The Mankato free press., 1921-03-11

sardines, bottle of beer, and slice
OF bread. The church wc went through
this morning Is beyond description,
1t is four or five hundred years old
and grand. OF course, mass was be.
Ing held and people were on their
knees everywhere. He took me way
up in front within a few feet of the
three priests. The oil paintings are
hundreds of years old. The theatre is
can go to only one dance wearing the
same dress but once, so only the rich
are seen there Otter. December 25th
seems to be the one dance they 20
to when they can afford but one dress.
| We are now $50 miles from MeM-
co City, and II we get there before to-
morrow morning we. will be doing
looks like the Rockies, Vancouver,
and around Denver. We are now 67,-
] 600 feet above sea level and Mexico
/ City is about 1000 feet higher. feel
fine but ain bit huiigry for the ice
box at home. San Luis Potosi Is as
clean as Tampico is dirty, it is as bad
as the Klondike used TO be. many tell
or five on the cow catcher and back
platform. About fifty miles out they
had to split the train, number OF
Mexican soldiers having marched up
and caught the train. The soldier is
the worst dressed person you see here,
but nevertheless they are fine marks
men. They will not take United States
peddled at the stations. The papers
say that the strikes are tying up pas
senger and freight trains, so we are
getting along slowly. Most of the
upper Mexicans carry side arms, au-
tomatoes and pistols, but l left mine
in Laredo.
En- Route For Mexico City.
"On the train to Mexico City.-Just
had small glass of pluque made
from the plant of cactus. 1t tastes
like fine alcohol and they say it has
all the kick. Have, just ordered a
same. There are beautiful ranches on
either side with narrow gage rail-
roads leading up to them. We are
still among the mountains. Had
good dinner of baked beans, hash
Drowned potatoes. coffee, bread and
butter. We are stuck again on
grade although we have two engines
on, The engineers are on strike
and conductors are acting as engi-
neers; In the morning we will pass
Mount Popocatapetl, 1900 feet higi'
and at times is snow capped, but not
at the present time. The conductor
states. that the population OF Mexico
City is now million, 1t having in
creased from 100000 in the past few
years. The electric light company is
badly crippled, the government no,
being able to- pay for the public
lights in Mexico City and owe the
electric company $7,000,000. The train
has just started again, and one of tho
men said we would probably get to
Mexico City about seven a. m. Tha,
VIII make sixty hours and the regu-
lar schedule is thirty six hours.
I'VE just passed cactus ranch.
some 5000 acres, which grows a fruit
which they use. We are going about
three miles an hour with two engines
Eight Thirty: P. M.-We have
about got to the top of the world;
they have let one of the engines 90
back. | have just finished my supper
in the Pullman where l met two ex-
service men. They are now on their
way to Columbia, South America.
They. have been in Tampico for two
months, and one of them has lots OF
land in Columbia where his father
now is. He has had a great deal of
experience in South America, and two
years In the United States service as
an engineer. We had some beer and
being white and dry, similar to Dutch
pulque this afternoon and has been
the center of lots of fun for all of us.
took his picture with the two bows
and the beautiful background of
mountains. We hear of great doings
In Mexico City but 1t may be all talk.
sure am in the midst of tempestu
GUS times. (Quite different from Man.
kato:) | beat the Pullman company
on this trip anyway, got three nieh
in the sleeper. and two days, for about
seven dollars in American money. W
are pulling into Mexico City" -.