A TRIP TO MEXICO.

Waikato Argus, Volume V, Issue 363, 5 November 1898, Page 3

A TRIP TO MEXICO.

The following paper was read by Mr R. Reynolds before the Waikato Farmers' Club at its last meeting :

On rising Mr Reyoolds thanked the members for their good wished when he started on his journey, and also for the hearty welcome when he returned. When he left he was in very indifferent health, but he was all right when he returned, and though he had been abused tor some of the things he had said, it was like pouring water on to a duck's bauk, and took as much effect. He would give them a short account what he saw on the road from 'Frisco 10 Mexico, and during his stay in the latter country. Another time, if necessary, he would give them an account of what he saw in the Old Country, and of the chauge that had taken place there especially as regards farming. One of the first men he saw in'Frisco was Mr Hugh Craig, who was well known to all of them as an enthusiast about sugarbeet. Mr Craig was born in Australia, reared in New Zealand and for 25 years had resided in 'Frisco, but he had not forgotten this country and he wished he could return and help those who had borne the heat and burden of settling the lands in the early days. 'Frisco was a wonderful city, the inhabitants consisting of all nationalities—including no less than 40,000 Chinese—and there were many places in it much worse than any in New Zealand, hot the slightest regard was paid to the Sabbath, nearly everyone following their avocations on that cUy the same as any other, with few exceptions. The railway did not run iuto 'Frisco proper, for to reach the City you had to go by ferry boats but they were such gigantic things that you were hardly aware that you were on board until you found you had commenced your journey. It was very similar to moving the whole of the Auckland wharf at once, with all the drays, car riages, etc. on board. When he commenced his journey to Mexico he passed through the State of California, and it was indeed a wonderful country. There were miles and miles of orchards, with splendidly trained fwiit trees, and not a weed to be seen. The cultivation was simply perfect, and the whole of the ground was irrigated. He saw orange groves by the score, and he also saw some of the land from which sugar-beet had just been taken, and it was as clean as the orchards. They did not have rain there for months at a stretch, and, consequently, the weeds were not set growing again immediately after they had bpen hoed, as is the case in this colony. Grain was easily harvested there, for it was cut, thrashed and bagged, and stacked alongside the railway until it could be conveniently taken away, and any little wet it got while lying there did not do any damage, for the wheat there was so hard that it had to ba sprayed when it was being ground. The sugar-beet there coutained from 12 to 18 per cent, of sugar, and the largest crop he heard of was 24 tons to the acre. The labour there was about as dear as here, but it was worth more, owiog to the weeds being easily killed, and they had not any sorrel to contend with. The sugar-beet industry had caused the land to iucrease in value from £5 to £SO per acre within a radius of five miles of the beet factories ; but they must understand it was not worth £SO per acre to Britishers, that applying only to other nationalities that could live at a very much cheaper rate. The industry paid the capitalists well, and in that country they encouraged the capitalists, instead of putting every obstacle in their way, as was being done in this colony. The roads were splendid for taking the roots to the mill, and the railway freight was 2s per ton of 20001 b for 100 miles. The pulp was offered to anyone who would take it away at Is per waggon load, and he thought what a boon it would be to the farmers of Waikato if they could get it at that rate. He travelled both day and night, the railway cars being 75 feet long and very comfortable and the people extremely sociable, indeed after a few hours' intercourse the travellers felt as if they were one large family. Where the land was not irrigated there was little feed and it would take some acres to feed a beast, it was, however, wonderfully level there not being a cutting or tunnel for fully a thousand miles. After two days they reached the Mexican

boundary, where iheir luggage was examined and where I hey found it was the custom to <;o thoroughly armed. Nearly all the conductors and guards on the ralway woe English, which made matters pleasant for straucetr, as there was no difficulty about ilie language. The old Spanish politeness ran in the blood of U»e Mexican prorh, for if in passing along th- in !way car you happened to go near a Mexican, he would raise his hat. After passing the boundary the land was similar to that he had described, it being c ivered with natural grasses of the country, until Durango was reached. That is a city of 40,000 inhabi'ants, situated 160 miles from the Pacific coast, and the place he went to look at was 60 miles from there. Although.Durmgo is a large town, until five years ago it was only approached hy u mule track, but it was intended to con tinue the railway right through to the coast and make a port there at an early date. The town «,->« supp'i d with tramway, electric light and an excellent water supply, which one hardly expected to find in a town COCO feel above sea level. The roads were made low in the middle, and i,o one seemed to have the slightest idea if sanitation. Every thing was emptied out into the streets and it cither tan away or dried up. It would natunlly - be thought that would cause fever, but the air was so wonderfully dry that if after washing at night yon hung your towel in the room, it was dry in the morning. There were no blow flics there, you just hung up your meat and it dried—very often so hard that you bad a difficulty in masticating it. There were many fine stores in Durango, most of them kept by Germans, and theie was not a Jew or Chinaman in the town. The Mexicans had a bad name for using the knife, but you met with civility everywhere, and if a man eot into trouble trere it was his own fault. The hotels were good and the barbers shops were the cleanest he had met with anywhere, and the operator took great trouble to pur, every hair in its place. I here was a market where it was customary to purchase the clay's supply of goods, and some had their meals there. Charcoal fires were kept going in brasiers, and the meals were cooked in earthenware pots (home made) ranged round them. The Mexicans did not eat bacon or butter, but they cooked everything in fat. They would cut up a pig, rend it down and use the fat and greaves. A Mexican cooking for a Mexican was not very particular, and the meat was not of as good quality as they -wore in the habit of having in Cambridge, although he thought that should be better. The bread he had in Durango was the best he had even eaten, it was magnificent and would keep a fortnight. W'iges were low ; you could get a man to look after stock, sleep out all night and find himself, for about 25s a month. Mr Reynolds then described some of the buildings in Durango and the];habits of its inhabitants. He stated that it was now compulsory to teach English in the schools. Ho started for El Maguey, the ranche he was going to inspect, on Christinas Day on a Mexican saddle, but after going about 40 miles they camped as was their custom all through the trip, and he never felt so sore in his life. He longed for his Hnglish saddle, but after using the Mexican one for some days he came to the conclusion that it was the best. HI Maguey was also the name of the aloe that grew in Mexico ; from the leaves of it a beer was brewed, and from the roots a spirit distilled, both being very intoxicating. From the fibre ropes were made, and the stem was cut up into small pieces and sold for chewing, similar to sugar cane, for it was very sweet. (To be Continued.)