The weekly Alaska citizen., 1918-12-09
GEORGE HERRING MAKING TOUR
 OF WORLD WITH UNCLE SAM;
 DESCRIPTION OF FINE TRIP

Sleopy-lOOkluS CuSSoS: Au0y Aooh just like the moving picture Mexi- cans-big straw hats. an old shirt and tattered pair of pants and shoes. About one in every ten had regular pair. The rest wore flat sandals, with cloth over the top. They Topped along like ducks. and for size Charlie Chaplin's feet weren't in it. Of all the lazy crea- lures, too. There would be about twenty pushing one flat car. and it would take them an hour to move hundred yards. Every one had mean. looking knife sticking up from some part of his anatomy, and from their looks none would hesitate to use them.
 We finally went outside the yard and up the railroad track. Here we got a view of where the peons lived. There was a long line of shacks, just one room. and in each shack from five to twenty people hung out. We came along in the hot part of the day and every one was asleep on the floor There were no beds. just piles of blankets on the floor. And talk about dirty places; you never saw the like. The kids run around with no clothes at all. In front of every house was bunch of skeleton-like pigs and scrawny chick ems. and two or three flea-bitten hounds.
 The whole country was green and fresh looking and plant life is won- derful. There were all kinds of flowers. The ground was covered with a blue flower which we found to be wild potatoes. Then there was a big shrub with white flower and long spikes. When these spikes are opened they are found to be full of ants which bite like sin. There are all kinds of trees, most of them cov- cred with flowers. One tree had a red blossom the size of a plate, looked like tulips. Another had a big white flower in clusters. There were hundreds of banana and palm trees. In the afternoon the general superintendent took US all around and showed us his yard. He has lot of rose plants in full bloom now. even if it is October Gle looked at the thermometer and it was 97 in the shade. ) The yard tho was for the most part of tropical flowers and trees. There was big tree loaded with Japanese oranges, and a tree with fruit 8 cross between lemon and a grape fruit. I picked my first oranges here. There was a fine lawn all over. too, and the houses were nicely kept. The super. intendent took us to meet his wife, and she showed us her collection of aigrettes which was nothing short of wonderful. Also Mexican lace and drawn work which was mighty fine. We tried our best to get some but as we couldn't get down town had no luck. The supt. also had a set of opals which was very valuable and very pretty. He has a sister in Cor dova, a Mrs. Grant, He took us thru the machine shops and labora- tories where the oil is tested. and up thru the tanks. almost forgot to tell you about the donkeys. All the real travel seems to be done by burros, and the rider sits just for ward of the beasts tail and whangs the daylight out of him. which makes the donkey almost move sometimes. It Is funny to see big six foot Mex riding little runt of donkey. The Mex. has to tie his feet in knots to keep them from dragging.
 Well. we finally left Tampico at 6 p. m. Saturday. They had strenu- ous time with the crew, every one being drunk. the second and third mate included. and they got logged and will lose their papers. Two of the crew didn't show up and were left behind without money of pass. ports. Our last view of Tampico was the greatest thing I have seen yet. The sun was going down behind the city. bathing 1t in a gold shower thru which the tall buildings and church spires shone. and 1t was really a mar. vicious sight. From Tampico we went on an eight hour run to Lobos Island
 where the big wells are. and here we stayed all Sunday. taking on the greater portion of our load. We an chored two miles of shore and the oil was pumped out by submerged pipe line. Everything smells of crude oil now, and all the paint work is stained up by the oil gas. We did not go ashore at all here. We brot
 the American consul over for a fish | ing trip, also 8 lot of company off,
 cials. They paid me visit in the
 office while l was on watch, and told
 me lot about the country, in return
 for which l explained the wireless
 set for them. Some Americans from
 shore came out and we learned a lot