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Show ,, 9 1 ' v jfrjftfli ''Lit jlUliiJfe r- - a - " The Federal Palace, Merida. SAILING into a foreign port at the break of day appears to be a favorite custom with the average av-erage sea captain, and the occasion occa-sion to which we write was no exception. excep-tion. For several hours our ship's course had been guided by flashes from the friendly lighthouse, and the latter we knew stood on the Yucatan shore nt Progreso. The morning broke calm and peacefully over the tropical waters wa-ters of the gulf, and soon the movement 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 world's most important shipping centers of henequen or hemp. Going ashore at Progreso is rather an exciting novelty if not a 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 consternation consterna-tion of the stranger. The clear waters which bathe this shore seem to accentuate accen-tuate the size of these monsters, and while the visitor shudders the boatmen boat-men on the ship's tender, as we are bounding shoreward, announce that arrangements may then and there be made for a shark-fishing excursion later in the day. Progreso from the sea presents long rows of houses flanked on either end by miles of sandy beaches, while a tall lighthouse about the center of the port dominates the surroundings. The general appearance is attractive, and even more so when we notice tidy buildings and the cleanly clothing of even the laboring class. The time was August when we arrived in Progreso about the very worst season of the year for the foreign visitor in Yucatan Yuca-tan ; but business matters do not wait for the most propitious occasions. As a matter of fact, the winter season in the United States furnishes the best time climatically for visiting Yucatan. Few Sights to See In Progreso. Sightseeing In Progreso does not detain the visitor. But the port with its 5,000 people is usually a 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-1 ed several miles out into the roadstead the handling of the country's commerce com-merce will be greatly facilitated. In the shipping season the town . presents unusually active scenes with its trucks, mules, and men. One might imagine himself amid the cotton bales at New Orleans, so much do henequen nnd cotton resemble each other in the method of shipment and size of bales. By and by the day grows wnrmer, and one is glnd to board the train for Merida, I!0 miles southward. Traveling Travel-ing on this three-foot gauge road is cheap, being only about two cents a mile for the best accommodation offered. of-fered. Slowly through the suburbs of Progreso our train steams, but soon we are moving rapidly over a level con nl ry with a dry nnd parched appearance, ap-pearance, abounding in shrubs, cacti, and coarse grasses; but to this condition condi-tion Yucatan owes its vast reveuue derived de-rived from the marvelous little maguey plant and Its product. Here and there are breaks in the barrenness and we catch sight of swamps with lilies and other water plants, a relief to look upon. As our train proceeds, with stops at little stations en route, the cars are b'iter filled, and nt the same time opportunities are afforded for getting close glimpses of the henequen workers work-ers and their fields of maguey plants that lie In view from the car window. J.ong before sighting Merida the landscape land-scape becomes dotted with windmills, nnd when finally the capital city is reached one can almost imagine himself him-self in old Holland or Barbados, about the only difference being that Yucatan has the modern-style mill. These wind- mills explain that Merida, like other regions of the country, must pump water wa-ter from beneath the surface, so few are the lakes and streams. Driving About Merida. After being made comfortable in one of Morula's hotels we start out to view the city. There is no lack of vehicles and the stranger Is literally swamped with proffers of a "delightful drive." Most of these small carriages, generally gener-ally drawu by a single pony, have rubber rub-ber tires, and many are kept conspicuously conspicu-ously clean mid inviting looking, despite the dust of the suburban sections- of the city. Merida today claims 62,000 people; and among its residents nre numerous families of wealth which have acquired ac-quired riches in connection with the great industry, the growing of the maguey and the production of henequen. hene-quen. Merida, while not as old as the port of Sisal, dates from 1542, when a settlement was founded by Francisco Montejo on the site of the ancient Maya city of Tihoo. Today one of the most interesting buildings to be seen in Merida is the casa Montejo, still well preserved after weathering the sunshine and storms of centuries. Another An-other edifice which every visitor should see is the cathedral which was started in 1561 and not completed for nearly 40 years. For those fond of seeing relics of bygone ages a visit to the museum will be full of interest, and especially so if some of the ancient Yucatan ruins are to be seen and explored. In the former one may inspect articles and curios that have been collected from the ruins and preserved really a link connecting the art and trade of past centuries with present peoples. Merida, commercially, industrially, and socially has greatly improved during dur-ing recent years. Streets and avenues have been paved with asphalt, electricity elec-tricity has been provided, labor-saving machinery introduced, nnd otherwise life and conditions have been modernized. modern-ized. Climatically, Merida is hot, but healthful. During the hours of midday mid-day the sun's rays are extremely unpleasant un-pleasant and the stranger is told to keep in the shade. Cool breezes from the surrounding seas, however, often temper the heat of the whole peninsula. penin-sula. The months of March and April are regarded as especially trying to the newcomer in any part of Yucatan ; winter by far is the best season for visiting the country, and during these months the excursion to the famous ruins existing in several different parts of the peninsula can be made with a fair degree of comfort. The temperature in Merida ranges from about 75 degrees to 98 degrees Fahrenheit. Fahren-heit. , Volan the Popular Vehicle. The visitor in Merida for the first time will be interested in a native vehicle ve-hicle known as the "volan," which might be aptly termed a half brother of the famous calash of Quebec. The volan has two big wheels and is usually usual-ly drawn by three ponies working abreast ; it is provided with easy-riding springs, a thick mattress floor covering cov-ering offers a soft seat on the floor of the vehicle, while a top with side curtains cur-tains protects the traveler from the sun's rays. Highways In Yucatan have not greatly improved with the degree of the prosperity of the land, and the volan seems to be a popular method of cross-country transportation. The stranger out of curiosity, if for nothing noth-ing else, usually goes for a ride in thi;: rather novel means of travel. Mingling with the business men of Merida provides excellent opportunities opportuni-ties for studying the commercial side of affairs ; and I found many of these gentlemen willing to talk freely about Yucatan's future outlook. One of the first things which seems to have, impressed im-pressed itself upon the average resident resi-dent is the improved condition provided provid-ed for the laboring classes, such as higher wages for work and generally more freedom of action than in former for-mer years. Better wages out on the henequen plantation is of course reflected re-flected in the business activities of Merida, for the latter is not only the capital of the state but a place in which everything centers. The working work-ing day has been reduced to eighl hours, and for this time the henequen laborer Is paid the equivalent 1.50 t ?" ; five days the Yucatecan work and two days of the week are reserve for rest nnd recreation. On the large, plantations schools have been openei at the expense of the landowner, am numerous improved sanitary regain lions nre iu force. If the stranger tarries in Merida U. is likely to have opportunities fur seeing something of the home life of the people. Even during n stroll nlon;' the best residential streets a glnm-e into open-door patios reveals cha ruling rul-ing flower gardens nnd a degree " comfort and refinement not noticeahli from outward appearances of the average av-erage private home. Many of Merida's citizens nre hospitable to a marked j degree, nnd when the foreign visitor finds favor and is invited to the family circle he is on the road to many enjoyable en-joyable functions. |