, morning broke calm
and peacefully over the tropical wa
tiers of the gulf, and soon the move
ment of anchor chains automatically
announced that the limit had been
reached-the limit of deep water-and
five miles away lay Progreso, one of
the worlds most important shipping
centers of henequen or hemp.
Going ashore at Progreso is rather
an exciting novelty If not dangerous
experience, writes William A. Reid In
the Bulletin of the Pan-American
Union. The sea Is alive with sharks,
and they are darting here and there
about the big ship, to the consterna-
ton of the stranger. The clear waters
which battle this shore seem to nccen-
tuate the size of these monsters, and
while the visitor shudders the boat
men on the ships tender, as we are
bounding shoreward, announce that
arrangements may then and there be
made for shark-fishing excursion
later in the dny.
Few Sights to See in Progreso.
Sightseeing In Progreso does not
detain the visitor. But the port with
Its 5000 people is usually busy one,
as the bulk of the vast henequen crop
passes via Progreso to world markets.
The smaller ships calling for cargo
manage to draw much closer to port
than the big ocean vessels; but when
the long-talked-of piers are construct
ed several miles out into the roadstead
the handling of the country's COM
merce will be greatly facilitated.
BY and by the day grows warmer,
and one Is glad to board the train for
Merida. 80 miles southwark. Travel
Ing on this three-foot gauge road Is
cheap, being only about two cents a
mile for the best accommodation Of
fered. Slowly through the suburbs OF
Progreso our train steams, but soon
we are moving rapidly over level
country with dry and parched ap'
pearance, Astounding In shrubs, cacti
and coarse grasses; but to this condi
ton Yucatan owes its vast revenue de
rived from the marvellous little maguey
plant and its product. Here and there
are breaks in the barrenness and we
catch sight of swamps with lilies ant
other water plants, q relief to look
upon.
AS our train proceeds, with stops
Mt little stations en- route, the cars
are better filed, and at the same time
opportunities are afforded for getting
close gllmpses of the henequen work
ers and their fields Of maguey plants
that lie In view from the cur window
Long before sighting Merida the land
scape becomes dotted with windmills
and when finally the capital city II
reached one can almost Imagine him
Sel1 In Olu f1Oiluuu VI ouipnuoS' ouou
the only difference being that Yucatnr
has the modern-style mill, These wind
mills explain that Merida, like othel
REGIONS Of the country, must pump wa
ter from beneath the surface, so few
are the lakes and streams.
Driving About Merida.
After being made comfortable in on'
of Mer,da's hotels we start out to view
| the city. There is no lack Of vehicles
| and the stranger is literally swampet
with proffers of q delightful drive.
| Most OF these small carriages, gener
ally drawn by u single pony, have rub
Der tires, and many are kept eonspicu
onsly clean and inviting looking
despite the dust of the suburban sec
| tons Of the city.
| Merida today claims $4,000 people
and among Its residents are uumerou
families Of wealth which have &C
quired riches In connection with tn
great Industry. the growing OF tn
maguey and the production of hene
| quen- Merida, while not as old as tn
port Of Sisai, dates from 1912, when
settlement was founded by Francisc
L.