1892 
An American has a saw mill at the shore of lake by Patzouaro and 
Patzouaro 
(Miahoacan) 
San Luis 
Potosi 
(S.L.Potosi) 
the logs are rafted across the lake from the far shore, making a 
picturesque addition to the view. 
Heavy rains have made the country brilliantly green here, and 
hosts, of wild flowers cover the ground in many places. But finally 
the rains proved too much and I was forced to give up trying to 
, - , ' i ■ ■ t -*i 
complete the work on the high mountains at present and so we took 
train and ran down to Acambaro and thence to San Luis Potosi. The 
rains grew less frequent as we left Michoaoan and the country more 
and more dry until we found at San Luis Potosi a desert where the 
ground was thirsting after three years of failing crops. 
I found this city filled with a host of the most wretched, ragged 
; i \ ,■ «i* * 4 ' •# ‘ A * * 
specimens of miserable humanity that I have seen in the country. The 
three years drought here has reduced many of the people to utter 
misery so that they are being fed by the authorities, and charitable 
contributions of citizens. Among these, the Masonic fraternity have 
established a kitchen where they fed all comers at midday, until re¬ 
cently a few rains encouraged farmers to begin to plant corn thus 
giving work when the feeding was restricted to women and children. 
In Mexico the Masonic fraternity is an object of hatred to the 
Catholic powers and has come to be joined by most of the government 
officials so that it represents the liberal or party in power, as 
the church or conservative party forms the opposition. There is no 
love lost between the two and it is only the firm hand and wise 
policy of President Diaz that the peace is not broken. 
This governing power uses all the arts of a politician to keep 
on his side men who might be troublesome. Some generals who might be 
troublesome if in command are retired on full payj other men who are 
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