On the land grows corn and sugar cane. Growing wild are oranges, lemons, plums, mangoes and limas [limes]. Pineapples and cocoanuts do well on an adjoining hacienda. On the rough land and mountain sides is some of the finest grass seen in Mexico. Proof of its strength as a food is the fat cattle seen browsing [sic, grazing] on the hillside.
To reach Chamal you leave the gulf division of the Mexico Central R.R., at Escandon, travel west thirty miles over a level valley, crossing the Forlon River at Hinkletinkle [sic, Xicotencalt], and the Frio River near Valmont Colony. The government has made a splendid roadway up the mountain, which is reached soon after crossing the Frio River. This road is blasted out of the mountain side and looks more like a railroad than a wagon road. After reaching the top of the mountain you discover the inside of the horse shoe to be at least 1000 feet higher than the outside. A very nice arrangement when we come to consider health, comfort, from heat, & etc. The government is now building a road up the mountain on the west side even better than the one on the east, thus offering a good road to Ocampo, a town of 4000 inhabitants, and only 6 miles from our west line.
Geo. E. Blalock
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