ISTHMUS OF TEHUANTEPEC 
99 
The border town where we made our entry is known as Cuidad 
Porfirio Diaz — the first word meaning “city." Here all was Spanish, or 
rather Mexican, the adobe houses, the half clad Indian children who 
begged softly, “tin centavo Scnor,” and the placid, care-free appearance 
of the railroad men, who had the air of having but little on their minds, 
and no cause for hurry or worry, were all in marked contrast to the 
hustling, bustling atmosphere that is so much in evidence on this side of 
the border. After pulling out of Diaz, we retired, slept soundly, and 
waked to breakfast in Torreon, three thousand seven hundred feet above 
the level of the sea. It was a real Mexican breakfast, although cooked 
and served by Chinese, and eaten in a leisurely way that did not at all 
suggest a waiting train. 
PRIMITIVE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION 
To digress a moment: When I say we, I refer to myself and 
whatever chance acquaintance I might be thrown in with at the moment. 
As far as Torreon I had had three such — a sugar planter who left at 
St. Louis ; an army officer, home from the Philippines, who got off at 
San Antonio, and a young English mining engineer, who was to estab- 
lish himself permanently at Zacatecas. The last named was a nice fellow, 
but very serious withal, and responded with extreme reluctance to any 
attempted humor. For example, he had noted, as I said, the influx of 
Americans to the country, and said : 
“By the way, those planters now, what do they raise?” 
I replied, “The older ones, who are settled down, raise pineapples, 
cacao, and rubber; most of the younger ones raise Cain." 
