The Holt County sentinel., 1921-03-11
Leo Petree Writes From Mexico.
Tampico, Mexico, February 25, ip2

You remember wrote you about be-.
ing delayed by wreck near Waco.
Texas. IL caused me to miss my train
in San Antonio. So | caught mex,
mornings train for Laredo, and arriv-
ed there about A:30 in the afternoon.
This was a $50 mile ride on u slow
train through flat country Of mes
quite and prickly pear. ! got ac-
quainted with AN eX-army fiier on the
train, and as We had several friend, in
common in he army, he helped relieve
the tircsomcncss of the journey. by
talking of them and of old times.
We had an hour in Laredo to get
our passports viscd and other arrange.
mcnts made. We went back and got
on the American side. Al the inter.
national bridge our pass ports wcrc
examined. Al the other end several
Mexican officials got on and examined
them again while we were coming 10
the sta,i n at Nuevo Laredo.
Al the station We got off with all
our hand baggage and trunk checks.
We were met by u bowling mob of
McNicans. with numbered badges. who
were 20 help " get our stun by the
custom officials. The numbers were for
Identification, ~ they were rcspon, ihlc
Ia the government for the safety of all
our stuff In the station we went 10
some natives. whose business I, was 10
change our money to Mexican money
for railroad and Pullman fare. charg.
inc ~ commission of i0c on each
ten dollars.
We bought ouI tickets and got uur
bcrths later on the train. From the
ticket window We went tu "a linc a, the
door of the custom inspectors office
IN the station. Here Odg HeSicgn as
Semhle'i our baggage md dragged Il in
when orr turn came We opened Il
and the Inspector examined 10.
closed and marked il .. X. II am en-.
closing one Of III" tags.D
On the train We were sold Pullman
accommodation 10 Monterey, which We
reached about 300 u. m. During the
latter half Of this trip we passed
along the eastern flank of an cStnn-
sion of the Rocky Mountains. We
found Monterey to be typical.
white'washed town of probably 10000
population, half surrounded bv noun
tain,. At Monterey ! sat in the sta
tion until 5;30 when my train left for
Tampico. The ficr. of whom | spoke.
stopped here, 81 ] came on alone.
The country changed considerably
between Monterey and Tampco. From
u country covered with tall mesquite
We passed through a region of stunted
mesquite, prickly pear and giant cac-
tns, and then into tropical Jungle
which continues to Tampico. We saw
a number Of plantations growing
oranges and henequin. which Is a plant
used for rope fibre.
The character of the people changed
after we left the border. Around the
border the natives dressed US we do.
Farther down, until Tampico is reach
cd, Il is only the better class who wear
clothes of American style. The pc0ns
of the interior wear gaudy clothes,
broadbrimmed, conical straw hats, and
usually sandals. or nothing on their
FCt.. We coa'l &c the poems hauling
with homemade carts drawn BY oxen.
They plow with single-handcd, iron
shod wooden plows, drawn by oxen.
The train stopped at every town of
any size for from five to thirty min
utes and We were besciged with ma
tives of all sizes selling oranges, can
dy, cheese, tortillas, cnchiladaS, goat
meat and home cooked food Of every
description. The Mexican food Is high
y oeaSoneu, tu, out good Inc oranges
~ ~ ptNeu 'ipe ann 80, Oh course thcy
~ H. ~ ..S"ei any swee'er 'h"h those
'",ppr" ,pVpI,r H. ~ 'P % .ne'e. ,u -
win the food peddlers were beg
sin' san1' "gss rha ., [ 'ne'" o',hu' slek or erip-
p,e", ,I,n ne people W 'ne towns along
.me 'a,IIou'la seem 70 liVe OH OF the
hna.. VINO come thiongh' so these
They hSva are s.n not ,ea,y ,E;ot the exception,